Spanish professor Manuel Hernandez will give a lecture on journalist Gustavo Arellano’s work Monday. This lecture comes with a twist, though — Arellano invited himself.
Arellano, writer of the award-winning, nationally syndicated column “¡Ask a Mexican!” and editor of alternative California publication OC Weekly, said ASU originally asked him for a personal photo to run in ads for the event. But when he found out about the lecture, he asked if he could come.
“I said, ‘sure, but why don’t you just bring me, too?’” Arellano said. “I want to hear about myself.”
Arellano said he couldn’t believe that the lecture was on him, adding that the experience is surreal.
“I teach my books all the time, but it’s a whole other thing to have someone speak about me,” Arellano said. “Usually lectures are about really famous people and really obscure people that are dead, and I’m neither.”
Hernandez said he sees Arellano as an influential figure in Mexican-American writing.
“Gustavo is the voice of the younger generation,” Hernandez said. “He’s not afraid to speak to other ethnic groups. He’s able to bridge a cultural gap.”
The “¡Ask a Mexican!” column started in 2004 as a joke between Arellano and his editor about the stereotypes southern Californians have about Mexicans. The column received such a huge reaction, though, that they decided to continue the column until there were no more questions to be asked, Arellano said.
The column was also turned into a book, in addition to the two other books Arellano has written on Mexican culture in the U.S.
Arellano’s latest book, “Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America,” takes a look at how Mexican food has overtaken the American food scene.
“His book takes a look at how Americans are afraid of Mexicans but at the same time won’t stop eating Mexican food,” Hernandez said.
The lecture is the start of the 2013 fall season of ASU’s Project Humanities.
The program promotes the importance and value of humanities by hosting events on all four ASU campuses, Project Humanities director Neal Lester said.
Each season has a specific theme. This semester’s events focus on how humor binds people together and how people react to it, Lester said.
Lester said they like to put surprises in Project Humanities lectures, and the Arellano lecture is no exception.
“We didn’t want to upstage (Hernandez), but having Gustavo speak too is a nice collaboration and a treat,” Lester said.
Arellano said he thinks people can learn something about Mexican-American culture from the lecture.
“People should come out and see this. I want to meet and thank all my fans,” Arellano said.
The event is Monday at 6:30 p.m. in room 128 of the Walter Cronkite School. After the lecture, Arellano will speak and sign copies of his books.
Contact the reporter at amsorrel@asu.edu
