Digital Commons Network^™

Mes-Ti-Zo, Aeleen Jacinto

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Meztiso is an exploration of the artist’s identity as an individual born and raised in Guatemala; which is a country rich in natural resources where the majority of the population is native Maya yet the ruling class is majority white and poverty is widespread. The artist takes on this stunning contradiction using her own influences and views which were shaped by the political and economic upheaval and instability of her youth in Guatemala. The artist comments on her own identity as a person of mixed ancestry, a Meztiso, and because of her own family’s involvement in the capitalist government that …

Us And The Cold War In Latin America, Thomas Field

Publications

The Cold War in Latin America had marked consequences for the region’s political and economic evolution. From the origins of US fears of Latin American Communism in the early 20th century to the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, regional actors played central roles in the drama. Seeking to maximize economic benefit while maintaining independence with regard to foreign policy, Latin Americans employed an eclectic combination of liberal and anti-imperialist discourses, balancing frequent calls for anti-Communist hemispheric unity with periodic diplomatic entreaties to the Soviet bloc and the nonaligned Third World. Meanwhile, US Cold War policies toward …

If Not Now, When? Us Tax Treaties With Latin America After Tcja, Reuven S. Avi-Yonah

Law & Economics Working Papers

Since the 1990s, the US tax treaty network has expanded to include most large developing countries. However, there remains a glaring exception: The US only has two tax treaties in Latin America (Mexico and Venezuela), and one pending tax treaty (Chile). The traditional explanation for why the US has no treaty with, for example, Argentina or Brazil is the US refusal since 1957 to grant tax sparing credits to developing countries. Before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), this explanation was wrong, because the combination of deferral and cross-crediting meant that tax holidays in a source country …

Educating Latin American Baseball Players:How Mlb Should Protect Their Players For After Their Careers, Gabrielle Rockwell

Pepperdine Policy Review

Latin American players represent approximately one third of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) signed players. These players often do not possess a basic high school diploma before they are signed to a contract. While the MLB capitalizes on Latino players during their careers, the organization fails to show concern for their players’ post-baseball success and opportunities. By mandating contribution to a scholarship for all signed players on all 30 teams, the MLB and individual baseball teams would help encourage educational attainment as well as baseball talent development in their players. This paper will demonstrate the need for Latin American baseball players …

Indicators For Support For Economic Integration In Latin America, Will Humphrey

Pepperdine Policy Review

Regionalism is a common phenomenon among many countries who share similar infrastructures, economic climates, and developmental challenges. Latin America is no different and has experienced the urge to economically integrate since World War II. Research literature suggests that public opinion for economic integration can be a motivating factor in a country’s proclivity to integrate with others in its geographic region. People may support integration based on their perception of other countries’ models or based on how much they feel their voice has political value. They may also fear it because they do not trust outsiders and the mixing of societies …

Posthumanism And The Representation Of Power Dynamics In Hispanic Graphic Novels, Savannah Campbell

Honors Projects

My focus in this research has been to use graphic novels, a literary medium that is often marginalized in both academic and cultural circles, to examine how posthumanism, specifically from the viewpoint of Spanish and Argentinian creators, allows readers to explore and critique various power dynamics.

Simple Legal Writing Can Improve Business Outcomes In Latin America, Leon C. Skornicki

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

Banking On Blockchains: A Transformative Technology Reshaping Latin American And Caribbean Economies, Robert W. Rust Ii

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

Migration, Return Migration, And Economic Development In Latin America, Jose R. Bucheli

Economics ETDs

This dissertation presents a collection of essays that study ways in which human mobility affects economic development in origin countries. It focuses on Latin America—a region historically connected to episodes of large-scale migration, recipient of significant remittance flows, and victim of sluggish economic growth. The first two chapters examine the effects of return migration from the United States on aggregate economic welfare and non-state violence in communities of origin in Mexico. The analysis is motivated by the historic reversal in the Mexico-U.S. migration flows in the early 2000s. The third chapter analyzes the interaction between remittances, migration, and secondary school …

Population Identifiability From Forensic Genetic Markers: Ancestry Variation In Latin America, Cris E. Hughes, Bridget F.B. Algee-Hewitt, Lyle Konigsberg

