Auburn, January 6, 2003 --- Alabamians taking part in a foreign study tour this summer will have a unique opportunity to gain an intimate understanding of the emerging Hispanic/Latino presence within their state.

Sponsored by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Auburn University College of Agriculture, the study tour is designed to provide participants with total immersion in Mexican culture and the Spanish language. Sponsors of the program hope that participants will emerge from the experience with an intimate knowledge of Hispanic/Latino culture and will be better equipped to interact with these newcomers on a one-to-one basis.

"Total immersion really is the only way to understand any cultural group fully – who they are, where they came from and what their expectations are," says Dr. Diego Gimenez, who developed the program and serves as its academic director.

"I studied English all my life but really didn’t gain a complete understanding of the American people until I moved to the United States," adds Gimenez, a native of Cuba, now a U.S. citizen who has lived and worked in the United States for more than 40 years.

Scheduled for June 1 through June 15, the study tour will be especially valuable for people who work or interact directly with Hispanic/Latino residents on a frequent basis – "social service employees, educators, police officers and other city officials, manufacturers and farm operators," he says.

The classes will be conducted through the Escuela para Estudiantes Extranjeros, under the supervision of the Universidad Veracruzana, one of the country’s premiere educational institutions.

As part of this total cultural immersion, participants live with host families located in or near Xalapa. Known as the "City of Spring in the Sand," Xalapa is located about an hour and a half from the historic city of Veracruz.

Following their introduction to their host families, participants will receive a cultural orientation before the program begins. Field trips will run from 8:00 a.m. to noon, while regular classes will be held from noon until 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Special lectures will be offered from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m.

Participants will receive 2.2 hours of continuing education credit from Auburn University upon completion of the program.

Twelve field trips have been scheduled for the study tour and will include visits to poultry, coffee, tomato and dairy farms. Visits to agribusinesses, schools and social service agencies also are planned.

Basic cost of the program is estimated to be approximately $2,200, which includes air fare from Atlanta, course tuition in Xalapa, orientation and emergency evacuation insurance, roundtrip transportation from Veracruz to Xalapa, and room and board. Costs for a single-occupant room and board are slightly higher.

Payment, which does not include passport fees, should be made to the Auburn University College of Agriculture’s Office of International Agriculture in two installments. The first payment must be received by March 15, 2003, while the second payment should be received no later than April 30, 2003.

For more information about the study tour, contact Dr. Diego Gimenez at 201-C Upchurch Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, 36849-5628.

He may also be reached at 334-844-1520.

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