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Studio Museum Harlem Excursion: A Study of How Resources Are Utilized for Expressing a Message
No full textMuseums have a unique ability to situate themselves in the present moment while also commemorating the past and imagining the future. Studio Museum Harlem (SMH) does this, especially on the day of its reopening. The museum originally opened in 1968, amongst many Civil Rights and Black Power demonstrations occurring across the country. This innovative spirit is still visible today despite the museum closing and reopening again. The museum made its grand reopening on November 15th, 2025, after seven years of having its doors closed for construction. The Bronx African American History Project team had the special opportunity to visit SMH on November 16th and experience the energetic atmosphere of a reopened museum as well as take an immersive walk through new exhibits on display. Whether through paint or pastels, taking an electronic/technological approach, or using chains and various forms of metal it became clear while walking through SMH that the way in which the artists utilized their resources when creating their work was in an attempt to express the experience and the historical context shared by many marginalized communities in Harlem both past and present. Creating art served as their way to express what need not be said in words, and this work was ultimately made using a wide range of artistic mediums
Leslie Peterson
No full textAbstract
Interviewer: Mark Naison, Stephanie Robinson-Ramirez, Shellae Versey
Interviewee: Leslie Peterson
Peterson embodies community. Whether it be through her decades-long commitment to NYCHA and NAACP, or through her countless efforts to sustain and grow with Co-Op City, Peterson has shaped her surroundings. Being a ‘community-minded’ person reverberates throughout her academic and professional career, having even managed Edenwald houses at a point in her life. Through this and many other management opportunities, Peterson shares the impact of her understanding on the technicalities of how to progress a community. Peterson has beautifully contributed to all aspects of Co-Op City, especially in regards to relinquishing social constraints and talking to one another, providing economic affordability, as well as promoting and planning events to sustain the mental and physical well-being of Co-Op City’s residents.
Having a father that was a member of the NAACP, and being a member her whole entire life, Leslie has grown up within this infrastructure, guided by her family. Also, being a Native New Yorker, and having both parents being Native New Yorkers, the way she views the city, specifically her community in the Bronx, has shaped the way she approaches life. It is all she knows, and it is the way in which she was first taught to perceive her surroundings. In turn, her upbringing has encouraged her to promote and guide others within this path of education and community-building. It is her nature, emboldening us to educate ourselves on how things came to be. She stresses the importance of causality, as it is deeply provocative and inspiring to know the origins and roots of our problems. Leslie Peterson demonstrates the beauty in those who are truly immersed in their community, maintaining the development and multigenerational, familial openness of Co-Op City.
Leslie’s goal to maintain the affordability of housing shows her impending mindset to enact change within her community, especially in a way that is familial and stable. Her jubilant enthusiasm for community-building is prevalent in her contribution to Summer Fun Day, where families could interact with their neighbors in ways they had never before. People who would go to work and see eachother everyday had a chance to finally speak with their neighbors and fuel a united community. She has even contributed to the process of building and maintaining a community garden, promoting natural resources, Earth Day, Garden Bingo, and the importance of nature to everyone, whether older or younger. Peterson also establishes a sense of home and permanence by advocating for programs and activities that aid those that have lived there for decades, just as she has, and whose families wish to continue to share their life in Co-Op City. This resilience takes perpetual support and defense on Peterson’s end, allowing one to see how she is a symbol of community, but also a symbol of the efforts and strength it takes to preserve its development. Peterson truly embodies her community and the commitment to build and cultivate all of its entities. The way in which she perpetually fights to maintain a familial dynamic and a place where people can share in its sense of expansiveness demonstrates her tenacity and her ability to be a lifeline for Co-Op City
Life Long Perspectives on the Multilingual Experience
