Digital Commons Network^™

Marvelous Bodies: Italy's New Migrant Cinema, Vetri Nathan

Purdue Studies in Romance Literatures

Historically a source of emigrants to Northern Europe and the New World, Italy has rapidly become a preferred destination for immigrants from the global South. Life in the land of la dolce vita has not seemed so sweet recently, as Italy struggles with the cultural challenges caused by this surge in immigration. Marvelous Bodies by Vetri Nathan explores thirteen key full-length Italian films released between 1990 and 2010 that treat this remarkable moment of cultural role reversal through a plurality of styles. In it, Nathan argues that Italy sees itself as the quintessential internal Other of Western Europe, and that …

Modern Agricultural Servitude: The Modern Farm Worker Experience In The Salinas Valley, Jesus E. Tavarez

Chicana and Chicano Studies ETDs

The prevailing narrative in Chicanx studies focuses on the historical labor activism of the United Farm Workers (UFW) in the 1960s and ‘70s. I am particularly interested in examining the contemporary campesino experience in the Salinas Valley by discussing the history behind Mexican cheap labor, low wages, exploitive work conditions with inadequate healthcare, agrochemical exposure, and historical consciousness of farm workers. I will argue that farm workers are in dire need of a migratory reform as an approach to improve the working conditions of farm workers throughout California. This research aims to shed light on how the multi-billion-dollar agribusiness industry …

A Puerto Rico For Whom? Race, Neglect, And Empire, Ediberto Román, Ernesto Sagás

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

This article examines the persistent colonial relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico, highlighting the paradox of a nation that champions democracy while maintaining colonial rule over millions of disenfranchised citizens. Over 120 years of exploitation, neglect, and subordination have shaped Puerto Rico’s status as the largest U.S. territory, where residents live in stark inequality compared to those on the mainland. Despite the veneer of sovereignty created by the U.S. through legal frameworks, Puerto Rico exemplifies a sophisticated and undemocratic form of modern colonialism, recently termed "new legal colonialism." This approach uses legal structures to maintain economic and strategic …

Documenting Sensation: Reimagining Urban Data For Equity And Sustainability, Nathan R. Johnson, Meredith A. Johnson

Proceedings from the Document Academy

This paper explores the historical and contemporary practices of documenting urban planning in Tampa Bay, emphasizing the role of sensory experiences in fostering sustainable and equitable development. Using the 1989 Future of Hillsborough Transportation Concepts white paper as a case study, the research critiques the dominance of efficiency-focused documentation in urban policy. This study highlights how such frameworks often neglect cultural and sensory dimensions critical to community well-being. The research calls for a shift towards documenting sensory experiences, drawing on the concept of the sensorium, to bridge the gap between technical data and lived urban experiences. The paper argues that …

Controlling Knowledge And Critiquing Systems: The Florida Education System, Camille C. Samuel

Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities

This research paper analyzes the way white nationalism’s impact on the public education system particularly in the South [of the United States], specifically in Florida. The primary focus will involve the discussion pertaining to racial history and how it is taught. In order to effectively address this issue, we must compare the past to the present and how, unfortunately, history is repeating itself. The paper includes a deep dive into Florida’s state history as well as the personal experiences conducted through an interview of myself and my father, who was a student within the Florida public education system and has …

Black Media’S Struggle To Survive, Truth Headlam

Capstones

The Lomax family got into the media business 13 years ago, just before it cratered for traditional editorial publications and radio stations.

The fall has been steep, especially for Black media. In 1978, when President Jimmy Carter announced an initiative to increase the number of radio stations owned by people of color, only about 1.2% – or 69 out of 8,196 – radio stations were minority owned. But after the Carter administration gave minority-run stations a boost, that number more than doubled to 182 radio stations owned by Black people alone by 1990.

Full capstone: https://truthwroteit.wordpress.com/2025/05/22/black-medias-struggle-to-survive/

The Baron Of Mongolia, Jacob Burke

Bakerman Student Research Awards

No abstract provided.

