By Anne Gebelein

Sixteen students recently returned from 3 weeks in Costa Rica where they had an intensive, 6-credit experience studying human rights in Central America. Students had the opportunity to meet with experts to discuss migration, refugees, gender relations, and interpersonal and state violence. They visited the Interamerican Court of Human Rights, a community of Nicaraguan migrants, a women’s indigenous pottery collaborative and a rainforest, while learning on 2 different campuses hosted by language institute Intercultura.
Students spent time in intensive Spanish courses according to their level of fluency led by faculty at Intercultura, and took a course with Prof Gebelein titled “Human Rights, National Identity and the Arts”. The class considers intersections of national, cultural and ethnic identities in the region; how rights are accorded relative to a group’s position in the national imaginary; and how the arts promote reflection and action on urgent human rights issues in Central America.

In addition to their coursework, students had the opportunity to learn from a leading playwright in Central America, Ailyn Morera, known for her groundbreaking work in exposing domestic violence, systemic discrimination against women, and the darker side of motherhood. Students participated in theatrical exercises with Morera that considered gender dynamics and personal identity. Morera also invited students to consider her collaboration with 2 other UNESCO representatives, Marianne Lizana and Rodrigo Jimenez: a radio and video series that offers healthy modeling of masculine roles titled “Métele un Gol al Machismo”.

Morera was a visiting artist-in-residence at UConn for 8 weeks in 2011, and collaborated with the Dept of Dramatic Arts, El Instituto, the School of Social Work, and Literatures, Cultures and Languages. Conversations during that time led to the development of the Education Abroad program that just completed its 7th successful trip. Susan Randolph of Economics and Anne Gebelein designed the course in collaboration with Morera, who also coordinates unique tours and lectures depending on the faculty teaching in any given year and the course focus.

Student evaluations of the 2020 trip highlighted a series of transformative experiences, including the trip’s impact on student’s view of Latin America and the U.S.’s place in the world; the opportunity to learn about theater from an eminent Costa Rican playwright; an understanding of indigenous issues in Costa Rica and how these lessons can be applied elsewhere in the world; the quality of relationships built between fellow UConn students, faculty, and Costa Ricans, and the ability to immerse oneself in another culture and learn from host families. Consider the following student testimony:

1. “I had the opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and explore a part of the world I probably would have never had the opportunity to be in.”

2. “I got a better sense of cultural relativism and got more in touch with my Latinidad.”

3. “Living with my homestay family gave me the chance to let go of my insecurities and practice my Spanish outside the classroom.” -Claudia

4. “This program challenged my definition and interpretation of poverty. I got to finally understand the drastic difference between 1st world poverty, and poverty within a developing country.” -Jase

5. “Being immersed into the Costa Rican culture has given me the opportunity to improve myself and broaden my horizons. Not only was I able to improve and become conversant in Spanish, but I was able to challenge myself and overcome those challenges. The experience gave me the opportunity to try new foods, experience infrastructure (or the lack of), gauge different social norms, and understand social structures in terms of race, sex, and sexuality. And the view was always amazing.” -Desira

6. “Through this trip I got to learn about the history of Costa Rica in the classroom, then go home to my Costa Rican family and learn history from the local perspective. I saw how regional and individual identities affected people’s sense of nationality and their political views. Young vs old; mountains vs beach; rural vs urban; woman vs man. An experience I’d never get if I’d learned about Costa Rica in the states.
This experience was a rare chance for a bunch of students from different disciplines to come together and share an experience of a lifetime. We each brought different insights to conversations about culture, nationality, and art which created profound conclusions about both Costa Rican and American society.” -Claudia

7. “Following the completion of my study abroad, my life has changed. This experience provided my life with so much clarity and the formation of new perspectives of life, liberty, and freedom. I dove deeper into myself through an intense spiritual journey of disconnectedness to mindfulness, reflected on the continual development of myself and my Latinidad; and how these experiences unfolded within Costa Rica and extend to the United States.” -Jase

The program will be offered again in the 2020-21 winter session, led by Professor Samuel Martinez. It is one of several ways in which El Instituto and its faculty are committed to life-transformative education.

