Latin American & Latino Studies
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‘Abolish ICE’ messaging is back. Is it any more likely this time?
Cinthya Martinez, a UC Santa Cruz professor who has studied the movement to abolish ICE, noted that it stems from the movement to abolish prisons. The abolition part, she said, is watered down by mainstream politicians. “A lot of folks forget that prison abolition is to completely abolish carceral systems. It comes from a Black…
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Americans must understand the historic context of Venezuela invasion
UC Santa Cruz Professors Lily Balloffet and Jeff Erbig wrote an opinion article about the importance of learning Latin American History and how this perspective can inform the way Americans understand and respond to the Trump Administration’s invasion of Venezuela.
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Heat, storms, mosquitoes the big threats at Alligator Alcatraz, experts say
Assistant Professor Carlos Martinez said that what he has seen so far of the facility is “alarming and disturbing.” While many of the health concerns about Alligator Alcatraz are the same as those for any detention center — overcrowding, inadequate sanitation and food, inadequate medical care — he said some, like the heat and mosquitoes,…
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What Americans can learn from the longtime playbook of U.S. imperialism abroad
Associate professor of Latin American and Latino Studies Lily Pearl Balloffet and Professor of Environmental Studies Gregory S. Gilbert argue that U.S. imperialism is now being deployed at home, and Latin America holds clues on what might come next and effective strategies to resist.
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Watsonville High co-valedictorian Jesus Nolasco-Vega takes organizational skills outside of classroom
Jesus Nolasco-Vega took part in a Youth Participatory Action Research project, which allowed him to work closely with UC Santa Cruz students and faculty to understand and address mental health issues through research and community engagement efforts.
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How Real ID Excludes Real Americans
Catherine S. Ramírez, professor of Latin American and Latino Studies wrote about the challenges many Americans face in getting Real ID’s, especially for those who have changed their names at some point in their lives.
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In the Medical System, the Concept of General ‘Safety’ Can Be a Pretext to Harm Pregnant Women
Existing in a police state where cops are embedded in hospitals or sicced onto people experiencing mental health crises “produces premature death,” says Carlos Martinez, a public health researcher and assistant professor at UC Santa Cruz.
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Debunking myths perpetuated by Donald Trump about undocumented immigrants
Lucinda Pease-Alvarez, a professor emerita of education at UC Santa Cruz who has worked extensively with immigrant children and their families, co-authored this op-ed debunking a variety of myths the current president relies on when targeting undocumented immigrants.
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Overdose Deaths Swell Among SF’s Maya Residents, Highlighting Urgent Need for Culturally Competent Drug Health Services
The San Francisco Public Press covered research by Global and Community Health core faculty member and Assistant Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies Carlos Martinez that showed most Latinx and Indigenous people in San Francisco who consumed drugs had very little knowledge of risks associated with those substances.
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Luar, Willy Chavarría among Latinos rising in fashion
Edward Salazar Celis, a doctoral student in Latin American and Latino studies, spoke with Axios about the history of Latino and Latin American fashion design.
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How the ‘Mob Wife’ aesthetic can help us think about Latinidad
The Los Angeles Times interviewed Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies Catherine Ramírez for perspective on how the "mob aesthetic" trend compares to historical aesthetics of excess within Latinx communities.
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Greta Thunberg’s Climate Cohort Is Growing Up
Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies Jessica Taft spoke with Bloomberg about public perceptions of girl activists and how those perceptions can present a barrier to activists achieving their goals.