Latin American Studies Commons^™

Agenda Setting And Gridlock In A Multiparty Coalitional Presidential System: The Case Of Brazil, Taeko Hiroi, Lucio Renno

Departmental Papers (PS)

No abstract provided.

Childhood Poverty Rates In The United States, 1990 - 2014, Sebastián Villamizar-Santamaría

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report investigates the trends in childhood poverty rates between 1990 and 2014 in the United States.

Methods: Data were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Trends in childhood poverty rates are examined by children’s sex, race/ethnicity, nativity, and among the five largest Latino national subgroups. This report also compares current state-level childhood poverty rates using the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau. These 2014 state-level childhood poverty rates are mapped to illustrate the distribution of childhood poverty rates across …

The Relationship Between Food Insecurity And Weight In The United States, 2011 – 2014, Sebastián Villamizar-Santamaría

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report examines the relation between weight and food insecurity in the United States between 2011 and 2014.

Methods: The data used in this report come from the Integrated Health Interview Services (IHIS) and its food security index. Weight is assessed by body mass index, and the population is divided into four weight groups based on body mass index ranges.

Results: First, food insecurity rates declined among the general population of Latinos between 2011 and 2014, however, food insecurity rates rose dramatically among underweight Latinos over that time period. Second, food insecurity rates were greatest among the obese and …

A Profile Of The Linguistic Status Among Latinos In The United States Between 1980 And 2014, Karen Okigbo

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report examines trends in linguistic status — Spanish monolingual, English monolingual, or bilingual — among Latinos between 1980 and 2014.

Methods: Data were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Linguistic status is defined using three categories: Spanish monolingual, English monolingual, and bilingual.

Results: First, the highest percentage of Latinos in the United States were bilingual, and that finding remained stable between 1980 (67%) and 2014 (66%). Second, Latinos who were Spanish monolingual had substantially lower levels of educational attainment than bilingual Latinos …

Trends In Receipt Of Public Assistance And Poverty Status, 1970 – 2014, Justine Calcagno

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report examines comparative trends in receipt of public assistance and poverty rates between 1970 and 2014.

Methods: This study uses the American Community Survey PUMS (Public Use Microdata Series) data for all years considered here released by the Census Bureau and reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Receipt of public assistance is defined by receiving any amount of one’s income in the previous year from public assistance funds or not. Poverty status is defined by living below the federal poverty line in the previous year or not.

Results: There was an …

A Profile Of Latino Citizenship In The United States: Demographic, Educational And Economic Trends Between 1990 And 2013, Karen Okigbo

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report examines trends in citizenship status between 1990 and 2013.

Methods: Data were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Citizenship status is defined using three categories: citizen by birth, naturalized citizen, and not a citizen. In addition, educational attainment was computed for those age 25 and older, while the remaining outcomes of income, employment status, usual hours worked, and poverty status were computed for those between the ages of 16 and 64. Cases in the data set were weighted and analyzed to …

"They Have Sold The Clouds": Queering Indigenous Politics In Colombia, Taylor O. Ramsey

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In a study of Colombian politics, I use a queer theoretical lens to explore the relationship between the state and two specific indigenous groups from Northern Colombia to better understand the state and power relations embedded in it. I look for queer temporalities, spaces, and nonnormative practices that arise out of how the law interrogates and interacts with indigenous people using a queer theoretical lens as a critical methodology. I argue that the Colombian state's interactions with indigenous groups create queer spaces/conceptual borders, particularly with regard to law and the state's ability to biopolitically regulate its citizens. It is within …

Queering Colombia's Peace Process: A Case Study Of Lgbti Inclusion, Nicole Maier

Capstone Collection

Colombia has suffered under its current armed conflict for more than half a century. There is finally a glimmer of hope with the progression of peace talks between the Colombian government and the country’s largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). These talks began in 2012 and have experienced a number of successes and failures thus far. However, they have been regularly praised and revered as a model for the world, particularly with regard to their efforts surrounding victims of the armed conflict. This capstone paper focuses on one particular group of victims, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, …

Human Rights In North Korea - The Pump Don't Work Cause The Vandals Took The Handles, Steven Gariepy

International Human Rights Law Journal

Many cynics of the universality of international human rights point to persistent large-scale human-rights abusing regimes, such as the Democratic Republic of North Korea, as proof that there is nothing at all universal about human rights. This essay is an attempt to root out the implications of internal national policies on the suitability of international human rights whilst reinforcing their universality. The author of this essay, a military lawyer, reaches the conclusion that the pump of universal human rights don't work within the North Korea cause the vandals took the handle.