The Green Agent: Detroit's Urban Agriculture, Lydia Bonney

Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research

This paper examines the role that urban agriculture has played in the lives of the citizens of Detroit throughout its history. By using newspaper articles, books, scholarly journals, websites, and one self-conducted interview, this essay explores several Detroit urban agriculture programs. Analysis of past successes and failures of urban agriculture programs shows how investing in urban agriculture today may address many similar problems Detroit faces. Thanks to the city’s unique landscape, community, and spatial disparity, Detroit has the potential to become a world leader in urban agriculture.

Women’S Employment In Croatia From A Historical Perspective, Ljubica Kordic, Višnja Lachner, Dubravka Papa

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article analyzes the employment of women in the city of Osijek, the fourth biggest city in the Republic of Croatia, using a diachronic approach. The paper’s main goal is to analyze the social position of women in Croatia in relation to employment and their right to work and to examine whether that position has changed in the last two centuries. As exact and reliable historical data are limited, the authors analyzed job announcements and employment offers relating to women in two local newspapers in Osijek. The newspapers were printed from 1870 to the 1930s in the German language, which …

Ucf Pegasus Plan - 2nd Grade - Immigration, Emily T. Yackel, Elizabeth Logan, Hannah Schwarz, Mckinzi Johnson, Katie Molloy, Victoria Kingstone

Pegasus Plans: Social Studies Unit Plans for Florida Teachers

During this unit, students will learn about the history and symbols associated with immigration throughout the 1800s to modern times. Students will interact and explore with different pieces of literature and technologies dealing with Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and other countries’ cultural influences. Materials such as virtual tours, AR apps and arts integration will be used throughout this unit plan.

Ucf Pegasus Plan - 5th Grade - The Constitution, Joshua Houlbrooke, Madison Gilmore, Jacob Schwartz, Brenda Falcon, Spencer Millwood, Akili Hart

Pegasus Plans: Social Studies Unit Plans for Florida Teachers

During this unit, students will explore the history of the United States government, examine its structures and their functions, serving to establish within them strong civic knowledge as citizens of this nation. Students will interact with projects, activities, digital media, literature, and many different information rich means of effective social studies education.

Bibliometric Guide To Photographs Of Male Participants In Early Exercise And Physical Medicine Research, James L. Nuzzo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The history of exercise science research has undergone relatively little examination, and exercise science students receive little education about the field’s history. Photographs are tools that lecturers and writers can use to educate audiences about history. Yet, no resource exists that tells educators where they can find photographs of individuals participating in early studies about exercise or related topics (e.g., physical education, physical medicine). Here, the aim was to identify papers published before 1980 that contain photographs of boys and men participating in studies about exercise or related topics, aggregate the papers into a bibliometric list, and describe the photographs. …

Frédéric Ozanam’S Lay Vision Of Reform: The Transformation Of His Church And His World, Raymond L. Sickinger

Vincentian Studies

Ahead of his time, Frédéric Ozanam believed that the laity should play an essential role in what he termed the regeneration of the Church, which would lead to the regeneration of society. This would “occur only if Catholic laypersons understood that they had an obligation to transform themselves and then to use their talents to better their Church and their world.” Transformation was to touch all the religious, social, economic, and political aspects of life. In this spirit, he founded the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul: “the transformation of the individual members, and thereby the transformation of the society …

Three Decades Of Rat Genomics: Approaching The Finish(Ed) Line, Theodore S Kalbfleisch, Melissa L Smith, Julia L Ciosek, Kai Li, Peter A Doris

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

The rat, Rattus norvegicus, has provided an important model for investigation of a range of characteristics of biomedical importance. Here we survey the origins of this species, its introduction into laboratory research, and the emergence of genetic and genomic methods that utilize this model organism. Genomic studies have yielded important progress and provided new insight into several biologically important traits. However, some studies have been impeded by the lack of a complete and accurate reference genome for this species. New sequencing and genome assembly methods applied to the rat have resulted in a new reference genome assembly, GRCr8, which …

Who Are We, Filipinos? A Note, Leonardo R. Silos

Budhi: A Journal of Ideas and Culture

To know who we are, Filipinos, we must know who we were, Indios. On the one hand, we have few precolonial documents which might tell who the Indio was; on the other hand, the Filipino is the Westernized Indio. The Filipino is who the West says the Filipino is. According to Western research, the Filipino, like all Orientals, is a residual category of the Occidental: not Western. There is need of independent Asian research. The only really ancient documents connecting the Filipino with the Indio are perhaps our music and dance, and, above all, our languages, surely, our national language. …

