Panel Discussion: The Challenges of the Latino Community in the Pittsburgh Region
Friday, October 8, 2021
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET via Zoom
Join us for a panel discussion of the challenges of the Latino community in Pittsburgh, including living conditions and the effectiveness of public engagement. IPS Professor Ignacio Arana will moderate the discussion. Joining him will be:
- Monica Ruiz-Caraballo, Executive Director, Casa San José
- Belkys Torres, Executive Director for Global Engagement, University Center for International Studies, University of Pittsburgh
- Sister Janice Vanderneck, Founding Director and current Director of Civic Engagement, Casa San José
- Guillermo Velázquez, Executive Director, Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation
This event is generously co-sponsored by the University Lecture Series.
About Monica Ruiz-Caraballo:
Monica Ruiz-Caraballo is the Executive Director at Casa San José. Monica has been working with Casa since 2014 when she started as an intern, then moved to service coordinator and then community organizer. Prior to that, she worked for Catholic Charities as a case manager. She was born in Cleveland Ohio and has Latino roots from Guatemala and Puerto Rico, where her mom and her dad are originally from. She is a proud mother of one daughter and four sons. She loves cooking and enjoys playing soccer with her children.
Monica holds a master’s degree in Social Work with a focus on Community Organizing and Social Action. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh with a concentration in Psychology.
Monica is a powerful advocate for Latinos on legal, housing, development, and educational issues. She fights for those facing deportation proceedings and launches projects to assist women, children, and youth. In addition, she partners with political, labor, religious, and law enforcement leadership to make Pittsburgh stronger and more welcoming to all.
Sister Janice Vanderneck is the Founding Director of Casa San José. She is a Catholic religious sister with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden, and she has worked in Latin America, educating and organizing community members to think critically about power structures, oppression, and political engagement. In the US, Sister Janice worked for decades as a religion teacher and principal at Catholic elementary schools in the Pittsburgh region.
