Latin American Studies Commons^™

Suspended Agency And The Habitus Of Waiting In A Migrant Shelter In Tijuana, Liam K. Ogden Iii

Senior Theses

This thesis explores idea of suspended agency and the development of a habitus of waiting within a women and children’s migrant shelter in Tijuana, Mexico. Relying on ten days of participant observation and an interview with a shelter director, I examine the lived experiences of residents, workers, and myself as a researcher navigating humanitarian space. Shelters are designed to be short term spaces, but migrants are often forced into long-term, uncertain stays due to restrictive border policies and structural barriers, resulting in a social stasis defined by boredom, anxiety, and monotony within the shelter. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concept of habitus …

Deportation And Immigration Enforcement In The United States: Analysis Of Regional And Country Variations, Exmond Ofori Sarpiah

Political Science Theses and Capstones

This study examines the motivations behind President Trump’s mass deportation policies due to the inflow of undocumented migrants from different regions in America. The study employs data visualization techniques, such as scatter plot and bar charts, to analyze regional and country variation trends in migrant removals and undocumented populations across global regions.

Challenges In Higher Education For Latino U.S - Born Children Of Undocumented Immigrants, Lupita Gomez Benitez

Senior Theses

Latino native-born children of undocumented immigrants in the United States occupy a unique position within American society. They are citizens by birth and therefore, entitled to all the rights of a regular citizen. However, society does not treat them as such due to their parents' legal status. This paper analyzes the barriers that these students face during the higher education process, specifically in South Carolina. The study uses a review of existing literature and qualitative interviews to uncover some of these challenges and why these students do not ask for help. The findings suggest that these students do have certain …

Los Muxes De Juchitán: Resistance, Identity, And Expressions Of Gender In The Zapotec Culture, Leah Mack

Audre Lorde Prize

This work is a cultural analysis of the Indigenous Zapotec third-gender community in Juchitán, México called the muxes. It examines the historical context that explains how the muxes have survived the process of Spanish colonization: a history of resistance and pride in their Indigenous identities. This essay also explains the European norms of the gender binary and how the norms in Juchitán are different and unique. Then, it analyzes a few cultural spaces that are important to the Zapotec Indigenous identity and the gender identity of the muxes, such as the market and the festive celebrations known as Las Velas. …

Gang Violence And Pacification In Ecuador: Comparing Trends In Guayaquil And Duran 2008-2024, Mason Alexandra Rothenberger

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Why has there been a dramatic increase in gang violence in Ecuador beginning in 2020? Cities like Guayaquil and Duran in the coastal region of Ecuador, as well as the border region that Ecuador shares with Colombia have experienced significant increases in criminal activity and with it a rise in criminal violence. I review four hypotheses for why criminal violence has emerged and proliferated within Ecuador. Analysis of primary interviews with subject matter experts in Ecuador shows that the rise in violence resulted from the 2007 efforts to reintegrate gangs into society, which set the stage for fragmentation of gangs …

Navigating Change: The Migration Experiences Of Post-2017 Cuban Migrants In Tampa Bay, Julissa Maria Ramirez Perez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the migration experiences of Cuban migrants who relocated to Tampa Bay following the termination of the “Wet Foot, Dry Foot” policy in 2017. Through semi-structured interviews and a comprehensive literature review, the study examines the interplay between historical and contemporary factors, including U.S.-Cuban relations, shifting legal frameworks, and policy changes. It delves into migrants' motivations, their navigation of complex immigration processes, and their social and economic integration into Tampa Bay. A comparative analysis highlights the differences between pre-2017 and post-2017 migration pathways, emphasizing the heightened risks and uncertainties faced by recent migrants. The findings underscore the critical …

How Insider-Led Processes Lead To Localization: The Case Of Digital Technology And Humanitarian Protection, Oliver Kaplan, Emily Paddon Rhoads