A Vision Of Hell: Walter Benjamin's Angelus Novus And The Catastrophe Of Progress, Pregiosa Regina Ang De Joya

Budhi: A Journal of Ideas and Culture

Before his untimely death in 1940, the German philosopher Walter Benjamin wrote an essay, entitled “Theses on the Philosophy of History,” marking his recovery from the shock of the Hitler-Stalin non-aggression pact. This study reflects on the philosophical and historical significance of this essay, unraveling Benjamin’s critique of Marxism as a critique of progress. Progress, which the angel of history sees as a storm coming from paradise, has caused a growing pile of rubble of historical blunders and environmental disasters. This uncritical submission to progress, however, can be seen not only in the blind confidence of the communists and the …

Faith In Philosophy Or Philosophy Within Faith?, Adriaan T. Peperzak

Budhi: A Journal of Ideas and Culture

The question of the relationship between faith and philosophy opens a new possibility for reading the history of philosophy. Despite modern thought’s emancipation from religious and political authorities, philosophers from Descartes to Kant and Hegel continued to see the connections between their philosophy and the Christian religion as a philosophical question of great importance, although religious practices or theological convictions no longer occupied the center of their search for truth. In asking what kind of philosophy is compatible or incompatible with a philosopher’s attachment to Christian faith, a retrieval of metaphorical and vocative language might open new possibilities for interaction …

An Inquiry Into The Historical Development Of Philosophy In Japan, Kelly Louise Rexzy P. Agra

Budhi: A Journal of Ideas and Culture

What is Japanese Philosophy? This paper will address this question, not by giving a survey of the works of Japanese philosophers or a definition of the subject matter of Japanese philosophy, but by attempting to present how it emerged as a distinct philosophical tradition—by sketching the controversies that gave rise to its formation; the social, intellectual, and historical factors that paved the way to its development; and the revolution of thought which finally gave it the title “Japanese philosophy.” I will argue that Japanese philosophy was born not because Japanese thinkers desperately wanted a philosophy that they could call their …

Inaba, Reimagined: An Analysis Of Persona 4’S Rural Setting In A Neoliberal Context, Stanley Reid

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Persona 4, through the use of nostalgia and the process of native-place making known as furusato-zukuri, creates a fictional rural space, using authentic Japanese imagery and cultural symbols to make Inaba a 21st-century furusato. In doing so, Persona 4 critiques city life in a neoliberal society, which causes a growing disillusionment with urban living due to a constant state of unrest. Furthermore, through its use of nostalgic imagery which normally emphasizes gender norms in the Japanese culture, Persona 4 flips this idea on its head by showcasing powerful female leads, who, despite living in a space normally …

Tackling History In The Cultural Studies Seminar, Becca Cragin

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

While cultural theory developed in past eras was often marred by the biases of its privileged authors, we are still often required to teach the canon, so that graduate students can recognize past intellectual trends to which current critiques of the canon respond. In this article, a “History of Feminist Theory” course is employed as an example of larger principles of foundations course design that can be used in any cultural studies seminar to productively address the tension between old and new schools of thought. It provides suggestions for structuring syllabi and discussions in ways that productively engage with earlier …

Americans Face Migration: A Comparative Study Of State Immigration Policy By Region, 1865-1925, Brett S. Janos

History ETDs

This dissertation challenges the prevailing narrative of U.S. immigration policy by examining the pivotal role of state governments in shaping immigration patterns and regulations during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Through a comprehensive regional analysis, this study highlights the diverse approaches taken by different states in attracting and managing immigrant populations. The research demonstrates the complex interplay between local, state, and federal authorities by comparing state-level policies.

This multi-layered approach reveals the ingenuity of state immigration boards and commissions and the complex interplay between state desires, regional characteristics, and the evolving federal response. Moreover, a vital contribution of …

A Book Review Of Speed Capital: Indianapolis Auto Racing And The Making Of Modern America. By Brian M Ingrassia. Urbana, Chicago, And Springfield, Il: University Of Illinois Press, 2024., Paul Baxa

Journal of Motorsport Culture & History

No abstract provided.

