As part of the For the Humanities lecture series, the Global Spanish Initiative and the Institute of the Humanities and Global Cultures (IHGC) will co-host a two-day program featuring Ignacio M. Sánchez Prado, the Jarvis Thurston and Mona Van Duyn Professor in the Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis. A leading scholar in Latin American cultural theory, Mexican literature, and globalization studies, Sánchez Prado will join the UVA community for a series of events engaging his forthcoming book The Taco (Bloomsbury, 2025)—a public-facing work of scholarship and creative nonfiction that examines the taco as a transcultural object shaped by history, geography, and migration.

This program will take place February 12–13, 2026.  On Thursday, February 12, Sánchez Prado will meet with graduate students from Spanish, English, Global Studies, and Latin American Studies programs for a lunchtime seminar on scholarship, publishing, and global humanities. That afternoon, he will deliver a public lecture titled “Knowledge for All: On Cultural Value, Access, and the Humanities,” hosted by the IHGC.

On Friday, February 13, the Global Spanish Initiative will host a book seminar focused on The Taco, featuring a panel conversation moderated by the director of The Culinary Diplomacy Project. This event will bring Sánchez Prado into dialogue with Chef Victor Albisu, founder of Taco Bamba, to explore how food can serve as a site of identity, hybridity, and cultural politics. The conversation will examine culinary appropriation, diaspora, and authenticity through the lens of both scholarship and lived practice. Following the panel, guests will enjoy a curated lunch catered by the Taco Bamba team—extending the conversation into a shared culinary experience.

The program is open to both graduate and undergraduate students, offering them a unique opportunity to engage directly with leading thinkers in the fields of cultural studies, food studies, and Latin American humanities.

This unique collaboration bridges academic inquiry and creative engagement, fostering dialogue between scholars, chefs, students, and community members. It reflects UVA’s commitment to amplifying Spanish-language research, cultivating global partnerships, and creating experiential learning opportunities that connect the humanities with everyday life.