By Dr. Diana I. Ríos, El Instituto and Communication

For several years we have conducted a case study on La Comunidad Intelectual (LCI) using biography-of-work techniques. LCI co-directors and founders, Diana I. Ríos and Graciela-Quiñones-Rodríguez have led student co-authors toward successful conference submissions. In February 2020, LCI student leaders again figured prominently as core to our self-examination and case study. We presented “Profiles in Courage, ‘Ganas,’ and Belonging at a Major University” at the annual CHEP Conference, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia. Our work highlights the strong motivation, “ganas,” needed for our underrepresented group members to be successful. An abstract of the work:
It takes courage, “ganas” (ambition) and a sense of higher education belonging for a young student to conquer the first year experience at a major research institution. La Comunidad Intelectual (LCI) is the first living-learning community of its kind at the state’s flagship research university. It stands out among similar learning communities of its kind across the United States. LCI nurtures culturally diverse students, strengthening their courage, “ganas,” and sense of belonging. These and other, similar concepts are connected to Latinx academic achievement. The term, “ganas”, for example, declares a cultural rootedness that is felt by Latinx-Caribbean students who feel fueled and obligated by self, family, and community dreams. Students need to feel air beneath their wings. Learning communities that mimic a small-college atmosphere are important for student adjustment into a home-away-from home on a big campus. A multi-prong support system and “ganas” gears a student toward success. In our historic sixth year, the learning community has grown and matured. LCI faculty and staff leadership are solid. LCI alumni, on and off campus, contribute their time and inspiration. Student leaders reach for higher and broader cultural, and professional activities to support the emerging intellectualism of “house” members. This Latinx-Caribbean themed community has flourished, despite a negative political atmosphere which is antagonistic toward Latinx populations. It charges on, in the face of hate crimes such as the slaughter of Mexican heritage people in El Paso, Texas in August 2019. Importantly, LCI extends friendship and welcome through its activities to many others in search of cultural warmth and belonging in a predominantly white institution. Overall, learning community components support courageous journeys for academic achievement, leadership, community service, social and political consciousness, and professional success.

Contributed by Samuel Martínez

The 2019 Robert G Mead, Jr. Lecture was presented on 14 November 2019 by Graciela Mochkofsky, Director of the Spanish-language Journalism Program, Executive Director of the Center for Community and Ethnic Media, and Tow Professor at the CUNY Graduate Center. Professor Mochkofsky joined the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY in February 2016 as the first director of its bilingual Spanish-language Journalism Program.
A native of Argentina, Mochkofsky is the author of six nonfiction books in Spanish, two of them about the relationship between press and political power in her home country.
In her Mead Lecture, “News Media Portrayals of Latinxs Under Trump: A Call for Greater Visibility,” Mochkofsky addressed the need for greater representation of Latinx voices in the editorial offices and among the journalist ranks of the leading US print, on-line and electronic news media outlets. Her talk also underscored the need to overcome class, racial and gender biases that tilt the visibility of those Latinx faces now in leading media positions toward white, male standpoints.
At noon that same day, Professor Mochkofsky also gave a small luncheon colloquium talk, “Bilingual Journalism is on the Rise,” to students and faculty in UConn’s Department of Journalism. In that presentation, she focused on the findings of a survey of local Spanish-language news outlets, using data gathered by her Spanish-language Journalism students at Newmark. The emerging picture of Spanish-language journalism in the US shows a startling variety of outlets, mostly tiny, shoestring independents, at work throughout the American heartland as well as in longer-established urban centers of Latinx settlement.
Robert G. Mead, Jr., whose memory El Instituto honors through the annual Mead Lecture, would no doubt have recognized Graciela Mochkofsky as a fellow intellectual border-crosser for her ability to transcend languages, borders and the academic/public intellectual divide.

By Felipe Sanches

 

Since the founding of La Comunidad Intelectual, the vision of the Learning Community has been to “recognize and critically examine Caribbean and Latin American cultures, customs and traditions as they exist at UConn and beyond… [and to] nurture intellectual diversity, inclusivity, and social activism.” As the only Latinx Learning Community on campus, we pride ourselves on sticking to that vision and creating projects, events, and social media campaigns that revolve around this vision. We pride ourselves in being grounded in various Latinx cultures- Colombian, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, Uruguayan, Venezuelan, Mexican, and more—and making sure that our cultures are bound together by the common theme of fostering Latinx intellectuals on a collegiate level.  

 

This year is going to be a year of expansion and growth for the LCI because we are closely working on significant projects in order to get the attention of the University and the future Latinx Huskies that will be walking on this campus next year, the year after, and for many more years to come. La Comunidad Intelectual is at a point in time where the Learning Community is ready to take the next steps forward. But what are the next steps forward?

 

• Solidifying Relationships with the Latinx Institutions on UCONN Storrs Campus– It is important for LCI’s continued growth to have strong relationships with the Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center (PRLACC) and El Instituto. These three institutions, or the Latinx trifecta, as I like to refer to them as, are vital to continue to deal with the social, academic, and intellectual needs of Latinx students. So, it is imperative for LCI to strengthen relationships with PRLACC and El Instituto. LCI already has El Instituto’s support and a close relationship with them through student liaisons, the proximity to each other. LCI has most recently joined the Latinx Student Leadership Council, which is the council that oversees all the student orgs out of PRLACC. It is a step forward for LCI because it opens up avenues of communication with other cultural and Latinx greek orgs for collaborations and gets people more aware of what our Learning Community does for our Latinx students. 

