Latin American Languages and Societies Commons^™

Studies In Rio Grande Valley History - Volume 19, Thomas Daniel Knight, Antonio N. Zavaleta, Anthony K. Knopp, Andrik Gonzalez, Milo Kearney

Studies in Rio Grande Valley Regional History Series

Early Days of the U.S. Mexican War in South Texas / James W. Mills -- La Configuración de la Frontera Mexicana Desde El Mar / Arturo Zárate Ruiz -- Ethnic Trends in The Growth of Brownsville / Anthony Knopp -- How McAllen Became the Economic Center of the Rio Grande Valley: Further Considerations / Edward F. Wallace -- Cobbling in the Rio Grande Valley / Noe E. Perez -- Cultural Crossroads: Expressions of Identity, Resistance, & Belonging on the Texas-Mexico Border / Andrik Gonzalez -- Two Women, Two Journeys, One Border: Stories From the Migrant Generation / Manuel F. Medrano …

Esteban Salinas: Reworking Mono-Epistemological Thought In The Borderlands Through Local Leadership And Legacy, Jose M. Escobedo, Juan Salinas Jr., Griselda Salinas

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

This article examines an ethnographic case study of Esteban Salinas, a local teacher beloved by communities across the mid-Rio Grande Valley. By reconstructing his story and critically examining his legacy, we can achieve a better understanding of the monocultural narratives imposed on the borderlands in his time and seek to challenge them through the examples and legacies of individuals like Esteban Salinas. We also seek to further add contextualization over the Western colonial institutions implemented in the 20th century in the borderlands through which we are still confined, and which require reevaluation and rework and how aspects of his legacy …

Community Approaches To Digitally Documenting And Sharing Conjunto Music In The South Texas Borderlands, René Antonio Ballesteros

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the rich tradition of conjunto music within the South Texas borderlands, examining how integrating community engagement and digital humanities methodologies can effectively enhance the documentation, conservation, and presentation of this place-based expressive culture. Recognizing existing archival gaps, the research employed community-engaged programming to gather and preserve valuable cultural data. A key methodology outcome involved creating digital maps utilizing place-based data related to conjunto music sites and activities, subsequently integrating these maps into an ArcGIS Online story map for public online access. The findings demonstrate the significant potential of community collaboration and digital humanities tools in amplifying cultural …

Sharing And Preserving Sociolinguistic Corpora On The U.S.-Mexico Border, Katherine Christoffersen, Isabella Calafate, Julio Ciller, Ana M. Carvalho, Ryan M. Bessett, Brandon J. Martínez, Hannia Rojas Barreda, William Flores, Richard Quiroz

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

Since William Labov outlined the methodology for the sociolinguistic interview in 1972, sociolinguistic corpora have been used widely in the field of sociolinguistics to study diverse speech communities and linguistic features. However, most of these invaluable sociolinguistic collections have been available only to the individual researcher or research group, and these data sets usually disappear from use with that individual scholar. More recently, there has been a push towards data sharing in sociolinguistics, reflective of data sharing and the open science movement in other fields. Still, accessible online sociolinguistic corpora are few and far between, in part due to the …

Gothic Monstrosity And The Historical Context Of Colonial Violence In The Borderlands In Isabel Cañas’ Vampires Of El Norte, Paulina Longoria

Theses and Dissertations

The speculative genre has become a venue for Chicanx cultural producers to narrate their own histories, preserve their cultural identities, and reaffirm their rightful place in the United States. This thesis explores the redefinition of gothic monstrosity in Isabel Cañas’ Vampires of El Norte (2023), a contemporary novel within the Latinx speculative fiction genre. The novel blurs the boundaries between the supernatural threat posed by the vampires and the human threat embodied by the Anglo American settlers as both endanger Mexicans living in the Borderlands during the Texas Revolution and the U.S.-Mexico War. Drawing from L. Heidenreich’s theoretical framework, this …

On The Edge Of Duality, Manuel F. Medrano

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Conocimiento Through Spiritual Activism: A Self-Reflexive Approach To Challenging Deficit Beliefs And Reimagining The Value Of Teaching In Higher Education, Alyssa G. Cavazos

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

This testimonio, inspired by Anzaldúa’s (2002) seven stages of conocimiento, is written in second person to highlight a series of counterstories aimed at guiding readers through the challenges of facilitating teaching conversations in higher education where deficit assumptions about students’ potential are prevalent. Readers will gain insight into disparaging and derogatory commentary aimed at silencing voices and the harmful impact these words and behaviors can have on our well-being and students' holistic success in higher education and beyond. Through a journey of empathetic understanding and reciprocal learning, I share guided questions to encourage readers to self-reflect on the need for …