No full textMultilingualism Across the Life Span is a text that explores the subject of language diversity and multilingualism across an individual’s lifespan and their community. Edited by Unn Røyneland and Robert Blackwood, the book features co-authored chapters that look into the complexities of linguistic diversity, multilingualism as a lived reality, and the non-linear trajectories of language development. The book is divided into three parts: methodological and theoretical developments in bilingual acquisition, language practices and policies in the family, and bilingual aging, communication, and cognitive impairments. It offers insights from research conducted in various parts of the world and is relevant for students and scholars in the fields of multilingualism, applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and multicultural education
Migrant Women Along the US-Mexico Border: Femicide and Gender Based Violence
No full textThis paper examines the social and political factors that affect the rates of gender based violence against migrant women in areas around the US-Mexico border
“Gray Areas in the Land of the Setting Sun”: Unresolved Legacies, Contested Identities, and Economic Stakes in the Western Sahara Stalemate
No full textWhile colonialism across the globe has mostly been dismantled following World War II, nations across the globe continue to deal with unresolved colonial legacies and resource-driven conflicts. As a result, we continue to see regional instability affecting vulnerable regions. Understanding the stalemate in the Western Sahara conflict highlights the complex interplay between history, identity, and economic motives, emphasizing the critical need for nuanced approaches in conflict resolution and diplomacy. My research investigates the roles of key factors that sustain the diplomatic stalemate in the Western Sahara conflict through an in-depth analysis of Morocco’s territorial claims, the ideological differences around identity among the players involved, and the strategic interests surrounding Western Sahara’s economic potential. I argue that the primary reason for the ongoing stalemate in the Western Sahara conflict lies in three crucial areas of ambiguity: (1) the unresolved historical legacy of Spanish colonialism, (2) the contested definition of Sahrawi identity, and (3) economic incentives. These gray areas have complicated negotiations, prevented global consensus, and perpetuated the conflict, leaving it in diplomatic limbo. The continued dismantling of colonial legacies remains a critical global challenge, as unresolved disputes like the Western Sahara exemplify the enduring impact of historical injustices on modern geopolitics. The Western Sahara conflict highlights how colonial-era boundaries and policies continue to shape present-day territorial disputes, such as the case with Israel–Palestine or India–Pakistan regarding Kashmir. Understanding the intersections of history, identity, and economics in this conflict provides valuable insights that can inform the resolution of similar territorial disputes, fostering more equitable and stable outcomes in other post-colonial regions worldwide
Militarism, Racism, and Environmental Destruction In Hawai’i: The Lasting Impact of Colonialism
No full textThis thesis explores the enduring consequences of U.S. militarism, colonialism, racism, and environmental destruction in Hawai‘i, demonstrating how historical injustices shape present-day struggles. Using the Marshall Islands as a comparative case study, this research connects the legacies of military occupation and ecological degradation to contemporary issues such as climate-driven disasters and systemic inequality. Chapter 1 examines the role of the U.S. military in Hawai‘i, detailing how occupation, weapons testing, and resource extraction have led to environmental devastation and public health crises. Chapter 2 traces the history of U.S. control, from illegal annexation to the restructuring of Hawai‘i’s economy and governance in ways that have displaced Native Hawaiians and exploited land for profit. Chapter 3 discusses the lingering specter of colonialism, linking concepts like Manifest Destiny to ongoing struggles for Hawaiian sovereignty and the fight for environmental justice. Chapter 4 shifts to the modern era, analyzing the disproportionate impact of climate disasters, such as the Maui fires, on Native Hawaiians and low-income residents. This section highlights systemic barriers, including inequitable access to insurance and government aid, that perpetuate racial and economic disparities in recovery efforts. Chapter 5 explores community-driven responses, including eco-tourism and grassroots activism, while also addressing the political and corporate obstacles that hinder meaningful change. Chapter 6 looks ahead, advocating for Indigenous-led restoration projects, the return of sacred lands, and policy reforms that challenge the ongoing legacy of militarism and colonial exploitation. This thesis reveals how historical injustices continue to manifest today
Life in the Cracks: Law, Violence, and Resistance in Haiti
