Maria Torres-Guzmán, a Detroit native and professor at Columbia University Teachers College, gave a powerful talk to a crowded room of Wayne State students, faculty across colleges, community members, K-12 teachers and administrators on Sept. 13 in the College of Education. Her talk drew from her book Global Perspectives on Multilingualism.

Torres-Guzmán stressed the importance of connecting discussions of bilingualism in the U.S. to the international context in order to recognize how language is enmeshed with cultural hybridity. In response to questions regarding Michigan's 2011 repeal of section 41, support for bilingual instruction, Torres-Guzmán said it is critical to promote bilingual programs, such as two-way immersion, as pathways to multilingualism.