Harvest of Empire: The Untold Story of Latinos in America

The rapid growth of the nation's Latino community has sparked heated national debate over immigration, yet the reality is that many of us know little about the roots of the migration or the powerful forces that brought millions of people from Latin America to the U.S. In this talk, based on his award-winning documentary Harvest of Empire, Eduardo López explores the hidden history of our nation's Latino community, and takes an unflinching look at the role that U.S. military actions and economic interests played in triggering unprecedented waves of migration from the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico. Throughout his presentation, López will draw on present-day immigrant stories, rarely seen archival material, and interviews with respected Latino leaders to unveil a moving human story that is largely unknown to the great majority of citizens in the United States.

Mr. Eduardo López is Co-Director and Co-Producer of Harvest of Empire, an award-winning documentary that examines the direct connection between the long history of U.S. intervention in Latin America and the immigration crisis we face today. Chosen by the American Library Association as one of 15 “Notable Videos for Adults” in 2015, Harvest of Empire has won several national awards, including the prestigious Imagen Award as Best Documentary for Film or Television in 2013 and the ABC News Source Award from the International Documentary Association. Mr. López is also the Producer of Línea Directa, one of the nation's longest-running Spanish-language television programs dedicated to Latino public service and community outreach. Since 1990, the weekly series has provided thousands of immigrant families living in the Washington metropolitan area with information on their rights, as well as on important health, legal, education and social service issues.