Beyond the Hedges: Historias de Latinidad at Rice University

About this event

Rice University is home to a campus bounded by historic hedges but deeply interconnected with the dynamic metropolis of Houston, one of the most diverse and culturally expansive global cities in the world. While the university was originally chartered exclusively for Houston's white inhabitants, trailblazing Latines defied those boundaries from the beginning. They walked through the Sallyport, refusing to be kept out. Pieced together from photos, letters, and diaries discovered in the archives of the Woodson Research Center and the Houston Public Library Special Collections, and from 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 13.5% 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. This Exhibit Was Curated By: Portia Hopkins, University Historian; Margarita M. Castromán Soto, Assistant Professor of English, Lily Harvey (Rice '28); Jesse Romero (Rice '28); Dionne Babineaux (Ph.D. Student, History Dept.); and Liliana López (Ph.D. Candidate, History Dept.) With Additional Support from: Olivier Péloquin (Ph.D. Candidate, History Dept.); 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, founder of DiverseScholar; and the Woodson Research Center at Fondren Library Exhibit Sponsors Include: Sawyer Seminar, Humanities Research Center, Rice U; The Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies, Rice U; Department of History, Rice U; Office of Public Affairs, Rice U; and Rice University's Office of Access and Institutional Excellence For more information: Please visit for more FREE exhibits at HPL and suggested reading for this exhibition.