No full textLife in the Cracks is a rich ethnographic portrait of law, violence, and resistance in Haiti. In a contemporary context marked by international interference, global capitalism, and state collapse, Haitians face complex challenges that are largely ignored and misunderstood. By examining the most unexpected inflections of ordinary life, Life in the Cracks offers a well-grounded account of people’s experience of law in their lives. The book describes what it means to endure violence partly engendered by the law, and thus to live up to one’s disappointment with the law itself.By not taking for granted the places where the law appears, Life in the Cracks asks legal anthropology to confront questions beyond law-making and law-application, dispute resolution, and social order. In everyday life’s textures of messy subtleties and contradictory movements that are never reconciled, Life in the Cracks reconsiders the place of law in human affairs. Motta reimagines how people cope with their disillusionments by reinventing relationships with each other. What had appeared questions of law and justice turn out to be questions of life and death. As life resists annihilation, Motta shows, many Haitians have found ways to breathe new life into the present and make the future worth fighting for.Life in the Cracks: Law, Violence, and Resistance in Haiti is available from the publisher on an open-access basis
A Comparative Case Study of Learners Experiencing Interdependent Empowered Care in Marginalizing Contexts
No full textThis comparative case study’s purpose is to explore how multi-age learn-ers, both adults and children, from immigrant backgrounds experiencedcare in two educational settings in the United States and Ireland. Usingdata from two separate qualitative studies, this paper draws on theauthors’ conceptualization of interdependent empowered care (IEC) toargue that the settings exemplified three separate, but interrelated, careelements: 1) identity-affirming counterspaces; 2) interdependency andreciprocity; and 3) a means to achieve greater empowerment and agency.This cross-national study illuminates the role of care in educational set-tings to understand how it helps multi-age learners from immigrantbackgrounds create nurturing communities, and it explores implicationsfor educators
How the Integration of Bosnian Refugees in Saint Louis is a Model for Success for Current Afghan Refugees and Future Resettlements in the U.S.
No full textRefugee resettlement and integration are vital in fostering inclusive communities, enriching local economies, and promoting cultural diversity while also offering displaced individuals the opportunity to rebuild their lives in safety. Considering the successful resettlement of Bosnian refugees in St. Louis, Missouri, starting in the 1990s, I explored what factors could be attributed to their positive integration outcomes. I found a combination of (1) policy, (2) social compatibility, and (3) cultural values that can be attributed to their thriving community and applied these factors to the recent resettlement of Afghan refugees in St. Louis. While Afghan refugees have found success in community compatibility and made a cultural impact on the community, federal refugee policy and a lack of resources have contributed to a difficult start for integration whereas Bosnians had policy and resources to support a smoother acculturation. Policy that supports resettlement through abundant resources and opportunities for housing, jobs, and cultural education is essential. Refugee resettlement is a vital humanitarian responsibility, offering protection and opportunities for those fleeing persecution while enriching host communities. Despite the threat of restrictive policies, resettling refugees strengthens communities both culturally and economically, making an impact on the St. Louis region. By maintaining robust resettlement frameworks, cities and countries can demonstrate leadership in protecting human rights, counter harmful narratives, and address the global displacement crisis. Taking this model into account, these three factors can be applied to current and future refugee resettlements in cities to promote the success of future integration
Navigating Taiwan\u27s Bilingual 2030 Policy: Unveiling Teachers\u27 Glocalization Efforts and Agency
No full textAs a strategic initiative aimed to enhance English communication skills and bolster the global competitiveness of the general population, Taiwan’s Bilingual 2030 Policy takes place at the intersection of neoliberalism, globalization, and the global spread of the English language. The neoliberal framing of Taiwan’s language education policy has exerted powerful influences on teacher education, teacher hiring practices, curricular design, assessment, and other school practices. While the neoliberalist influences are prevalent among countries in the Global South, responses and resistance may take many forms embedded in specific sociocultural contexts. The reflection discussed here examines the challenges faced by teachers in Taiwan as they navigate globalization and explores the strategies they develop to balance global and local elements. We describe the perspectives of six Taiwanese teachers who strive for agency and voice, particularly in integrating global and local factors into their practices. Thematic analysis suggested teachers’ practices as a dynamic and adaptive process, while demonstrating their agency, creativity and multilingual awareness within the complexities of language teaching in a culturally and linguistically diverse world