As part of our #JoinLaCharla: Immigration, Representation, and the Power of Language event, we are hosting a charla (community conversation) featuring Raquel Natalicchio, Rick Noriega, and Cesar Espinosa. Together, they’ll reflect on the complexities of immigration, the importance of representation in media and public life, and how language shapes our understanding of identity, policy, and belonging. This panel sets the tone for a day of collective reflection, storytelling, and community dialogue.

A charla is the Spanish term for an informal yet meaningful community conversation centered on shared experiences and collective reflection. 

Featured Speakers:

Raquel Natalicchio, Photojournalist, South Regional Chair of the National Press Photographers Association, and Founder of The Open Door Gallery

Rick Noriega, Former Texas State Representative, Major General (Retired), and author of the Texas Dream Act

Cesar Espinosa, Founder and Director of FIEL (Familias Inmigrantes y Estudiantes en la Lucha) 

This event will take place at the Julia Ideson Building Auditorium on Saturday, September 06, 2025, at 10:30 am. 

This event is free and open to the public. Parking in the garage under the Central Library is free. Registration is encouraged, but not required.

Be sure to check out the rest of the day’s events—including exhibit walkthroughs and a special film screening—to continue the conversation and inspire collective action and reflection.

More info here.

About Raquel Natalicchio:

Raquel Natalicchio is a bilingual photojournalist originally from Los Angeles, now based in Houston as a staff photojournalist for the Houston Chronicle. Her work focuses on social issues, migration, political mobilization, and community-driven stories across the U.S.–Mexico border. Her long-term project Borderlands explores the cultural and human complexity of border life. A passionate educator, she has developed photography curricula for Las Fotos Project and the Houston Center for Photography, empowering youth through self-expression. Natalicchio has organized exhibitions and talks in Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and London. She is South Regional Chair of the National Press Photographers Association and founder of The Open Door Gallery, a roaming gallery dedicated to supporting artists and building community.

About Retired Maj. Gen. Rick Noriega: Major General Richard J. Noriega (Ret.) is a distinguished leader with over four decades of service spanning the military, public policy, homeland security, and community leadership. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, MG Noriega enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves in 1980 and rose through the ranks to retire as a brevet Major General in the Texas Army National Guard.

As a military officer, MG Noriega commanded at every level, including serving as the Laredo Sector Commander for Operation Jump Start, where he led National Guard forces in support of the U.S. Border Patrol to enhance border security across multiple South Texas counties. He also deployed as the Garrison Commander for the Kabul Military Training Center during Operation Enduring Freedom, overseeing infrastructure and training for 6,000 Afghan soldiers. His final assignments included serving as Assistant Division Commander–Support for the 36th Infantry Division and Assistant Adjutant General for the Texas Army National Guard, responsible for over 20,000 soldiers in both wartime and domestic operations.

In the legislative arena, MG Noriega represented District 145 in the Texas House of Representatives for a decade, where he authored and sponsored more than 100 bills covering education, economic development, veterans’ affairs, and homeland security. Most notably, he authored the historic Texas Dream Act, making Texas the first state to offer in-state tuition assistance for immigrant students, a model that inspired similar measures nationwide. He also chaired the Mexican American Legislative Caucus Task Force on Border Security and served on the Defense Affairs Committee, among others.

About Cesar Espinosa:

Cesar Espinosa is a proud immigrant from Mexico who came to the U.S. in 1991 at the age of five. He is currently a DACA recipient. Espinosa attended the prestigious Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions in HISD. He went on to study at Houston Community College before transferring to the University of Houston, where he studied Political Science.

Espinosa is the co-founder and current Executive Director of FIEL (Familias Inmigrantes y Estudiantes en la Lucha – Immigrant Families and Students in the Fight), the largest immigrant-led civil rights organization in Texas. FIEL is dedicated to empowering the immigrant community in Houston, across Texas, and throughout the United States.

Espinosa has served—and continues to serve—on a variety of local, state, and national boards. He actively works on issues such as race relations, police reform, and community empowerment. With over two decades of experience in grassroots organizing, he is a strong advocate for immigrant rights, student rights, and human rights. Espinosa considers himself a proud Houstonian.

This public program is presented in support of Raquel Natalicchio's exhibit at HPL, Al Otro Lado | The Other Side. This exhibition will be on view June 14, 2025–February 28, 2026 at the Houston Public Library's Dr. James and Betty Key Map Room in the Julia Ideson Building and is free and open to the public during regular hours. 

To learn more about the exhibit and upcoming related programs, visit: https://houstonlibrary.org/blogs/exhibits/exhibits/al-otro-lado

At the heart of Al Otro Lado/The Other Side lies the convergence of individual stories and geographical context. This exhibition features the work of photojournalist Raquel Natalicchio, focusing on her portraits and interviews of people who have migrated to the United States. Their personal narratives, highlighting their diverse experiences and journeys, are paired with historical maps highlighting regions along the U.S.-Mexico border, sourced from the Houston History Research Center (HHRC). These maps not only chart physical landscapes but also document the history leading up to the establishment of the border and the socio-political complexities surrounding immigration.