ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
Rice University is home to a campus bounded by historic hedges but deeply interconnected with a dynamic metropolis, and Houston is one of the most diverse and culturally expansive global cities in the world. Though chartered exclusively for Houston’s white inhabitants, trailblazing Latines defied those boundaries from the beginning. Cruzaron el umbral—they walked through the Sallyport, refusing to be kept out.
Through the interwoven narratives stitched together via archival research at the Woodson Research Center and the Houston Public Library Special Collections, these histories emerge. Pieced together from the photos, letters, diaries, and oral histories of the students, staff, and faculty who shaped both Rice and the city, this exhibit proves that from the moment ground broke in 1910, Latine individuals have helped shape Rice’s legacy.
Today, nearly 18% of Rice University’s undergraduate students and more than 44% of Houston’s residents are of Latin American descent. Beyond the Hedges: Historias de Latinidad at Rice University honors this community, which has, for over a century, dedicated their brilliance, service, resilience, and creativity to the campus and the city. Students walking through Rice University’s Sallyport. “Ellos no solo presenciaron la historia; ayudaron a construirla. They did not merely occupy these spaces; they claimed them.”
LOCATION
The Julia Ideson Building - Exhibit Hall
550 McKinney St.
Houston, TX 77002
(832) 393-1300
Houston Public Library Exhibits
OPENING RECEPTION
Date: Thursday, Sept. 17
Time: 6 to 8 p.m.
THIS EXHIBIT WAS CURATED BY:
- Portia Hopkins, University Historian
- Margarita M. Castromán Soto, Assistant Professor of English
- Lily Harvey '28
- Jesse Romero '28
- Dionne Babineaux, PhD Student, History Department
- Liliana Lopez, PhD Student, History Department
With additional support from:
- Olivier Péloquin (co-curator of digital exhibit), PhD Student, History Department
- David Medina, former Director of Multicultural Community Relations in the Office of Public Affairs
- Jose Aranda Jr., Terrence Doody Professor of English
- Dr. Alberto Roca, DiverseScholar
- The Woodson Research Center at Fondren Library
Exhibit sponsors:
- Sawyer Seminar, Humanities Research Center, Rice University
- The Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies, Rice University
- Department of History, Rice University
- Office of Access and Institutional Excellence, Rice University
- Office of Public Affairs, Rice University
- Woodson Research Center at Fondren Library
- Houston History Research Center at the Julia Ideson Building, Houston Public Library
- Houston Public Library Foundation
DONATIONS / DONACIÓNES
To contribute to our growing archive of Rice histories by donating photographs, memorabilia, or oral histories, please fill out this form, so that one of our Woodson Research Center team members can follow up with you.
Para contribuir a nuestro creciente archivo de historias de Rice University mediante la donación de fotografías, recuerdos u historias orales, complete este formulario. Un miembro del equipo del Woodson Research Center se pondrá en contacto con usted para hablar sobre su contribución.
Courtesy: Rice University's Office of Public Affairs
