Press Release
The oldest Spanish and English dictionary published in the United States to be showcased at the Chicago Latino Book & Family Festival on November 11-12.
2006-11-01
El Monte , CA. November 1, 2006. Velázquez Press will showcase the first Spanish and English dictionary published in the United States at the Chicago Latino Book & Family Festival on November 11-12. The Velázquez Spanish-English dictionary was first published in 1852 and was the highlight of the illustrious career of Mariano Velázquez (1778-1860) an accomplished Mexican-American grammarian, scholar, and author in the 19 th century. After serving a successful political career in Europe and Mexico , Mr. Velázquez moved to New York where he devoted himself to language. He was a professor at Columbia University where he taught Castilian language and literature. The Velázquez dictionary has become the preeminent authority in Spanish-English dictionaries.
A copy of the first Velázquez Spanish-English dictionary will be displayed at the 8 th annual Chicago Latino Book & Family Festival at booth 4409. The event will be held at Unity School , in the town of Cicero , one of the most densely Latino populated suburbs of Chicago . Last year's attendance attracted 28,000 and continuing as co-host for the event is Tele Guia de Chicago . Many celebrity authors from Mexico and award-winning Latino authors will present their new books and sign autographs at the event. A new feature this year is a motivational reading program called Readers are Leaders…Leer Es Poder where leaders from various professions read from a children's book or a book that inspired them and speak about how books have influenced their lives.
The Latino Book & Family Festival is presented by acclaimed actor, Edward J. Olmos, who also created Latino Literacy Now in 1997, a non-profit organization that supports literacy and literary excellence. The event celebrates and promotes literature and reading by featuring Spanish and English language authors that appeal to a broad range of ages and interests.
Headlining the festival will be the nation's leading Hispanic radio psychologist Dr. Isabel Gomez-Bassols, known nationally as “Doctora Isabel.” Mexico 's Sweetheart, “La Novia de Mexico,” Angelica Maria, will be making a rare special appearance in the USA . The authors of Mexico 's best-selling book, Quiubole con … (What's Happening), Yordi Rosado and Gaby Vargas, will sign books and talk about issues on the minds of young people.
Major sponsors include TeleGuia, Inc., the Town of Cicero, Illinois School District 99, the Chicago Public Schools, Amtrak, McDonald's, Herdez, Pizza Hut, Telemundo, Univision Radio, TV-Azteca America and MidAmerica Bank.
The Chicago Latino Book & Family Festival is a free event and will take place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, November 11, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 12, at Unity School , 2100 S. Laramie Avenue , Cicero , IL 60804 .
About Velázquez Press
Velázquez Press is the publisher of the Velázquez Spanish and English Dictionary; the preeminent authority of Spanish and English Dictionaries for over 150 years. The dictionary has easy-to-read font, bold guide phrases, and intuitive phonetic spelling. There are over 38,000 entries and the dictionary also includes helpful pronunciations in both the Spanish and English sections.
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For more information, interviews and a media kit, please contact:
Daniel Morales
Communications Director
Velázquez Press
dmorales@academiclearningcompany.com
(310) 775-1681 Cell
(626) 448-3448 Office
Fax. (626) 602-3817
www.VelazquezPress.com
www.AskVelazquez.com