Centering Latine Voices in the History of Education at Illinois

What is unique about your research on this topic?

My work is grounded in both Latina/o studies and history of education, with an emphasis on Puerto Rican studies. In history of education, and even Latina/o studies, there is very little work on the history of Latina/o students, especially in the history of higher education. I work to center the lives and voices of Puerto Ricans and other Latine populations to tell the story of communities, especially around conversations of schools, schooling, and placemaking.

What drives your interest in this research?

I was very lucky to be a student at the schools I write about in my first book (Puerto Rican Chicago: Schooling the City, 1940–1977) and inherited the homespaces fought for by Latine students here at Illinois, which is the topic of my second book. To me, my work is intertwined with my life, and I have a sense of responsibility to approach the collecting of oral histories and other materials both ethically and lovingly. That’s what motivates me the most, whether I am working on my new book or in another project on the history of Puerto Rican teachers in the post-war years, especially as I work to pull these mujeres from the footnotes of history.

How has the HRI fellowship seminar shaped the way you’re approaching your research?

I have not been a graduate student in a very long time, and I forget how nerve-wracking it is to walk into a classroom space feeling as if I don’t know enough to participate. This seminar has made me appreciate both my graduate education and the collaborative work I have engaged since then, and also the importance of thinking and writing in community with others. As much as I appreciate the work of my fellow faculty in the seminar, the graduate students are so impressive, and I have probably learned the most from them and their generosity. I am going to be following their work for years to come!

Learn more about HRI’s Campus HRI’s Campus Fellowship Program, which supports a cohort of faculty and graduate students through a year of dedicated research and writing in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment.