Sor Juana 2026: The Past, Present, and Future of Latine Education

Join us for a conversation on Latino/a/e education, belonging, and equity, moderated by andromeda writer/director Jax Ovalle and featuring Dr. Isaura B. Pulido and Dr. Jennifer Juárez. Grounded in personal experience, the speakers will reflect on their paths into Latino/a/e-focused work, examine how current political and institutional shifts are impacting students and research, and explore how imagination, community knowledge, and interdisciplinary thinking can help re-envision a more just educational system. A brief audience Q&A will follow.

The evening will open with a screening of Andromeda, a Latine-led series about first-generation college students. The featured episode, “Library,” follows Rosa as she searches for her place on campus and ultimately finds a connection in her university’s Latino History section.

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About Isaura B. Pulido, Ph.D.:

Isaura B. Pulido, Ph.D., is Professor of Education and Latino/a/x and Latin American Studies at Northeastern Illinois University and Special Assistant to the President for HSI Affairs. A first-generation graduate and CPS alum, her research advances equity for Latiné students across P–12 and higher education, focusing on HSIs, structural barriers, and institutional transformation.

About Dr. Jennifer Juárez:

Dr. Jennifer Juárez is Director of Higher Education Policy at the Latino Policy Forum, leading research and strategy to advance equity across Illinois. She holds a Ph.D. from UIC and has 20+ years of experience. Her work supports Latina/o/x/e students and Hispanic-Serving Institutions, promoting belonging, leadership, and student success.

About Jax Ovalle:

Jax Ovalle is a Guatemalan-American musician and filmmaker based in Chicago. Their interdisciplinary projects explore identity, healing, and belonging through music, film, and immersive storytelling. Past work includes the feminist rock band CABRONA and andromeda, a DCASE-funded web series about the first-generation college experience.

About the Sor Juana Festival:

The National Museum of Mexican Art presents the 32nd annual Sor Juana Festival, honoring one of Mexico’s greatest writers, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. A 17th-century Mexican nun who valued and fought for a woman’s right to education, Sor Juana was a celebrated playwright, mathematician, and poet in her own time and continues to inspire women to this day. Through this unique festival, we celebrate the legacy of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and pay tribute to the rich artistic accomplishments of women from across the globe.

Continuing Sor Juana’s enduring legacy, the 2026 Sor Juana Festival reflects on the power of knowledge as both liberation and protest. This year's theme, “Knowledge as Resistance,” honors women who continue the fight for access, equality, and justice; highlighting first-voice activists, educators, community leaders, and artists who use their platforms to lead the way at a time when women’s rights face growing challenges across borders. Through their words, art, and action.

Since its founding in 1994, the Sor Juana Festival has remained unique in its scope and focus. The festival has presented high-profile artists such as Angélica Aragón, Vikki Carr, Lynda Carter, Ana Castillo, Sandra Cisneros, Elena Poniatowska, Ely Guerra, and Julieta Venegas.

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Note: Seating is limited, and registration does not guarantee entry. Seats will be held for those with a reservation until 15 minutes before the event starts. After that time, remaining seats will be released to the waitlist or available attendees.

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Host or Publisher National Museum of Mexican Art