Global and Public Affairs: Faculty Scholarship

The humanitarian sector has been increasingly concerned with localizing its activities—devolving capacity, power, and decision-making authority to the local communities and organizations that are the frequent recipients of its assistance. However, the mere “outsider-led” provision of assistance to local actors is not itself sufficient to empower them. In- stead, we argue that “insider-led,” locally initiated processes can be an effective approach to localization. We identify how such shifts can occur and distinguish three different configurations of “insider-led” processes: Autonomous Adopters, Balanced Partners, and Exporting Entrepreneurs. We examine “insider-led” localization in the context of the use of Information and Communication Technologies …

Universal Dependencies For Amahuaca, Candy Angulo, Pilar Valenzuela, Roberto Zariquiey

World Languages and Cultures Faculty Articles and Research

This paper presents the creation of a Universal Dependency (UD) treebank for Amahuaca (Peru), marking the first UD treebank within the Headwaters subbranch of the Panoan family, spoken mostly in Peru and Brazil. While the UD guidelines provided a general framework for our annotations, language-specific decisions were necessary due to the rich morphology of the Amahuaca language. The paper also describes specific constructions to initiate a discussion on several general UD annotation guidelines, particularly those concerning clitics and morpheme-level dependencies.

Syncretic Spirits / Espíritus Sincréticos, Angelica Tapia - Estrada

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

Syncretic Spirits / Espíritus Sincréticos is a multimedia exhibition that invites viewers into a fantastical space where cultural identity and perception intertwine. Colorful shaped panels, sculptural installations, prints, and drawings bridge physical and metaphysical realms. Personal archetypes intuitively inspired by natural forms drive the work.

Influenced by the dualities of my upbringing as a first-generation Mexican American, I was immersed in Mexican culture through my family traditions while finding a home in the nurturing embrace of the heartland. The work has become a means of reclaiming a new layered sense of self, disentangling from my Catholic upbringing, embracing indigenous healing …

Against Moralizing Nature: Latin American Romanticism And The Aporias Of The Ecocritical Turn, Claudio Aguayo-Borquez

Modern Languages Faculty Publications

This article argues that the ecocritical turn in literary criticism reproduces the dualisms it seeks to avoid, especially the contradiction between nature and culture. At the same time, ecocriticism risks the veneration of Nature already practiced and promoted within the Romantic tradition in the global epoch of primitive accumulation during the 19th century. To sustain this argument, this article follows three main steps. In the first place, it establishes a characterization of Romanticism's attitude towards Nature, defining it as the literaturization of Nature, following Abrams' notion of supernatural naturalism and Jean Luc-Nancy and Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe's definition of Romanticism as the …

Truth, Reconciliation, And Neoliberalism: Remembering And Forgetting Pinochet’S Chile, Aimee Leigh Gallagher

History - Master of Arts in Teaching

I. Synthesis Essay………………..................4

III. Primary Documents and Headnotes.....26

IV. Textbook Critique……………….............36

V. Textbook Entry…………………………....42

The Third Revolution: How The Haitian Revolution Redefined The Age Of Revolution, Cedric Rule-Becker

History - Master of Arts in Teaching

I. Synthesis Essay.................................2

II. Primary Source Documents............15

III. Textbook Critique...........................25

IV. New Textbook Entry.......................28

The Journey To Becoming Latino With My Students: Navigating Labels And Identity In The United States, Fernando Severino

Faculty Publications - Communications

From introduction:

“You are the first Latino professor I had in college,” a student in my class said a few years ago. What exactly does that mean for a man who was born and raised in Chile and only immigrated to the United States as an adult? How did I become a Latino professor? This reflexión pedagógica is inspired by my classroom experiences as an immigrant from Chile and offers an exploration of labels used in the United States as identifiers, both self-claimed and externally imposed. There are two parts to this essay: first, I reflect on my own educational …

Resilience And Reality: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of People Living With Hiv In Texas During The Covid-19 Pandemic – A Qualitative Study., Ahmed F. Alanazi

