Introduction

The second issue of Canal offers a diverse set of texts that demonstrate what is possible when students connect their courses in the Department of World Languages Cultures with their interests, their lives, and their professional paths.

Thcanal-issue2-cover-1400-opt.jpge writing in this issue includes essays that explore family histories, connecting them, at times, to larger questions about education, inequality and opportunity. Other texts reflect on issues of policing in the United States, international environmentalism, indigenous rights, and immigration using original research, interviews, and careful analysis. It also includes a translation, from Italian into English, of a short story by Miguel Angel García and an art history essay presenting research on the history of playing cards.

The professors in the Department of World Languages Cultures are dedicated to developing the abilities of their students in ways that strongly impact their professional and individual growth. We believe that studying language and culture are essential practices that benefit all students as they negotiate their career trajectories and, more broadly, develop a deeper relationship with the complexities of their lives and their world.

It is a great pleasure to present this work. Each text, below, is accompanied by a short abstract in English, a biographical statement from the authors, and a PDF link to the full text that will open within your browser. We, as the Editors of Canal, would like to thank the students who submitted their work and the professors that worked with them in the editing process. Thank you all for another great issue!

Sincerely,

The Editors

Max Ubelaker Andrade, Senior Editor of Canal
Giulia Po DeLisle, Assistant Editor of Canal

Table Of Contents

Senior Editor of Canal: Max Ubelaker Andrade, Ph.D., Lecturer in Latin American Studies
Assistant Editor of Canal: Giulia Po DeLisle, Ph.D., Lecturer in Italian Studies

Feminismo y TLCAN: Contextos para acción y activismo - Katherine CLaybaugh

Reproduction of the Mural of of the Temple of Agriculture in Teotihuacán, Mexico, from the Museo Nacional de Antropología. Image by Yavidaxio via Wikimedia Commons
Reproduction of the Mural of of the Temple of Agriculture in Teotihuacán, Mexico, from the Museo Nacional de Antropología

This essay explores the ways in which the relationship between the United States and Mexico has influenced the development of Mexican and Chicana Feminism. It focuses specifically on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA / TLCAN) and its effects on Mexican women and immigration to the United States. The text closes with a discussion of different approaches to activism and political engagement.

The text was written and edited within Prof. Max Ubelaker Andrade's 'Advanced Spanish Composition' course in the fall of 2017.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view any pdf files. It can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website.

Biographical Statement

Katherine Claybaugh studies Political Science and Spanish at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She is from the San Francisco Bay Area in California and her academicinterests include intersectional feminism, food justice, and LGBTQ+ issues. She is set to graduate in 2020 and hopes to pursue a career in human rights law.

Entre lo Espiritual y lo sostenible: Conflictos y colaboraciones entre grupos indígenas y activistas medioambientales - Kale Connerty

Evo Morales, the President of Bolivia. Image courtesy of Joel Álvarez, via Wikimedia Commons. Image by Joel Álvarez, via Wikimedia Commons.

Evo Morales, the President of Bolivia

This essay considers the intersections between modern environmental movements and indigenous rights movements. While there have been recent cases where these seem, at first glance, to be working towards similar goals, I take a closer look at how they at times find themselves at odds. Focusing mainly on the work of these movements in the Americas, I argue that collaboration is most possible when there is a foundation of respectful dialogue between the specific groups involved. I also suggest that an appreciation for the philosophical dimensions of spirituality and sustainability can make it easier to work through conflicts when they arise.

The text was written and edited within Prof. Ubelaker Andrade's Spring 2017 'Advanced Spanish Composition' course.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view any pdf files. It can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website.

Biographical Statement

Kale Connerty will be graduating this spring with a B.A. in English/Creative Writing, a Minor in Climate Change & Sustainability, and a Minor in Spanish. She writes: "From a very young age, I have loved writing and been passionate about environmental issues and learning Spanish. Finding ways to pursue all these interests has been a challenge, but I am happy to say that this eclectic combination of studies has made my college experience all the more rewarding and has forever changed my outlook on life. I hope that the coming years hold opportunities to write, to work in the field of environmental policy, and to use the Spanish-speaking skills I have learned to travel and experience new cultures."

Conversaciones con mi tío Rafael - Jenna Millette

Picture of the ocean in the Dominican Republic. Image courtesy of Maxim Ulitin, via Wikimedia Commons. Image by Maxim Ulitin, via Wikimedia Commons

The Dominican Republic.

This text is built around an interview I conducted with my uncle. After learning about his life in the Dominican Republic and why he moved to the U.S. I wrote about the historical context that surrounded these events and their connection to my own experiences.

The essay was written in the fall of 2017 as part of Prof. Max Ubelaker Andrade's 'Spanish IV Language and Culture' course.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view any pdf files. It can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website.

Biographical Statement

Jenna Millette is a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts Lowell studying Spanish and working towards her teaching certification.

Policías latinos y la colaboración ciudadana - Rebeca Laranjo

Window for the Lowell Police Centralville Precinct office. Image courtesy of Prosfilaes, via Creative Commons. Image by Prosfilaes, via Creative Commons.

