Cartoonist and author Lalo Alcaraz will speak and present a slideshow about the Latino community at noon Monday in the University Union Redwood room.

The lecture, “Political and Social Commentary: A Latino Perspective,” is presented by the Multi-Cultural Center and is part of Hispanic Heritage Month.

“Lalo represents a voice in the media that is directed toward an audience that hasn?t been mainstream,” said Leonard Valdez, director of the Multi-Cultural Center.

“There [are] not too many cartoonists that have a Latino flavor and by virtue of that, he offers a sense of connectedness to that community,” Valdez said.

Alcaraz is a Los Angeles-based cartoonist and has appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and The Village Voice. He is also one of only three Latino political cartoonists signed to a major syndicate.

“He is unique in that what he draws are not typical cartoons, which in many cases are inoffensive. I can?t say that?s necessarily true of Lalo,” Valdez said.

“When you do editorial cartoons, you have to take on important issues, and some people just don?t like it. Some people just don?t get that is what editorial cartoons are all about- dealing with important issues,” Alcaraz said in a recent interview with The Boston Globe.

“I think our students on campus will not only enjoy hearing the lecture but also find it interesting because of the message he presents and the manner in which he presents it,” Valdez said. “I don?t necessarily mean that students are going to agree with it ? rather, create a vehicle for communicating different ideas, some of which may be controversial.”

For more information on Lalo Alcaraz visit www.cartoonista.com