Mestizaje is the dominant ethno-racial identity in Mexico and refers to a mix of European (Spanish) and Indigenous ancestry. It is closely tied to the national identity and resulted in the erasure of the Afro-descendant population in the country’s history. As a result, Blackness is often perceived as being in opposition to ‘Mexicanness’. Despite the significant presence and contributions of Afro-descendant Mexicans, Blackness has been written out of all aspects of the public image of Mexico. Recently, recognition of Afro-descendent Mexicans has grown. However, there is a disconnect between insider and outsider perceptions of Blackness and the representations of Afro-descendent Mexicans that capitalize on their cultural identity without understanding their identity and life experiences. Erasure of Black Mexican women from the national identity is especially persistent. Mass media representations reflect this erasure and reveal the perceptions of race and gender identity in Mexico. Black Mexican women are often stripped of agency over their own identity and representation. However, for marginalized populations like Afro-Descendant women, art is also an accessible medium to regain that lost agency and assert their voice in public discourse of their identity as it is a portrayal of their gendered racial experience that is controlled by them.

Cultural perceptions of gender in what is currently the United States have had various qualities based on a myriad of factors, including both race and era of discussion. This work was made to explore early perceptions of Chinese migrant laborers in the western United States, particularly focusing on the expansion of the American empire and how railroad workers contributed to the idea of Manifest Destiny. It seeks answers to questions pertaining to intersections of discrimination and the position of laborers as tools rather than as human beings with essential roles. By looking at personal narratives, historic articles, and even epitaphs, internal and external expectations and perceptions of masculinity in these workers come to light, as well as provide a history of discrimination that allows one to examine modern ideas of a similar vein.

Aquí Estamos!: Latinx/a/o Students in Rural California' focuses on the schooling experience of Latinx/a/o students in predominantly white schools, and the impact schooling pedagogies and culture have on their sense of belonging and confidence in school. Through interviews with four high school students, we aim to understand how the practices and culture of Humboldt County schools impact the schooling experience of Latinx/a/o students and how they have found space, community, sense of belonging, and validation in these predominantly white spaces.

In the June 1761 issue of The Lady’s Magazine, Anna Marie B**** announces the magazine’s ability to “form the minds of young ladies” (497). In my presentation I look to show how representation through women’s authorship gives the magazine ethos. I will analyze the specific ways the magazine centers the rhetorical genius and intellectual merit that Anna Marie B**** alludes to in the above-mentioned issue. Anna Marie B**** is joined by Charlotte Lennox, an author whose pursuit of using writing to earn an income made a name for herself in the 18th century. In the October 1759 issue, Lennox emboldens the magazine to continue its rhetorical campaign that refuses to ignore women's cultural and intellectual merit relative to men. Lennox being a proto feminist author herself praises the magazine for its scheme to “enlarge the knowledge, correct the judgement, and polish the manners of the fair sex.”(64) Through my close readings of Feyjoo’s “Defence of Women” I analyze the language used in association with women in the magazines essay. Feyjoo protests the “superficial manner of [women’s] education” (497). I will argue that The Lady’s Magazine operated as a rhetorical handbook to model for young women how to cultivate public displays of genius. My research will illustrate how language in The Lady’s Magazine is used as a tool to help women to resist hegemonic forces of their time.