A Proposed Enhancement To Un Treaty Enforcement: Regular Recommendations To Civil Society, Benjamin Bloomer

International Human Rights Law Journal

The UN treaty body system is an imperative component in the enforcement of international human rights law, but it currently does not have the mechanisms sufficient for the effective internalization of international human rights law standards. One of its current mechanisms, namely, concluding observations, are by their nature of being addressed to states insufficient to ensure enforcement in state parties not politically, economically, socially, or culturally inclined to obey the recommendations. This article proposes a new publication that will better foster communication between civil society organizations and treaty bodies, allowing for a more highly coordinated effort of civil society in …

Black Hole In The Rising Sun: Japan And The Hague Convention On Child Abduction, Paul Hanley

International Human Rights Law Journal

Japan has long been criticized for its failure to address the issue of international child abduction. In response to international pressure, Japan adopted the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Parental Abduction in April 2014. Despite its ratification of the treaty, great concern remains whether Japan is willing to comply with the legal obligations imposed by the Convention. This article examines Japan’s struggle with the issue of international child abduction, analyzing its traditional approach to family matters such as its “divorce by conference” system, which permits couples to negotiate issues of child custody and visitation without any judicial …

Immune Function In Amazonian Horticulturalists, Aaron D. Blackwell, Benjamin C. Trumble, Ivan Maldonado Suarez, Jonathan Stieglitz, Bret Beheim, J. Josh Snodgrass, Hillard Kaplan, Michael Gurven

ESI Publications

Background—Amazonian populations are exposed to diverse parasites and pathogens, including protozoal, bacterial, fungal, and helminthic infections. Yet much of our understanding of the immune system is based on industrialised populations where these infections are relatively rare.

Aim—We examine distributions and age-related differences in 22 measures of immune function for Bolivian forager-horticulturalists and US and European populations.

Subjects and Methods—Subjects were 6,338 Tsimane aged 0–90 years. Blood samples collected between 2004–2014 were analysed for 5-part blood differentials, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and total immunoglobulins E, G, A, and M. Flow cytometry was used to quantify naive …

Landfill Communities Within The Land Of Eternal Spring, Blanca Vaneza Guzmán

ENV 434 Environmental Justice

This paper examines the placement and impact of landfills within Guatemala City, Guatemala. By examining the municipal cite and its accessibility to policy taken on towards proper waste management, the recurring theme of lack of information will be obvious. It specifically looks at the lack of information provided and describes the landfill communities by looking at the minimal scholarship and media attention offered. This paper will also interrelate the importance of all beings, living and non-living with its surroundings and highlight ideas of ecological thinking. An emphasis on environmental racism will be stressed, particularly with the enormous impact it has …

Creating Value In The Voluntary Carbon Market: Opportunities For Small-Scale Coffee Producers In Latin America To Access Carbon Capital., Ruby Woodside

Sustainability and Social Justice

Agroforestry producers have not participated on a large-scale in carbon markets. This paper assesses the potential for small-scale coffee producers to access the voluntary carbon market. A review of the current market including standards, trends, and how value is created is followed by an overview of Latin American coffee production. Drawing on tools from the conceptual framework of global production networks I explore how coffee producers can benefit from the development of carbon credits. Current carbon credit projects under development with coffee producers are considered, and one case study presented. The tools and conditions necessary for full access to carbon …

Lullaby For The Burning Ear: How Intersectional Feminism Can Help Decolonize The Latino Consciousness, Donovan E. Hernandez Garcia

