Race and Space in the Making of the Latin American City during the Twentieth Century

media release: Please join UW Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program. The events are free and open to the public.

Room 206 Ingraham Hall - 1155 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706.  ZOOM REGISTRATION

About the presentation: The literature on urban Latin America has often reified and naturalized political decisions regarding the production of urban space as racially neutral. While it acknowledges the westernization of Latin American cities since the early twentieth century—particularly through the adoption of architectural and urban planning models drawn from Europe—it has largely overlooked how racial ideologies have shaped urban policies. This presentation explores recent developments in the study of the racial foundations of urban planning in Latin America and examines the case of Cartagena, Colombia, during its transformation into an international tourist destination in the twentieth century.

About the presenter: Orlando Deavila Pertuz is a Tinker Visiting Professor of History for the Fall 2025 semester.  He is an assistant professor at the International Institute of Caribbean Studies at the Universidad de Cartagena. He holds a PhD in history from the University of Connecticut. His work deals with the intersection between race and space in the remaking of Cartagena (Colombia) as an international tourist destination in the twentieth century.

Co-sponsored by the Department of History and the Chazen Museum of Art.