Dear Conference Attendees,
On behalf of the Latino/a Law Student Association (LALSA) of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, we would like to welcome you all to the 20th Annual LALSA Conference, titled Un Nuevo Mañana: Emerging Issues in U.S. Cuba Relations. We want to thank our panelists for making the trip to Penn Law – at least one just got off a plane from Cuba – to join us in discussing one of today’s most important topics for the international community.
After many years, U.S.-Cuba relations are closer than ever before to normalization. Charter flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport and José Martí International Airport commenced early last year. Popular culture has seen a resurgence of anti-embargo sentiment, propelled by television personalities such as Conan O’Brien. In the 2015 State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama urged Congress to lift the Cuban embargo. Regardless of the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, the next president of the United States of America will have to confront the complicated relationship we hold with our Caribbean neighbor.
We are honored to host speakers, guests, and students alike today in the Fitts Auditorium. This conference is the culmination of many months of hard work, and for that we are immensely proud. We look forward to extending today’s discussion beyond the panels, lunch, and reception and into our everyday lives.
Sincerely,
Seferina Berch, Co-President
Ellie Gladstone, Co-President
Teo Victoria, Conference Chair