This essay examines the relationship between police officers and Latino communities. It explores the challenges that Latinos and Latin American immigrants can face in their encounters with members of the police force, arguing that adding more Latino police officers in areas with significant Latino populations can benefit both police departments and the communities that they serve. I focus on the benefits of community policing by drawing attention to the cultural and linguistic skills that are crucial for connecting with the public and managing conflicts. The essay presents two original interviews I conducted with police officers and offers recommendations based on recent statistics and research.

This text was written and edited within Prof. Max Ubelaker Andrade's 'Advanced Spanish Composition' course in the fall of 2017.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view any pdf files. It can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website.

Biographical Statement

Rebeca Laranjo is a junior at the University of Massachusetts Lowell pursuing a B.A. in Criminal Justice with a Concentration in Violence and a Minor in Spanish. She moved to the United States in 2007 from Brazil; her career goal is to become a Parole Officer where she will help parolees successfully transition into stable lives and careers. She believes her ability to speak Portuguese and Spanish will help her work with the Latino community in Massachusetts.

Estilos de crianza y el desarrollo académico Crismeiry mejía concepción

A one-room school in Dominican Republic. Courtesy of CT Cooper, via Wikimedia Commons. Image by CT Cooper, via Wikimedia Commons

A one-room school in the Dominican Republic.

This paper combines personal reflections with academic research to consider how we can use psychological concepts to reframe the ways in which different factors shape our learning styles and abilities. It focuses, specifically, on how poverty can influence the range of possibilities for students within educational institutions. By engaging with recent studies and using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, it allows us to view the issue from different perspectives and identify ways of working toward positive change.

The essay was written and edited within Prof. Ubelaker Andrade's 'Advanced Spanish Composition' course in the fall of 2017.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view any pdf files. It can be download for free from the Adobe website.

Biographical Statement

Crismeiry Mejía Concepción is a sophomore with a Double Major in Psychology and Spanish. She is from the Dominican Republic. She writes: "I came to the United States in 2012, when I was fourteen years old. Since then, I have been embarked on a journey that has changed my life. Learning the language, adjusting to a new culture, leaving my mom behind and not having a stable home motivated me to move forward and pursue my goals. I was taught that success was a product of hard work and I was ready to fight anything that came my way to achieve the American Dream. Although it has been a challenging journey, I am here persevering full of hope. I look forward to graduating from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and hope to either become a social worker or work with recent immigrants to make their transition in this country. Most importantly, I want to have a positive impact on people's lives."

The Color Virus Miguel Angel García Translated by Amelia Gentes & Frank Collins

Visual representation of a virus. Image courtesy of Dominic Alvez, via Creative Commons. Image by Dominic Alvez, via Creative Commons.

Visual representation of a virus.

"The story "Il Virus del colore" is by Miguel Angel García, a prolific Argentinian writer who has lived in Italy for many years and published many stories concerning migration. We read it in "Readings in Contemporary Italian Literature," a course taught by Professor Giulia Po DeLisle. The story sheds some light on the problem of racism in Italy through a young man's unique struggle: after taking a seemingly normal vacation, Giampiero Bianchi catches a 'color virus,' and his physical appearance changes to that of a black, African man. The protagonist experiences first-hand how differently he is treated and, after, a struggle to acclimate to his new life, is ultimately able to see the world and his own prejudices in a new light. The short story was originally written in Italian and published in 2002 by Adnkronos Libri in a collection titled "Il doppio sguardo: culture allo specchio." The author translated the story into Spanish (both versions in Italian and Spanish are currently available at garciacuentos.blogspot.com). When we discovered that a version of the story did not yet exist in English, we contacted the author, who kindly granted us permission to translate it."~ Amelia Gentes & Frank Collins

This translation was edited with guidance from Prof. Giulia Po DeLisle in the spring of 2018.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view any pdf files. It can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website.

Biographical Statement

Amelia Gentes will receive her Bachelor's Degree in Modern Languages with a concentration in Spanish and Italian in the spring of 2018. She will also complete a French Minor and an Education Minor. Amelia was able to study in Cadiz, Spain during the summer of 2017 and spend over a month in Italy teaching English. She hopes to use her language skills in future experiences abroad. She also spends much of her time working with kids in both childcare and tutoring settings and plans on becoming a language teacher to combine these passions.

Frank Collins is a junior working toward a Bachelor's of liberal arts, with concentrations in Economics and Language. He studied abroad in Modena, Italy during the 2016/2017 academic year, where he had the opportunity to strengthen his language foundation. Frank is currently working as an Italian tutor for the Department of World Languages & Cultures and is certain that he will use Italian for the rest of his life.

Florentine Minchiate: The Fool's Journey - Cameron Walsh

I began to research tarot cards during the spring of 2016 for my final project in Professor Cadero-Gillette's History of Art Survey II (Renaissance to Modern). Due to my passion for the subject, Professor Cadero-Gillette encouraged me to expand my research into a Directed Study during the fall of 2017. This essay presents my research, which branched into an analysis of European playing cards from between the 14th and 18th centuries. It was edited with the guidance of Professor Cadero-Gillette in the spring of 2018.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view any pdf files. It can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website.

Biographical Statement

Cameron Walsh is a junior at the University of Massachusetts Lowell studying graphic design and art history. Outside of school, he is a Certified Custom Framer in Salem, N.H. Next year, for his senior capstone project, Cameron will be exploring the AIDS crisis and gay culture through digital and traditional media.