Senior Theses

People exist with their own religions, cultures, and practices, which illustrate the ingenuity of humanity. Yet, because of major events that altered the fate of the Americas, a certain societal structure was created to maintain power. Due to colonization, the prolonged exposure to numerous cultures, and the continuation of oppressive systems, people have been forced to band together based on similar characteristics, be it race, gender, or sexual orientation, creating divisions within society. It is because of such colonial mentality, subliminal and apparent, political and cultural movements, such as Feminism and intersectionality, have been created to combat the harmful effects …

A Study That Critically Engages Secondary Language Acquisition And How It Relates To Immigrants Developing Cultural Competence, Susan Alecia Nelson

Sustainability and Social Justice

This study seeks to critically engage in the topic of secondary language acquisition to explore the role it plays in immigration, particularly as this relates to developing cultural competence. Further, the research examines the barriers to second language acquisition, and also makes recommendations for reducing those barriers. This will be done by examining literature that analyzes the role that secondary language learning plays in immigrants becoming culturally competent within the United States, and will look at this more in depth by focusing on Mexican immigrants who have come to the United States.

El "Juego" De Los Voladores: Adaptación Indígena Y Vida Festiva En La Nueva España, Matthew J.K. Hill

Faculty Publications

El rito conocido como “los Voladores” existe hoy en día como testimonio a la tenacidad de los grupos indígenas en adaptar sus antiguas prácticas al nuevo orden sociopolítico impuesto por los españoles. Aunque parte del significado y las prácticas asociadas con este rito prehispánico se haya perdido, el hecho de que la práctica haya sobrevivido en lo más mínimo todavía resulta sorprendente. Dada la tendencia de los españoles por erradicar o modificar el pasado pre-Conquista, ¿cómo podía un rito de tal visibilidad como los Voladores permanecer más o menos intacto hasta hoy? En contestación a ese interrogatorio se examinarán algunos …

Biblioworks: Advocating For The Creation Of Libraries For Children In Chuquisaca, Bolivia, Jhasmany Saavedra

Capstone Collection

During 2015-16, I completed my SIT professional practicum as an intern with BiblioWorks based in the Asheville, North Carolina office. Founded in 2005, the focus of this very small organization has been to provide funding and support for libraries and other educational programs in one part of Bolivia. I am from Bolivia and, prior to my scholarship to study at SIT, had worked with local NGOs. During my on-campus phase, I took a sequence of courses in policy advocacy and thus, along with other assignments, I became BiblioWorks’ US-based resource person working with the Bolivia-based director as the organization began …

Remittances As Contributor To Risk Management And Poverty Reduction In Grenada, Dianne Jntl Rosemary Forte

Dissertations

A Small Island Development States (SIDS) viewpoint is underrepresented in the existing migration literature. That perspective is necessary because SIDS geography creates a unique set of social and economic circumstances that predisposes small states to high vulnerability to external shocks from environmental events and influences emigration decision making. Like other SIDS, Grenada is characterized by small land mass, small population, limited opportunities for productive labor, and limited resources to efficiently support all the requirements of modern institutions. This has resulted in high levels of emigration and a pattern of circularity as Grenadian households make rational decisions to manage risk and …

Guatemalan Exiles, Caribbean Basin Dictators, Operation Pbfortune, And The Transnational Counter-Revolution Against The Guatemalan Revolution, 1944-1952, Aaron Coy Moulton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When U.S. officials in 1952 approved the first Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operation to overthrow Guatemalan president Jacobo Arbenz, they unknowingly stepped into a regional conflict that, for nearly ten years, included dissident Guatemalan exiles, Caribbean Basin dictators, and the Guatemalan governments of Arbenz and his predecessor Juan José Arévalo. Since the mid-1940s, exiles and dictators had denounced the Guatemalan Revolution as the product of Mexican, Soviet, and international communism. The anti-communist ideology of Guatemalan exiles, Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza, Honduran dictator Tiburcio Carías, and Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo facilitated various conspiracies aimed to destabilize Arévalo and Arbenz’s governments throughout …