The Cultural Dinner is sold out. 

University Housing Services welcomes Orange is the New Black and Jane the Virgin, actress Diane Guerrero as the featured speaker for the Latino Cultural Dinner at 5 p.m. Wednesday, November 9, in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center.

Attendees will have an opportunity to hear Guerrero’s personal story as described in her book, “In the Country We Love: My Family Divided,” a moving, heartbreaking story of Guerrero’s extraordinary resilience in the face of the nightmarish struggles of undocumented residents in this country. She will share her tale of personal triumph that casts a much-needed light on the fears that haunt the daily existence of over 11 million undocumented families. Guerrero will also help to celebrate and recognize the importance of Latino culture in the world today.

Dinner guests will enjoy a meal prepared by Illinois State University Catering featuring a variety of regional Columbian cuisines. Tickets for the dinner are available here for $20, or meal plan holders may use a meal swipe to make a reservation in exchange for one meal. Tickets will be available online through November 2 or until sold out. They will not be sold at the door.

A special thank you to the following campus partners that assist in the planning and implementation of this event: Campus Dining Services, Association of Residence Halls, Tri-Towers Area Government, Tri-Towers Diversity Coalition, MECCPAC-A Dean of Students Diversity Initiative, and Latin American and Latino/a Studies.

For more details about the event, visit Housing.IllinoisState.edu.

About the Speaker:
Guerrero has appeared on numerous television series and is best known for her role as Maritza Ramos on the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated Netflix Original Series Orange is the New Black. In 2015, Guerrero was named a White House Ambassador for Citizenship and Naturalization.  She is an outspoken advocate for Commonsense Immigration Reform and has worked with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and Mi Familia Vota, a nonpartisan Latino civic engagement organization, to promote citizenship and voter registration. Variety magazine named her one of the top 10 Latina actresses to watch.