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

The Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) loci are a standard microsatellite marker set widely used for distinguishing among individuals in forensic DNA identity testing for medico-legal casework in the United States and in other countries. In anthropological genetic research, CODIS markers have become an important tool for uses extending beyond case investigations to quantify ancestry proportions, reveals patterns of admixture and trace population histories. These investigations are especially prevalent in studies of Latin American population structure. Nevertheless, the accuracy of the ancestry estimates computed from the CODIS loci for highly admixed Latino populations has not been formally tested. Long-standing arguments …

Boletín V.24 (2019), Fordham University Latin American And Latino Studies Institute

Boletín (Fordham University. Latin American and Latino Studies Institute)

No abstract provided.

Mapping The Presence Of Latin American Art In Canadian Museums And Universities, Alena Robin

Hispanic Studies Publications

This essay overviews how Canadian museums and universities have historically accessioned Latin American visual culture and identifies potential ways of sustaining interest, streamlining initiatives, and promoting access. The larger project aims at contributing to a hemispheric and transnational understanding of the history and growth in Canada of the field of Latin American art and its subfields of Pre-Columbian, colonial, modern, and contemporary art. While the study of art history among Canadian museums and universities has kept up with the decades-long interest in Latin American art and visual culture, there remain considerable challenges in bringing Latin American art to the forefront …

"La Llorona": Evolución, Ideología Y Uso En El Mundo Hispano, Raquel Sáenz-Llano

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis studies the evolution, ideology and use of the myth of La Llorona through time in the Hispanic World. Considering this myth as one of the most known traditional narratives of the American continent, I begin by providing visual, ethnohistorical and ethnographical insights of weeping in Mesoamerica and South America and the specific mention of a weeping woman in some Spanish chronicles to say how western values were stablished in “the new continent” through this legend. I suggest that during the postcolonialism the legend did not tell anymore about a mother that cries and search a place for their …

Tracing Trans Bodies In Neobaroque Literature, Huber David Jaramillo Gil

Publications and Research

This document briefly explores the ways in which trans people have been written through Baroque aesthetics in the social and cultural imaginary of Latin America, despite the various unjust forces that have attempted to make them invisible and exclude them from the national narrative. The differences between Severo Sarduy’s Neobaroque, Néstor Perlongher’s Neobarroso, and Pedro Lemebel’s Neobarrocho are analyzed, while exploring their individual limitations and potentialities for voicing the joys and pains of being trans in an exclusionary society.

Climatology, Variability, And Return Periods Of Tropical Cyclone Strikes In The Northeastern And Central Pacific Basins, Nicholas S. Grondin

LSU Master's Theses

Tropical cyclones (TCs) are among the most destructive meteorological phenomena and impact the lives of people who reside along the coast. The American Pacific Coastline borders the second most active TC development region in the world, the northeastern Pacific (NE Pac) basin. This region, along with the Central Pacific (C Pac)-bordering Hawaii is home to a growing population and cities engaged in a variety of economic activities, most prominently agriculture, fishing, and tourism. This study analyzes fifty-two (1966-2017) years of NE Pac and C Pac TCs through applying track data from the National Hurricane Center’s HURDAT2 and a TC size …

Prism Vol. 8, No. 1, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

PRISM Vol. 8, No. 1 centers on security and political change across the Western Hemisphere, particularly Latin America and the Caribbean. Articles address democratic governance and human rights, U.S. strategic engagement in the region, Venezuela’s political crisis, security challenges in Mexico and Colombia, and the growth of transnational criminal organizations in Brazil and across Latin America. The issue looks at how governance challenges, transnational crime, regional instability, and growing external influence are shaping security across the Western Hermisphere.

