By Jessica J. Stair During the fall of 2015 I had the pleasure of conducting dissertation research in Mexico. In addition to the rich archival materials I examined and the supportive colleagues with whom I consulted, one of the most striking and perhaps unexpected realizations I made was related to the significance of the landscape... Continue Reading →
By Sara Green Early in the morning, I rode my bike to Li Ka Shing auditorium to attend The Southern Border course that I am taking as part of the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship Program (FLAS). That day Professor Beatriz Manz was invited to lecture about her anthropological work in Guatemala during the... Continue Reading →
By Rishi Khalsa Pineapple plantation in Buenos Aires, Costa Rica It was the best of crops, it was the worst of crops, it was a system of equality, and it was a system of inequality. There was a crop heavily exported from the mountains of Costa Rica, there was a crop heavily exported from the... Continue Reading →
This summer I had the opportunity and privilege to intern with the Management Section of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. It was by far one of the most utterly unique experiences of my life! As someone who is dedicated to studying Mexico, this experience challenged me to understand the country from a new lens,... Continue Reading →
March 15, 2015: A protest in São Paulo drew more than 1 million participants, demanding an end to impunity and corruption and the departure of President Dilma Rousseff. (Photo by Radio Interativa.) by Rebecca Tarlau and Liz McKenna If you’ve been following the headlines about Brazil over the past several years, you’ve no doubt heard... Continue Reading →
By Luis Ferreira Alvarez Oil drilling in Argentina. (Photo by Nestor Galina.) Argentines will go to the polls later this year and elect a new president, ending 12 years of ‘Kirchnerite’ rule. A change in administration could lead to a revolution in Argentina’s energy sector, which has seen drastic changes under the presidencies of Néstor... Continue Reading →
By Robert Snyder One of many campaign cars for a Workers' Party city council candidate in Niterói, near Rio de Janeiro. Last fall’s Brazilian presidential election exposed deep rifts in the country’s political and social landscape. The animosity demonstrated by the candidates — who included the incumbent, Dilma Rousseff of the Worker’s Party (PT), and... Continue Reading →
By Carola Binder Eleanor and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. (Photo courtesy of the FDR Presidential Library & Museum.) President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected in October 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression. High unemployment, severely depressed spending, and double-digit deflation plagued the economy. Shortly after his inauguration in March 1933, a dramatic turnaround occurred.... Continue Reading →
By Carola Binder The headquarters of the Banco Central do Brasil in Brasília. (Image courtesy of the Banco Central do Brasil.) Brazilians will head to the polls on October 5 to vote in a tight presidential race. President Dilma Rousseff’s leading challenger is Socialist Party candidate Marina Silva. A key component of Silva’s economic platform... Continue Reading →
By Diego Ponce de Leon Just a week ago I sat near Kenya’s Lake Naivasha watching the Brazil vs. Chile game. Chile was the underdog, and after having easily walked over Spain, they were the clear favorites inside the bar. In fact, every Kenyan I met that day was cheering for “red hot Chile.” I... Continue Reading →