Chasing The Albino Pygmy Giraffe, Charles H. Haddad

School of Communication and Journalism Faculty Publications

It's never a good sign when someone is knocking on the door of your hotel room at seven in the morning. That's especially true if you have been schlepping eight college students across Western China, as I had been for the past week. I now heard in this soft rapping the death knell of my fledgling professorial career. Wrapping a ratty, threadbare pillow around my head, I tried to shut out the insistent rapping. Of course, that didn't work. Bad news has a way of butting in.

So begins my novel “Chasing the Albino Pygmy Giraffe.” It is a laugh-aloud …

The History Behind El Silbón: Exploring Historical And Psychological Elements To The Urban Legend, Valentina S. Bonilla

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Abstract

The urban legend of El Silbón has been present in Venezuelan folklore for centuries. Even though the story is predominantly regarded as a ghost story to scare children, it hides many elements from the historical context of when it started to be popularized around the country. With a beginning in Los Llanos (The Plains) of Venezuela, El Silbón reflects the effect that factors such as the Independence War and economic disparity had on the population and exemplifies the purpose of Oral Tradition of sharing communal experiences and values with the future generations.

Fall 2024, History Department, Csusb

History Department Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Fall 2024, Jeremy Murray

History Department Master of Arts Program Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Tide Taken At The Flood: The Black Suffrage Movement During The Dorr Rebellion In The State Of Rhode Island (1841-1842), Caleb T. Horton

Dorr Scholarship

This essay by Caleb Troy Horton provides a brief history of the Providence, Rhode Island, African American Community and their involvement in the Dorr Rebellion.

The essay recounts the actions of the Rhode Island Anti-Slavery Society, its members, and Rhode Island Black leaders—headquartered in Providence—during the conflict that ultimately, through their agency, granted Black men suffrage in the 1842 Rhode Island State Constitution (a.k.a. the Law and Order Constitution) enacted in May 1843.

Surrealist Photography: Past, Present, And Future, Carmen Kennedy

Honors Projects

Surrealist Photography: Past, Present, and Future is a research project diving into surrealist photographers, contemporary photographers, and AI. Starting the paper, I give historical context on the movement including the founder Andre Breton, surrealist painters that either had a significant contribution or interesting way to create, themes explored, and techniques used. The surrealist photographers I researched are Man Ray, Angus McBean, and Claude Cahun. Then, I analyze the works of Erik Johansson, Pat Brassington, and Aida Muluneh and how their work is inspired by or has the vibe of surrealist photographs from the movement. Lastly, I start to explore the …

Racial Equity, Diversity And Inclusion In Bioethics: Recommendations From The Association Of Bioethics Program Directors Presidential Task Force, Sandra Soo-Jin Lee, Alexis Walker, Shawneequa L Callier, Faith E Fletcher, Charlene Galarneau, Nanibaa' Garrison, Jennifer E James, Renee Mcleod-Sordjan, Ubaka Ogbogu, Nneka Sederstrom, Patrick T Smith, Clarence H Braddock, Christine Mitchell

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Recent calls to address racism in bioethics reflect a sense of urgency to mitigate the lethal effects of a lack of action. While the field was catalyzed largely in response to pivotal events deeply rooted in racism and other structures of oppression embedded in research and health care, it has failed to center racial justice in its scholarship, pedagogy, advocacy, and practice, and neglected to integrate anti-racism as a central consideration. Academic bioethics programs play a key role in determining the field's norms and practices, including methodologies, funding priorities, and professional networks that bear on equity, inclusion, and epistemic justice. …

An Investigation Into The Documental History Of Immigrants From Russia And Latin America In The State Of Nebraska, Elena Thomson

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The research questions in this essay ask whether or not the Nebraska State Archives contains literature in the Russian and Spanish languages. These documents, and others written in English on the same topic, are introduced and analyzed throughout the essay, exploring the history of immigrants from Russia and Latin America. As well as history, the documents delve into the current state of these immigrant groups, and how their traditions have changed Nebraska and continue to influence it today. The essay contains two sections: the first about immigrants from Russia, the second about those from Latin America. At the end of …