A Translated Town? Translation In The Linguistic Landscape Along The Us Border With Mexico, Gabriel González Núñez

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

Cities are the hubs of the modern world and, in border towns between states where different languages are used, these hubs are bilingual. Such bilingual towns offer opportunities to examine the extent to which translation, including the decision not to translate, plays a role in shaping the public spaces of cities. This article seeks to do so by reporting on a linguistic landscape study carried out in Brownsville, a city that sits on the Texas border with Mexico. The study will survey two streets in Brownsville with a special concern for both untranslated and translated signs as a way of …

Pronombres De La Tercera Persona Del Zapoteco De Macuiltianguis [Third Person Pronouns In Macuiltianguis Zapotec], Paula Margarita Foreman

Theses and Dissertations

As attested in Marlett (2010), the Zapotec languages of Oaxaca, Mexico, exhibit great variation within their pronominal systems. Based on my knowledge as a native speaker, I present a description of third-person pronouns in the Zapotec from the town of San Pablo Macuiltianguis (MacZ) (ISO 639-3 [zaa]) (Eberhard, Simons, & Fennig 2023), part of the Sierra de Juárez Juárez within the Sierra Norte branch of Zapotec (Smith Stark 2007). MacZ has four categories of third person pronouns (which can be called formal, general, child, and animal). The child and animal pronouns are generally optional, used to emphasize affection. The choice …

Voces Y Relatos De La Violencia En Jóvenes Universitarias: Coahuila–Texas, Iris Rubi Monroy Velasco, Miryam Espinosa-Dulanto, Karla Patricia Valdés-García, Leilani Flores Valdés

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

La violencia es una problemática social que compromete la salud pública en el mundo. Podemos encontrar violencia en todos los ámbitos, desde la violencia íntima, en el espacio doméstico con la familia, hasta en espacios de trabajo, estudio o diversión, causada por conocidos o desconocidos y generada por una diversidad de razones. Este capítulo tiene por objetivo entrever los tipos de violencia que experimentan estudiantes universitarias en la frontera Noroeste de México del estado de Coahuila y en la frontera sur de los Estados Unidos en el estado de Texas.

Identity Negotiations Of A Mexican Transnational In The Rio Grande Valley: Crossing The Border Daily, Xiaodi Zhou, David Martinez-Prieto

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

This narrative case study examines the cultural affiliations of one transnational US-born Mexican American college student, and her various intersecting veins of identity. The aim was to capture the bordered existence in the many criteria of her being. Her linguistic identity, pop culture identity, spiritual identity, as well as her general cultural affiliations are examined as intersecting rays of influence. Utilizing Anzaldúa’s (2012) bordered identity as theoretical grounding for her partitioned selves, along with Bakhtin’s (1986) notion of cultural and linguistic dialogue, we analyzed the complexities in this one bicultural, bilingual young woman venturing into adulthood. This study sheds light …

Dancing With The Devil Revisited, Marlene Galván

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mexartivist As Resistance Against Media Representation Of Latinxs In The U.S., Jose Garcia Gilling

Theses and Dissertations

MexArtivist comes as a response of wanting to reflect our experiences as Mexicanxs, Latinxs, Chicanxs and Mexican Americans. I've merged my recent academic years, research and knowledge along with my over then years of experience in the film and audiovisual production industry to create the audiovisual group called MexArtivist. Based on research regarding the image, representation, misrepresentation and lack of representation of Latinxs in U.S. films, I present a tangible proposal to try and better this issue.

Hija Del Sol, Cecilia Maria Martinez Tijerina

Theses and Dissertations

In this fantasy novel themes such as patriarchy, magic, female empowerment, and fresh and new mythology are tackled. This novel consists of 10 chapters, each chapter covers different themes from the creation of the earth, the creation of the protagonist, her experiences on Earth and her challenging journey against her father’s raze. Everything concludes with an ending exposed to numerous possibilities and with a protagonist aware of who she is.

Alternate abstract:

En esta novela fantástica se leen temas como el patriarcado, la magia, el empoderamiento femenino y una mitología fresca y nueva. Esta novela consta de 10 capítulos, cada …

Reflexiones Sobre Nuestra Lengua, Yanina Hernández, José Esteban Hernández

Open Educational Resources - Books

Reflexiones sobre nuestra lengua se compone de ocho unidades temáticas pertinentes a la realidad social de los hablantes de español como lengua de herencia en los Estados Unidos. Además de enfocarse en la escritura como un proceso, se enfatiza el desarrollo de una conciencia sociolingüística y crítica del lenguaje en esta población estudiantil.

