The focus of my dissertation is the 'problem of the Other'. The central question is: how does one relate to the other without immediately taking away their alterity? If the Other is an absolute other, how can we relate in a way that is respectful and ethical? There are many examples of relationships among people that demonstrate ways that are…

As a graduate student in the Latin American Studies Program, my academic interests have taken me through an interdisciplinary journey mapped by a series of courses on race, class, gender, indigeneity, globalization, transnational migration, and the intersectionality of all these social formations. However, I was struck by the persistent absence of…

The creation of "universidades interculturales" (intercultural universities, UIs) in Mexico at the start of the 21st century was not only a policy response to the need for more accessible higher education for historically underrepresented students, but also to the call for more culturally and linguistically relevant education and…

Recent studies have projected that by the end of this century between half and up to 95% of the linguistic diversity in the world will disappear or become severely endangered. In the last four decades, the Latin American region, home to more than 500 Indigenous languages, has introduced intercultural bilingual education policies aimed at…

The dissertation examined the significance of disaggregated data in relation to college students' sense of belonging among Latinx ethnic subgroups. Sense of belonging has been positively associated with student persistence, retention, and completion of degree (Korpershoek et al., 2020). Latinx consist of numerous ethnic subgroups, and…

This qualitative study examined the perceptions of Caribbean immigrant college students on the teacher-student relationship on engagement. The study was conducted at a community college located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The study focused on the lived experiences of these students who have had schooling in the Caribbean and…

"Teacher Recruitment and Retention and the Minority Teacher Shortage among Latinx Teachers in the United States and Mexico" uses both quantitative and qualitative analysis to examine Latinx teacher retention in Mexico and the United States. The first article "Teacher Attrition and Job Dissatisfaction in Mexico: Why Do Mexican…

This study seeks to learn about and understand what constitutes successful leadership cultures in Latin American universities. The research calls attention to one national university rector and subordinate members of his leadership team, as well as students at the university in order to understand the values and actions needed to fulfill the role…

Ethnogeology is the scientific study of human relationships with the Earth as a system, typically conducted within the context of a specific culture. Indigenous or historically resident people may perceive local places differently from outside observers trained in the Western tradition. Ethnogeologic knowledge includes traditional indigenous…

Standard Language Ideology has historically permeated second/foreign language education, disseminating the belief that a homogeneous "standard" language, which belongs to its native speakers only, is ideal and preferable. In the context of English language teaching (ELT), this type of language ideology has traditionally functioned as a…

This research looked at Higher Education Leaders' Perceptions of Persistence and Achievement of Afro Caribbean Immigrant Students. The research was qualitative and took a phenomenological, narrative approach. Sixteen administrators, across three campuses, one private for-profit and two public nonprofits were interviewed. The participants consisted…

Latin-American governments are increasingly promoting public-private partnerships to provide much-needed external support to schools, but little is known about the mechanisms through which such partnerships operate. This study aims to contribute to the literature on external support for school improvement by analyzing how a non-government…

Theological education among Latin American Baptists began during the epoch of colonial missions as a part of the long-range strategy developed by missionaries primarily from North America. Beyond translation, contextualization had little importance in those beginning stages. Over time, the seminaries were nationalized, yet today the earlier…

The remarkable economic success of the Cayman Islands is primarily driven by its large expatriate population. Expatriates make up over one-third of the total population of the Islands and half of the labor force. This has led some Caymanians to demand more opportunities for local individuals. However in April 2014, one of the two local newspapers…

With a focus on Brazilian theological seminaries that self-identify as evangelical and which emphasize teaching, learning, and doing a contextually Latin American theology, this research inquiries into related theoretical fields in order to establish a framework from which these schools may further develop educational approaches more adequate to…