DePaul University's Humanities Center will present "The Flight of Pedro Pan," a documentary about the airlifting of children from Cuba, May 11 at 6 p.m. in the Schmitt Academic Center, 2320 N. Kenmore Ave., Room 154.

     The 90-minute fill will be shown for the first time in Chicago. Following the film, Maria de los Angeles Torres, an associate professor of political science at DePaul and one of the 14, 000 children who was brought to the United States from Cuba in the 1960s, will lead a panel discussion of Operation Peter Pan. Torres is also a 1999-2000 DePaul Humanities Center Faculty Fellow.

The discussion will focus on the larger issue of the social construction of childhood. Panelists are: Joseph Cardona, director of the documentary; Alfredo Lanier, a member of the Chicago Tribune editorial board; Jacqueline Bhabha, director of the human rights program at the University of Chicago; and Torres. The moderator of the panel discussion will be Pepe Vargas, executive director of the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago.

     A reception will follow the panel discussion.

     Operation Peter Pan, which took place between 1960 and 1962, is said to be the largest exodus of unaccompanied children from any nation. The secret operation was administered by Catholic Charities with support from the U.S. government. It was originally viewed by parents who fought in opposition to Fidel Castro in the underground movement as the quickest way to leave the country. "Many parents feared that the government would take legal custody of their children," explained Torres. "So, they sent them to the United States, where they planned to join them in a few months."

     The film showing and discussion is free and open to the public. It is co-sponsored by the DePaul Humanities Center, the Center for Latino Research at DePaul and the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago.

For more information about this event and others of the DePaul Humanities Center Faculty Fellows Program, contact Alecia Person at 773/325-4580 or visit the Web site at www.depaul.edu/~humctr.