Vivir Abajo, De Gustavo Faverón Patriau La Novela Fractal De Las Postrimerías Del Posmodernismo, Elias David Navarro

Theses and Dissertations

Analizaremos las características fractales de esta metanovela. Es preciso definir los conceptos sobre la metanovela, la novela fractal y cada uno de sus reflejos. La metanovela se logra por medio de un equilibrio en la habilidad de narrar y un dominio erudito de la Historia, el arte y la literatura: he ahí la utilidad de la novela fractal y cómo ésta permite una conversación con ese otro fractal que es la realidad.

Alternate abstract:

We will analyze the fractal characteristics of this metanovel. It is necessary to define the concepts about the metanovel, the fractal novel and each of its …

Resisting Whiteness & White Supremacy Through Mexican American Studies, Josue Puente

Theses and Dissertations

In 2018, the Texas Board of Education approved the creation of a Mexican American Studies High School elective course. However, before this course became a reality member on the board pushed to end the course all together. Board members opposed to the creation of a Mexican American Studies course argued that the class could represent a division between different groups under the banner of “we are all Americans”. This thesis centers on the implications are from the narrative created by the social studies standards and the role these standards play in supporting whiteness and supporting white supremacy that has been …

“Tell Us About Your Character”: An Autoethnographic Study Of Rpg’S Through Gloria Anzaldúa’S Nepantla State, Jose Reta

Theses and Dissertations

As an individual of intersecting marginalizations—I am Mexican American who eschews traditional masculinity and feminity, having embraced an a gender identity—I have often pondered how my lifelong hobby of tabletop role playing games aided me in feeling comfortable with myself as a person without a static identity. Using auto-ethnographic methods, I will use Anzalduan thought as the primary lens to examine how tabletop role playing games can have affected my concept of self and led me to discovering my body as a space decolonized from Western concepts of gender. Recommendations include using persistent focus groups to determine if similar findings …

Life Within And Beyond: The Legacy Of Borderlands, Amanda Lee Tovar

Mexican American Studies Faculty Publications

Gloria Anzaldúa’s Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2017, and as a commemoration of the innovative text, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Center for Mexican American Studies prepared a yearlong celebration in honor of its legacy. Many mujeres across a multitude of disciplines came together to coordinate events that ranged from poetry readings, symposia showcasing student research rooted in Anzaldúan theory, bilingual story hours, and the annual El Retorno: El Valle Celebra [a] Nuestra Gloria. This edition of Río Bravo, like the year itself, is dedicated in honor of Borderland’s legacy, which has …

A Chicano’S Poetic Exploration: Usando Mi Autohistoria-Teoría Para Ver Los Lobos, Correr Con Los Coyotes, Y Vivir Como El Zorro, Ernesto F. Ramirez

Mexican American Studies Faculty Publications

My epic poem provides a realization of a Chicano experience in higher education. It is both humanizing and validates a different ontology, epistemology, and axiology (Brayboy, 2005; Kaomea, 2009; Kitchen, Cherubini, Trudeau, & Hodson, 2010). It is a means by which to displace Western Eurocentric ideologies and connect us, storyteller and listener, by privileging the relationship that exists between us rather than the information that is exchanged (Bishop, 2011; Smith, 2012). I am an academic and I am a Chicano, they are not mutually exclusive, and I exist in more than one place and more than one time (Cooper, 1987; …

Nuestra Gloria The Center For Mexican American Studies At The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley Celebrates The 30th Anniversary Of The Publication Of Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, Stephanie Alvarez, Amanda Lee Tovar, Mariana Alessandri

Mexican American Studies Faculty Publications

2017 was a significant year in Chicanx, queer, feminist, and American literary history, as it marked the 30th anniversary of the publication of Gloria Anzaldúa’s Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza. One of the most influential books of the twentieth century, Borderlands brings forth nuanced concepts of borders and the importance of the identities shaped by them—physical, cultural, or otherwise. The book has paved the way for exploration and healing for many Chicanxs, people of color, individuals of all gender identities and sexual preferences, and everyone who has proximity to any type of border. Recognizing how Borderlands grounds a wide …

Land Of The Free, Arnulfo Daniel Segovia

Mexican American Studies Faculty Publications

i’m at war with myself, i’m at war with the world

brought the disease first then this hemisphere stole

and america can’t stand the type of spic that i am

callin out 500 plus years of stolen land

send the guns and the vapors to make us good neighbors

reject everything and pay off all of the favors

don’t move here, we don’t need saviors

i pledge my allegiance to the creator

La Lítote En Sin Ruido De José Corredor-Matheos, Elena Vega-Sampayo

Literatures and Cultural Studies Faculty Publications

Este artículo analiza el poemario del manchego José Corredor-Matheos, Sin ruido (2013), desde la óptica de la lítote como figura de atenuación y, con mayor alcance, como mecanismo que subsume ciertos rasgos transversales característicos de la poética de madurez del autor. Dichos rasgos redundan en la coherencia de su poética y el compromiso con la poesía de la simplicidad y el despojamiento, en su ubicación en las formas y con las formas, y en la exploración de la negación como mecanismo de profundización semántica y ampliación de matices ante la contundencia de la vejez y la muerte.

