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Mexican Consul at UA Fort Smith on Aug. 28
(Posted: July 28, 2008) (Printable Version)
The Aug. 28 speaker in the Distinguished Global Speaker Series at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith will be Consul Andres Chao, who moved to Arkansas last year to head the Mexican Consulate of Little Rock.
Consul Chao’s topic is “The Immigration Phenomenon and the Contribution of the Mexican Community to the United States of America.” He will speak at noon in the Latture Conference Center of the Business and Industrial Institute building, Grand Ave. and N. 50th St.
Prior to his position in Arkansas, Consul Chao was affiliated with the Mexican Consulate in New York City. He has also worked as national media relations coordinator with the office of the president of Mexico, as political attaché at the Mexican Embassy in the Netherlands, as general coordinator of the presidential office affairs for the “El Universal” newspaper and as the private secretary in the office of the president of Mexico.
The Mexican Consulate of Little Rock opened in April 2007 and was created to assist Mexican nationals who reside in the region. The consulate’s jurisdiction covers the whole state of Arkansas, 21 counties of Tennessee and 41 counties of Oklahoma.
One of the main functions of the consulate is to provide governmental services to the Mexican expatriate community, including the issuance of Mexican passports and official Mexican national identity cards. In addition, the consulate serves as a cultural and economic liaison between Mexico and the United States.
The consulate also serves to protect legal interests and rights of Mexican citizens living in the United States. Through international treaties, Mexican citizens are entitled to contact the Mexican Consulate if arrested or detained. The consular staff assists with legal representation or aid for the detainee’s family.
Although there is no fee, reservations are requested by calling 479-788-7166 or emailing globalstudies@uafortsmith.edu. For more information on the series, contact Takeo Suzuki, executive director of international programs at UA Fort Smith, by telephone at 788-7166 or by email at tsuzuki@uafortsmith.edu.
| Article by: Sondra LaMar, Director of Public Relations |
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