FALL SEMINAR RECEPTION TO FEATURE IRMA HERRERA

“ONE WOMAN SHOW”

The Fall Seminar’s reception will be held on October 27^th from 4:30 to 6:00 on Austin Community College’s Highland Campus. The reception is sponsored by Dr. Ruth Reinhart, ACC Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Support Services.

Irma Herrera spent 30+ years as a public-interest lawyer advocating on behalf of marginalized communities. Among her positions were Staff Attorney and Director of Educational Programs for The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF). She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School and the recipient of numerous awards for her work, most notably the ABA’s Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award. During a several-year break from practicing law, Irma worked as a journalist with Pacific News Service and New America Media, writing about race, class, gender, and culture. At the same time, working as a journalist, she also served as a part-time visiting professor at Colorado College and Sacramento State University. She is now a full-time writer and performer.

Her solo play, “Why Would I Mispronounce My Name?” weaves history and comedic insights into stories about names, shedding light and throwing shade on our prejudices and assumptions, including those prevalent in the legal profession.

The 20+ characters Irma Herrera portrays invite audiences to experience what’s in store for a Mexican-American girl who leaves a segregated South Texas town searching for educational and economic opportunities. An affirmative action student, she ultimately finds her way to the liberal mecca of San Francisco to work as a civil rights lawyer at MALDEF, the leading civil rights organization representing Latinos. Irma Herrera’s stories help us connect the dots – the Muslim ban, the racializing of COVID-19, the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans, and laws targeting trans youth. They are related. Her commentary about life in the United States is shared with humor and warmth.

Admission for ASCENDER seminar participants and ACC ASCENDER Scholars is free. Others wanting to see the show can purchase tickets here: https://catchthenext.networkforgood.com/events/47544-catch-the-next-reception

Guest in person: $50.00

Livestream: $25.00 Network for Good