OAMI News
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The 2005 Celebración Planning Committee is pleased to welcome University of Michigan alum Cecilia Muñoz as the Keynote Speaker at La Celebración Latina 2005. Cecilia Muñoz is Vice President of the Office of Research, Advocacy & Legislation at the National Council of La Raza. Click here for more information about Cecilia Muñoz.
Additionally, the 2005 Celebración Planning Committee is pleased to welcome Ricardo Ramos as the Student Speaker at La Celebración Latina 2005. Ricardo Ramos is graduating from the College of Literature, Science & Arts with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Click here for more information about Ricardo Ramos.
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Cecilia Muñoz is Vice President for the Office of Research, Advocacy and Legislation, National Council of La Raza (NCLR). She supervises all legislative and advocacy activities conducted by NCLR policy staff covering a variety of issues of importance to Latinos, including civil rights, employment, poverty, farmworker issues, education, housing, and immigration. Her particular area of expertise is immigration policy; she started at NCLR as a Senior Immigration Policy Analyst in 1988.
Ms. Muñoz represents NCLR before the media, Congress, and policy-makers in Washington. She has testified numerous times before Congress, and appears regularly in the Spanish and English-language media. Her media credits include the Today Show, Good Morning America, the Newshour with Jim Lehrer, Dateline NBC, the McLaughlin Group, CNN and National Public Radio.
Ms. Muñoz also serves on the Boards of Directors of the Washington Office on Latin America and the Appleseed Foundation. She also serves on the U.S. Advisory Committee of Human Rights Watch, and the Executive Committee of the National Immigration Forum.
Ms. Muñoz is the daughter of immigrants from Bolivia, and was born in Detroit, Michigan. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and her Masters degree from the University of California at Berkeley. In June of 2000, she was awarded a MacArthur Foundation fellowship in recognition of her work on immigration and civil rights. She was named one of eight "Women to Watch" by Washingtonian Magazine in September, 2001. In October of 2001 the Mexican Government presented her with its Ohtli award for her work advancing the cause of Mexicans living and working in the United States.
"I am a Mexican-American with an Argentine accent who dances like a Cuban and is in love with a Puerto Rican woman." – Ricky Ramos
Ricardo "Ricky" Ramos, a Political Science major, thinks of himself as a citizen of the world with a particular appreciation for Latin America. According to Ricky, "Growing up in Latin America has given me a unique perspective of the world, and allows me to think on an international level." Born in Chicago, Illinois, he was raised in Argentina and then settled in South Florida with his parents and two younger siblings.
Ricky attributes his success as an undergraduate student to his parents: "I have been very fortunate to have wonderful parents, who have been the driving force behind my education." Ricky's Mother, who grew up and attended college in the Midwest, encouraged her eldest son to explore this part of the United States of America because "in order to understand this country, a person has to understand the Midwest." When he arrived at the University of Michigan, he did so under the height of the University's battle to fight for its Affirmative Action policies in the admissions process. Though he intended to pursue a Bachelors of Business Administration, exposure to this critical issue helped to shape his interest and pursuit of a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
In addition to being a focused undergraduate at the University of Michigan, Ricky has been involved with many student organizations and endeavors that have allowed him to spread his creative wings. At one point during his four year tenure, he coordinated the Latino Culture Show, became a member of the dance troupe "funKtion" and dedicated time to his fraternity, Lambda Theta Phi.
Following graduation, Ricky plans on taking some time away from academia. He plans to explore regions of the world over the next few years, while learning languages and customs from these respective destinations. His goal is to find an international company the will facilitate his international curiosity.
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