Chapter 11 Lydia Mendoza, “Reina De La Música Tejana”: Self-Stylizing Mexicanidad Through China Poblana In The Us-Mexico Borderlands, Marci R. Mcmahon

Literatures and Cultural Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Fresh Studies In Rio Grande Valley History, Milo Kearney, Anthony K. Knopp, Antonio Zavaleta, Thomas Daniel Knight

Studies in Rio Grande Valley Regional History Series

Jim Wells, George Parr, Pepe Martin, and Gene Falcón: the spirit of ‘’El Patrón’’ along the Rio Grande of South Texas / Billy Hathorn -- The other underground railroad / Rolando Avila -- Frank Ellis Ferree, humanitarian / Norman Rozeff -- Chip Dameron's Rio Grande Valley: center of a narrowing universe / Ronny Noor -- Historia de la education superior en la ciudad de H. Matamoros, Tamaulipas / Miguel Sesis Botti y Maria Elena Flores Montalvo -- The quest for a public library for Brownsville / Anthony K. Knopp and Alma Ortiz Knopp -- Las Palomas Wildlife management area: a …

Hallo (Que) Por Opino (Que): La Gramaticalización De La Epistemicidad Del Verbo Hallar En Un Corpus Salvadoreño, Luisa A. Valdez

Theses and Dissertations

En este estudio, tomamos una aproximación semántico-pragmática para trazar la gramaticalización de la construcción verbal hallar (que) en el discurso oral de una comunidad salvadoreña. El primer objetivo es llevar a cabo un análisis cualitativo y cuantitativo de los verbos hallar, pensar, creer, opinar, encontrar y parecer en dos corpus de habla (San Sebastián Corpus vs. Brownsville Corpus), para comparar sus funciones léxicas y epistémicas. El segundo objetivo es comparar la construcción salvadoreña hallar (que) con su análogo brasileño achar (que), para determinar el comportamiento y los diferentes canales de gramaticalización epistémica de ambas construcciones.

El …

El Profesor De Danza, Jorge Saenz

Theses and Dissertations

Después del crimen cometido donde una familia entera ha sido masacrada, el autor decide entrevistar al criminal Ian Joseph quien ha sido recluido en un instituto psiquiátrico. La novela describe el recuento del paciente y el descenso a su propia locura, al tiempo que el autor va agregando aclaraciones a pie de nota. El lector se entera que una de las razones por las que Ian Joseph perdió la razón fue debido principalmente a la cantidad de libros que leyó. El viaje hacia la criminalidad de Ian Joseph también es un camino literario. En este transcurso y tras un desenlace …

Traducir En Pro De La Educación Del Pueblo: La Labor Traductora De La Sociedad De Amigos De La Educación Popular, Gabriel Gonzalez Nunez

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

Este trabajo pone en relieve una labor desempeñada por la Sociedad de Amigos de la Educación Popular (SAEP) que, si bien no es desconocida, tampoco ha recibido suficiente atención por parte de historiadores y académicos. Se trata de los esfuerzos traductores desplegados por los integrantes de la SAEP en su celo por introducir en el Estado Oriental del Uruguay nuevas e innovadoras ideas en cuanto a la educación y su función social. El trabajo contextualiza esta labor dentro del papel histórico de la traducción en el continente americano, para luego dar paso la descripción de los esfuerzos traductores llevados a …

Hocicona, Contestona, Repelona: Breaking The Silence Through Testimonio A Collection Of Prose And Poetry, Valerie Ann Leal Cerda

Theses and Dissertations

Testimonio of a first generation Mexican American navigating a duel identity, and examining the clash of two cultures and languages through personal experiences in a collection of prose and poetry.

The Smuggler Journals: Transgressing And Policing The Border In The Rio Grande Valley, Lupe Alberto Flores

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis summarizes recent human smuggling scholarship and provides ethnographic insights into migrant smuggling in a border zone that is my home. Through exploring my own experiences and observations of smuggling and militarized border policing, and those of other interlocutors in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, I advance nuanced understandings of the symbiotic processes of irregular migration and of the people who brokerage a great deal of these journeys across militarized borders. I analyze fieldnotes that highlight the quotidian realms in which gender and power play out when irregular migration takes place and argue that acts of border …