Artistic Syncretism In Latin America: From Olmec To Spanish Colonialism, Nicole Timm

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The purpose of this paper is to provide a historic and systematic review of colonial Latin American art. The first half will focus on the ancient arts created by the ancient civilizations that sculpted culture in Latin America centuries before the Spanish were aware another continent existed. The latter portion of the paper will look to the post-colonial period. It will begin by delving into the influence of European artistic styles blending with Latin American culture and style of painting and vice versa. The final goal of this paper is to uncover the syncretism that took place across Latin America …

Corporate Criminal Liability: Toward A Compliance-Orientated Approach, Gustavo A. Jimenez

Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies

Under U.S. federal law, a corporation can be held criminally liable for the crimes of its employees and agents. The Department of Justice's U.S. Attorneys' Manual lays out a list of factors prosecutors can evaluate when deciding whether or not to prosecute a corporate entity. The Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors have various tools at their disposal, including deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) and non-prosecution agreements (NPAs) as alternatives to going to trial. Prosecutors have used DPAs and NPAs in recent cases, allowing the government to ensure that corporate entities comply with investigations, enact compliance programs, and continue to follow laws …

Pink Tape: Leftist State Bureaucracy And Neoliberalism In The Mining Sectors Of Bolivia And Ecuador, Cristina Nicole Mendez

Senior Theses

Latin America is the locus of various policy experiments and social movements, where political and economic leaders have vacillated between prioritizing neoliberalism and social security since the 1960s. Scholars have observed Latin American leftist governments for viable alternatives to neoliberal economics, but such projects have effectively failed to truly change the course of economic development in Latin America (Weyland, 2010; Escobar, 2010). One of the most salient contemporary instances of this ideological conflict has been the issue of land use rights and neo-extractivism, particularly in mining conflicts in the Andes of South America. This thesis posits that so-called leftist political …

Exploring The Challenges To Sustainable Rural Drinking Water Services In Chile, Jami Nelson-Nuñez, Jeffrey P. Walters, Denisse Charpentier

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

Many countries around the world now face the dual challenges of closing the remaining gaps in access to drinking water in rural areas while further addressing the issues of equity, quality, and sustainability outlined in the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our research explores the key factors for sustainability in rural drinking water services in Chile, an important example not only due to its success in rural water access but also because of the new directions the country is taking to achieve the SDGs. Drawing on results from a Delphi study of Chilean rural water experts, we discuss the most …

Soldiers, Activists, Legislators: Democratization And Women's Representation In Bolivia And Nicaragua, Margaret Mischka

Political Science Honors Projects

In 2018, Bolivia and Nicaragua contain 53 and 46 percent women in their national legislatures respectively, while other countries, including the United States, lag behind with proportions around 20 percent. Why do some countries have higher levels of women in office? A preliminary answer points to gender quotas, which have increased numbers of women in legislature in numerous cases. Rather than beginning and ending the story of women’s representation with gender quotas, however, this project analyzes the processes that lead a country toward the adoption of such quotas. By tracing the political histories of Bolivia and Nicaragua through crises related …

Para Los Hijos Y Nuestro Futuro: Reconceptualizing Costa Rican Identity Through The Civil War, Amberlyn Britt

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

After the 1948 Civil War, Costa Rican people redefined their society and democracy, and created a nation that, unlike many others in the region, was able to withstand pressures toward corruption and violence. By examining personal narratives, this study observes how various groups such as Costa Rican men, women, and Afro-West Indians related to the nation‟s traditions of democracy and its identity of exceptionalism. In 1948, Costa Ricans fought against a government that they viewed as corrupt and oppressive to secure a better future for not only themselves, but for all of Costa Rica.

Childhood Immunization Coverage And Challenges: United States Vs. Latin America, James Cedric Holden

Theses and Graduate Projects

All countries are classified, for analytical purposes, into three broad classifications, based off a country’s economic condition. The World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) is responsible for these classifications. The gross national income per capita (GNI) is the measurement used to classify a county’s economy: as developed, in transition or developing. The United States is an example of a country that is considered developed, while the countries of Central America are all considered developing. This classification system is useful; however, it may not provide great insight into the health of a nation’s population. Good health of a country’s population directly …

A Meta-Analysis Of Neuromyelitis Optica Epidemiology In Latin American Nations, Brittany M. Zengotita

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) is a rare, autoimmune, neurodegenerative disease selectively affecting the optic nerves and spinal cord. Relapsing NMO is nine times more prevalent in women than in men and approximately one-quarter of NMO patients have symptoms of another autoimmune disorder (National Institute of Health, 2019). NMO has not been linked to any genetic mutations and the cause of the disorder is unknown beyond the general understanding that the body produces anti-aquaporin-4 antibodies (AQP4) which mistakenly attack cells in the nervous system. NMO affects roughly one percent of that of Multiple Sclerosis (4000-8000 patients total) in the United States, but …

