Sociology Commons^™

Art, The Social Enzyme: The Emergence Of An Art Community In The Rio Grande Valley, Heaven Lashley

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study explores the emergence of an art community in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) region of South Texas. In researching this objective, I relied on observations at many gallery public functions where I had the opportunity to observe the interactions between prospective buyers, gallery owners and artists. I also visited with gallery owners and artists many times in small group settings where I raised open ended questions about the region's artists and other historical developments that would allow me to put together a cohesive story about the emergence of the art community

This study began as an unstructured exploration …

The Sacred And The Mundane: Images Of Deity In Ordinary Objects In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Monica Delgado Van Wagenen

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This thesis focuses on "iconotheophanies" or images of deity in ordinary objects. It further looks at the people who recognize and believe in iconotheophanies, specifically those of Mexican descent. This study hypothesizes that the Virgin of Guadalupe narrative, which emphasizes the appearance of images on objects, sets a pattern for Mexicans and Mexican-Americans to recognize the sacred in their own lives. Juan Diego, as the main character in the story, demonstrates a theoretical profile of five characteristics of individuals most likely to recognize iconotheophanies. These characteristics are: low level of acculturation, low socioeconomic status, male gender, older age, and increased …

Mexican American Baptists' Dependency On Anglo Baptist Institutions In South Texas: A Case Study In Bee County, Richard Carrera

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In the early 1800s, Anglo-Americans entered the Southwest in great numbers, bringing religious institutions with them, Mexican American Baptist dependency on Anglo Baptist institutions occurred. Anglos in the Southwest brought in the doctrine of Manifest Destiny and strict racial codes. Mostly Southerners, they sought to submit so-called foreign cultured people, in this case Mexican Americans, to a predetermined role in the economic and sociopolitical life of the Southwest. Anglo Baptists were part of this culture and influenced by the practice of this ideology. Applying the theory of Dependency, this study will examine the manifestation of dependency and its legacy in …

The Disposable Mexican: Operation Wetback 1954, The Deportation Of Undocumented Workers In California And Texas, Sylvia Cavazos

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In June 1954 the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service initiated an aggressive program to rid the country of Mexican undocumented workers. The campaign was a result of years of hostile media coverage and public outcry that depicted Mexicans as subversive villains infiltrating the country in order to rob "decent, hardworking Americans" of jobs. In an attempt to satisfy these critics, the federal government called for the immediate deportation of over one million Mexicans, the majority of whom had been actively recruited by American growers. The INS called this program Operation Wetback.