The Robert A. and Elizabeth R. Jeffe Distinguished Lecture in Urban History: Language City

Discover the powerful stories behind New York’s linguistic diversity as Ross Perlin discusses his latest book. In Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York, Perlin follows six remarkable yet ordinary speakers of endangered languages, exploring how they’re keeping their languages alive against overwhelming odds. This conversation is moderated by Monxo Lopez, MCNY’s Curator of Community Histories. 

About the Speaker: 
Dr. Ross Perlin is a linguist and co-director of the non-profit, Endangered Language Alliance, overseeing research projects focused on language documentation, mapping, policy, and public programming. As a writer, he has written on language, labor, and China for The New York Times, The Guardian, and Harper's, along with publishing a book on unpaid work and youth economics (Intern Nation). He has given talks at the Googleplex, the UK Parliament, and the Economic Policy Institute, as well as universities and colleges across America as well as appearing on MSNBC, CBS, Fox, BBC, and NPR, among others. He was a 2023 New Arizona Fellow at New America and winner of the 2024 British Academy Book Prize, the 2024-2025 New York City Book Award and New York Times Notable Book 2024 for Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York. 

Dr. Monxo López, Curator of Community Histories (he/him/his), is a dedicated museum curator, urban thinker, educator, cartographer, and activist for environmental and urban justice in the South Bronx. Currently serving as the inaugural Curator of Community Histories at the Museum of the City of New York, he holds a PhD in political science from CUNY’s Graduate Center and an MA from Université Laval in Québec, Canada. Monxo is the curator or co-curator of several exhibitions at MCNY, including Byzantine Bembé: New York by Manny Vega, This Is New York, Puppets of New York, and Food in New York: Bigger Than the Plate. His work at MCNY has been noted in The New York Times, Hyperallergic, and other major publications.
Originally from Puerto Rico, Monxo now resides in Mott Haven, where he continues to engage with local communities to promote social equity and sustainability.

This program is made possible by Robert A. and Elizabeth R. Jeffe.