“But How Could We Sing A Song Of The Lord In A Foreign Land?” An Esl/Esp Class For Catholic Immigrants, Mary C. Tillotson

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The U.S. Catholic population has a larger proportion of immigrants than the U.S. population at large. The majority of Catholic immigrants come from Latin America and are not native speakers of English. In this qualitative study, I interviewed nine Catholic immigrants from Latin America to better understand their experiences of navigating their Catholic faith in the United States and the role an English-as-a-second-language (ESL) class could play in helping them successfully adjust to United States Catholicism. Findings suggest that, beyond a general ESL class, an English-for-specific-purposes class, capitalizing on the universality of Catholicism and specialized for Catholic prayer, liturgy, sacraments, …

Pro-Government Militias And The Legacy Of Military Rule In Latin America, Alexander Mendelsohn

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Currently Latin America experiences a phenomenon of widely varying levels of violence across the region. Many countries, such as El Salvador and Honduras, have exceptionally high murder rates upwards of 40 homicides per 100,000 people (UNODC 2015). Other countries, such as Uruguay and Argentina, have relatively low rates, below 10 homicides per 100,000 people (UNODC 2015). I believe this variation stems from the use of pro-government militias specifically employed in the past by military governments as tools of suppression. Under the guise of combating subversive elements within their countries, these groups were used to silence and repress those who opposed …

"You Have The Data"...The Writ Of Habeas Data And Other Data Protection Rights: Is The United States Falling Behind?, Sarah L. Lode

Indiana Law Journal

In Part I of this Note, I will discuss the writ of habeas data that has been developed primarily, but not exclusively, in Latin American countries. I will discuss the intricacies of the writ, how it evolved, and how it is applied today. Using Argentina as an example, I will discuss how the writ would be used by an Argentine citizen to protect her personal data. Part II summarizes the previously employed data protection scheme in the European Union, the Data Protection Directive (“the Directive”), and will also discuss the new EU data protection regulation, the General Data Protection Regulation …

Confronting The Ngo: Struggling For Agency And Approximating Freedom Through The Works Of Michel Foucault And Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Samantha Coss

Pitzer Senior Theses

This project aims to consider the proliferation of the NGO in the 21st century and the implications that this model has for justice, freedom and social change. The nonprofit, or nongovernmental organization, will be examined using theorists and thinkers Michel Foucault and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, in hopes of understanding the ways in which the NGO limits freedom and perpetuates violence. There will be an exploration of struggling for agency beyond the nonprofit, including an introduction to examples of other change-making models from the United States and Latin America. The goal of this project is to critically examine the current frameworks …

Perceptions Of Fairness And Political Support In The Face Of Economic Inequality, Gregory W. Saxton

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

In this dissertation, I investigate two key questions: 1) What are the specific conditions under which economic inequality undermines democratic legitimacy; and 2) How does inequality map onto individuals’ perceptions of fairness and subsequently affect satisfaction with democracy and trust in political institutions? I first argue that individuals’ perceptions of distributive unfairness are key factors whereby economic inequality undermines democratic legitimacy. Inequality - and subsequent perceptions that the economic distribution is unfair - undermine political support by signaling that the democratic process is not functioning properly and by challenging people’s normative expectations about what democracy should do in practice.

I …

Huachicoleros: Criminal Cartels, Fuel Theft, And Violence In Mexico, Nathan P. Jones, John P. Sullivan

Journal of Strategic Security

Criminal cartels and gangs dominate the illicit economy in Mexico. These organized crime groups challenge the solvency (specifically capacity and legitimacy) of the state in Mexico. Organized crime in Mexico is involved in a range of activities including extortion, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and petroleum theft. Criminal cartels, often called drug trafficking organizations, have diversified into other illicit activities specifically petroleum theft. This paper provides an overview of the rise of a specialized organized criminal entity: huachicoleros. Huachicoleros specialize in fuel theft and like their narco counterparts use corruption and violence to protect their illicit market. The rise of …