 

 

• Establishing an effective marketing campaign- In a world that revolves around social media and the Internet, it is imperative that La Comunidad Intelectual stays ahead of the curve in terms of online presence. We currently have an Instagram as our main form of social media, but we will establish updated Facebook and Twitter pages in order to increase our presence on social media platforms across the board. In addition to an increase on social media platforms, we will be hosting fundraisers, events, discussions, and other activities to put our name out to Latinx students and increase awareness.

 

 

• Establishing El Concilio as a decision-maker and liaison between the Latinx Trifecta- El Concilio is LCI’s student-led leadership team established to support student leadership experiences, research experiences through an annual LCI case study, and to plan relevant events. El Concilio is an E-Board, with co-presidents, a treasurer, a secretary, and a social media coordinator. El Concilio is more active than ever before. It is planning and creating fundraisers and serves as liaison between others of the Latinx Trifecta–PRLACC and El Instituto. Since El Concilio is part of LxSLC, one member of the E-Board attends biweekly council meetings in PRLACC in order to network with other e-boards and represent the interests of La Comunidad Intelectual.

 

 

Our students are very excited for our upward mobility, relative to the expansion and growth of our program. Through our expansion and growth initiatives, LCI students look forward to strong ascension to the forefront of all Learning Communities. We are gaining more visibility and recognition throughout campus, not just the Latinx Trifecta and the Learning Communities office. We want UCONN Nation to see us and recognize that our Latinx students are here to stay and we are staying true to our cultures that we are all very proud of. Stay tuned to our projects and endeavors by following our Instagram account at @uconn.lci. Participate in our events and get to know our Learning Community.

Victoria Almodovar

Contributed by Victoria Almodovar

Coming into this program, my biggest interests were Latinx identity development and Latinx educational experiences in the United States. After some exploration of a variety of topics, I have chosen a research project that incorporates both of these interests. My project aims to explore the experiences of Latinas in University-recognized  fraternal “Greek-letter” organizations.

While extensive research has been done surrounding the origins of fraternal organizations, reasons for membership and other such topics, little research has been done illuminating the experiences of Latinx student involvement in them. Much of the small amount of research that has been done about Latinx sorority membership has focused on Latinx-based (but not Latinx-exclusive) organizations, ignoring the fact that Latinas also join organizations that are not Latinx-based. My project will work to create a space in which Latinas who are affiliated with any Greek-letter organization can come together and share their experiences, explore their identities, and support each other throughout their undergraduate careers.

As a lifetime member of a sorority myself, I know the great value that my membership has had in my life, even beyond my undergraduate years. As a Latina, and a student in this Master’s program, I know how important it is for Latinx students to have spaces in which they can learn more about their identities. It is my hope that my project will not only create a space for students to explore their Latina and “Greek” identities, but will also create more conversation around Latinx involvement in fraternal organizations and their value in the world of higher education.

Rocio Orozco

Contributed by Rocio Orozco

This summer I conducted research in El Paso, Texas on immigration and asylum between the US-Mexico border.  I had the opportunity to work with the HOPE Border Institute. HOPE is an advocacy, research, grassroots organization that help the communities of El Paso, Las Cruces and Cuidad Juárez. HOPE produces annual reports from data they gather from court observations and policy analysis. I had the opportunity to observe immigration proceedings that dealt with detained court and ‘Remain in Mexico’ program. Also, I conducted interviews with metered asylum seekers who are waiting in Mexican shelters.  

I went into this research project with a question, “Who was providing asylum seekers with mental health treatments? Was it the federal government or NGO’s? Unfortunately, thinking of the mental health of asylum seekers is a luxury. The ‘Remain in Mexico’ program created a humanitarian crisis that forced the limited resources to focus on challenging this policy and rescuing the most vulnerable from the program. ‘Remain in Mexico’ stopped the traditional intake of asylum seekers in the US. There are over twenty thousand waiting in the ‘Remain in Mexico’ program and thousands more waiting to have their number called to enter the ‘Remain in Mexico’ program.

This summer taught me about the grey area of administrative law, the way the media reports their findings, how history repeats itself if it is forgotten, and even though we have rights we still must fight for them. What I hope to accomplish with this research is to educate the public on this inhumane policy, to influence policy makers to protect the right to seek asylum, to push for immigration reform, and to address the jurisdiction and accountability of immigration law.

Julia Marchese

Contributed by Julia Marchese

Julia Marchese is a second-year graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in Latina/o and Latin American Studies. She received her B.A. in Spanish Literature and Translation with a minor in Philosophy from Kent State University in Ohio. Her undergraduate research project analyzed various mediums of Spanish-American discourse to understand how eurocentrism played a role in their “invention of America.” Since coming to El Instituto, Julia has begun to develop her various interests in literature, Spanish, language, linguistics, race, Latinx indigeneity, and education. In particular, she is interested in how race and language intersect in multilingual school settings. Her thesis research uses a theoretical framework of raciolinguistics to investigate the schooling experiences of linguistically diverse students at a predominantly Latino/a/x high school.