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This study investigated the lived experiences of individuals living with HIV (PLWH) in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area of Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic, using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) framework. The research examined the intersection of health, social dynamics, and psychological resilience among PLWH, who faced compounded vulnerabilities due to systemic inequities and the dual public health crises of HIV and COVID-19. Through semi-structured interviews with ten participants from diverse backgrounds, the study captured the profound impacts of disrupted healthcare systems, heightened stigma, and social isolation on this marginalized population. The findings reveal that the pandemic exacerbated existing inequities …

Information Monopoly: Analyzing The Implications Of Media Consolidation For Chilean Democracy, Kalina Kulig

Araneum: Richmond Journal of American & Global Affairs

This paper examines the characteristics of the Chilean media landscape between 1990 and 2023, focusing on implications for democracy. Beginning with a literature review, I will discuss previous research regarding government threats and economic pressure on Chilean media. I will then argue that although the country has a history of strong investigative reporting, the Chilean press landscape risks undermining democracy due to concentrated ownership and a lack of public trust. I conclude by discussing several factors that could improve the quality of Chilean media.

Venezuela's And Mexico's Oil Industries: Policy Making Sets The Course, Camila Gimenez Valero

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The puzzle of Venezuela's crisis is one that researchers often try to understand. How did one of the richest nations in the world become one of the poorest? Venezuela is nowadays seen as a country with political unrest, where people struggle to get by and with a corrupt government. However, this was not always the case. Throughout the 20th century Venezuela had remarkable economic stability. Having discovered the world's largest known oil reserves, the nation's economy quickly developed, and the country also became known for its long-standing democracy. After the election of Hugo Chavez in 1998, Venezuela began to decline …

Understanding The Ideological Transformation Of Farc In Colombia, Savannah Grier

CMC Senior Theses

In 2016, the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) agreed to a peace deal that led to their disarmament. The former guerrilla group, FARC, integrated into Colombian politics by forming a new party called Comunes. FARC, thus, has taken a similar route to other former rebel groups in Latin America by pursuing its agenda as a political party after demobilizing. This thesis examines the ideological transformation and political evolution of FARC, analyzing its transition from a Marxist-Leninist insurgent group to a political party within Colombia’s democratic system. By exploring FARC’s historical role in the Colombian conflict …

Pacification In Rio De Janeiro Comunidades: Perceptions Of Militarized Public Security, Ilma Turcios

CMC Senior Theses

Brazil’s history of militarization in public policy has led to the adoption of new models centered around crime intervention and community growth. Rio de Janeiro’s 2008 Comunidade (Favela) Pacification Program was one of the most notable policies reflective of these goals. Rio’s state government implemented Pacifying Police Units (UPPs) that would be permanently stationed in comunidades, driving out criminal organizations and promoting socioeconomic development.

The program was recognized as a symbol of reform in urban security thanks to initial crime reductions in pacified communities. However, testimonies reveal patterns of physical and institutional violence at the hands of UPPs and continued …

Cultural Model Of Indigenous Custom Marriage, Maria G. Stapleton

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines and documents the tradition of Indigenous Custom Marriage (ICM) practiced in a semi-rural community in central Mexico. The arrival of Spaniards to Mesoamerica during the sixteenth century brought new forms of marriage to the region, those of the Christian religion and of the Spanish crown’s laws. While these new forms slowly gained acceptance, the traditional pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican form of getting married has endured over the intervening centuries up through the present. This traditional form of marriage is not monolithic, but shows variation across the diverse ethnic groups, communities, and geographic regions of Mesoamerica. The community studied, Tlanalapa, …

It's Not The Fault Of The Parrot, But Of The One Who Teaches Him To Talk: Understanding Identities And Relationships Of An Educational Ngo In Guatemala, Brittany Rebecca Blomquist

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Guatemala is an economically poor country, with a rich culture that makes it a destination for foreign assistance through non-governmental agencies (NGOs) and tourism. The history of conflict and foreign economic development within the country has created a dichotomy of identities, divided across economic wealth, ethnicity, and urban/rural landscapes. NGOs, their presence as transnational actors, and their organizational identities augment the identities present within the spaces in which NGOs work. Additionally, these identities are fluid and relational. I argue that the identities and relationships that form within the NGO space are reflective of NGO work and development structures. The identities …