After recruiting a small group of linguistically diverse Latinx students, Julia will collect data through various methods of qualitative research to get a more nuanced understanding of how Latinx students with varying linguistic practices racially, linguistically, and generally experience the same school. Julia hopes that her research will provide the high school with the necessary data to ensure that they are providing their enthnoracially and linguistically diverse Latinx students with adequate resources, curriculum, and support.

In addition to serving as a Research Assistant for Sociology and El Instituto professor, Dr. Marysol Asencio, Julia also works as a Bilingual Research Assistant for HDFS and WGSS professor, Dr. Laura Mauldin. As part of this position, Julia will be traveling out of state to interview Spanish-speaking parents/guardians with children who have cochlear implants.

After graduation and her thesis defense in May, Julia plans to either fulfill her lifelong dream of moving somewhere in Latin America, or (more practically) look for a non-profit/community role in the U.S. that works to dismantle barriers to equal education.

By Genesis Carela

 

In 2018 Daisy Verduzco Reyes, Ph.D, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and El Instituto published Learning to be Latino: How Colleges Shape Identity Politics. In this book, she chronicles the identity formation process of Latinx students at three distinct higher education institutes in California (a liberal arts college, a research university, and a regional public university). Reyes identifies how institutional arrangements affect the Latinx students’ social relationships. She examines the ways that total student enrollment, residential arrangements, student demographic, the relationship between students and administrators, and the integration of students through cultural centers and retention centers. Reyes simultaneously conducted fieldwork at all three campuses and all six organizations (two from each institution) from the fall of 2008 through the spring of 2010 and considered how the characteristics of each institution create an environment that influences how Latinx students interact with one another, identify themselves, and come to understand how they fit in. Her research demonstrated how various interactive processes at the Latinx organizations produced three different patterns of pan-ethnic identification: inclusive Latino identification, qualified Latino identification, and national origins identification/the rejection of a pan-ethnic identity.

            More recently, Doctor Reyes has conducted follow-up fieldwork with the students from the liberal arts college, research university, and regional public university to acquire information about their various transitions into adulthood and how these alumni from different institutions fared after graduation. With funding provided by the Spencer Foundation, a research foundation focused exclusively on supporting educational research, Doctor Reyes was able to conduct interviews with approximately 60 students who are now between the ages of 27 and 38. As part of my Graduate Research Assistantship, I am aiding Doctor Reyes with the process of data analysis. We will shortly begin using qualitative data software to analyze the interviews from the Latinx Alumni. Doctor Reyes and I look forward to reporting the findings of this follow-up research.

Contributed by Samuel Martínez

A new initiative in support of emerging student leaders involved with PRLAAC and La Comunidad Intelectual (LCI) First-Year Learning Community was announced at the Hispanic Heritage Month Alumni Meet & Greet reception, held at the Jorgensen Gallery Saturday, 21 September 2019. The event took place before that evening’s Gilberto Santa Rosa Hispanic Heritage Month special concert event at Jorgensen Auditorium. 

In her brief opening remarks, María Martínez, Assistant Vice Provost, Institute for Student Success, spoke to the students, staff and visitors in attendance. Martínez announced that her office, which oversees First-Year Programs, was developing a new collaboration with the UConn Foundation, PRLAAC and El Instituto. This initiative will aim to nurture mentorship opportunities and expand career development funding for LCI and PRLAAC students in the years to come. Both expanded mentoring opportunities for UConn Latinx alumni and a Foundation-supported fund raising drive are anticipated to focus on expanding opportunities for LCI and PRLAAC students.

PRLAAC Director Fany Hannon expressed appreciation for the dynamism and imaginativeness of Latinx student leaders. El Instituto Director Samuel Martínez spoke of a “triangle of student support” — uniting El Instituto, LCI and PRLAAC — bringing the struggle for inclusion at UConn into a third phase, in which Latinx students are not only admitted and retained but provided conditions under which they can all feel they belong at UConn and that UConn belongs to them. LCI Director Diana Rios (Instituto joint appointee with the Department of Communication) recounted the process through which she realized her dream of founding a student living community at UConn focused on intellectual diversity, inclusivity, and social activism. LCI undergraduate student Felipe Sanches spoke eloquently of his peers’ tenacious drive to succeed not just personally and career-wise but in service to their communities.

Keep an eye out for emerging details of this initiative at the Websites and Twitter feeds of El Instituto, PRLAAC, and the UConn Learning Community Program.