The Hispanic and Latino Studies Program is pleased to present the Spring 2026 Capstones.
May 19, 2026 – 1:00-6:00 pm
KHP 201 – Ness Family Lobby
Please click on each student’s name to see the title and the abstract of their presentation.
Welcome and Introduction - Professor Urdangarain
Todos los cerebros triunfan: la neurodiversidad y el aprendizaje de español/Every Brain Succeeds: Neurodiversity and the Learning of Spanish
Abstract:
This project explores the challenges neurodiverse (ND) students face in Second Language Acquisition. By observing two of Mr. Dan Call’s Spanish classes at Franklin Pierce High School from September to December 2025, and issuing an online survey to certain students, I have obtained data and feedback from students who likely have ND diagnoses. This topic is vitally important for the cause of equality for differently abled people in education, but it is criminally under-researched. Using the theory of intersectionality, named by Kimberlé Crenshaw, I argue that ND students face unique challenges in secondary language acquisition that have been overlooked. To find out more about both perspectives, I designed an online survey for some students and interviewed Mr. Call.
Las experiencias de les estudiantes migrantes haitianos en Chile/The Experiences of Haitian Migrant Students in Chile
Abstract:
This essay examines the historical and structural factors that have driven Haitians to migrate to other countries in search of a better life and opportunities. Haitians have migrated to Latin American countries such as Chile, which seems to offer more opportunities, as well as to the Dominican Republic and Mexico. I will be exploring how Haitian migrant students navigate discrimination, language barriers, and determine if they have a sense of belonging and support in Chile. As migration increases and resources remain limited, to better understand how the government of Chile supports the migrant Haitian population, I will use systems theory and the concept of subjectivation. Studies on this topic have emphasized that inclusive education policies are essential because they ensure that inclusive practices are implemented in schools and classrooms. Without inclusive education, students will face challenges and not meet their needs.
Centros de recursos latinos en las universidades: La importancia y la resistencia política/Latino Resource Centers: The Importance and The Political Resistance
Abstract:
The Latino population in the United States has seen an immense increase, meaning more Latinos are enrolling in universities. However, under the Trump administration, higher education has been challenged on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, threatening the safe spaces that Latino students may have at predominantly white institutions ( PWIs). Through a comparative case study of two universities, this project will highlight that Latino resource centers and multicultural centers provide a sense of belonging and empowerment to Latino students through programming that develops cultural, professional, and academic identity. Especially under an administration that challenges DEI initiatives, these centers constitute acts of political resistance in line with Bell Hooks’ engaged pedagogy.
Entre dos mundos: un grupo psicosocial para los estudiantes Latinx/Between Two Worlds: A Psychosocial Group for Latinx Students
Abstract:
This essay focuses on Latinx students in higher education and how mental health, cultural identity, and systemic barriers all connect to their experiences in college. Although Latinx Students may share similar struggles around belonging and well being, these experiences are shaped by cultural values and institutional pressures that often go unrecognized in university spaces. Drawing from my internship at Wellbeing Services & Resources at Pacific Lutheran University, I developed and facilitated a series of psychosocial workshops on familismo, first generation, taboo, and hyper documentation. Participants were recruited through campus outreach and social media. These workshops created a space for reflection on both personal and shared experiences. Overall this essay shows why bringing these conversations forward helps break stigma, build understanding, and make visible challenges that many students navigate but often do not talk about.
Enmarcando el conflicto armado interno: violencia, memoria y representación en el cine peruano/Framing the Internal Armed Conflict: Violence, Memory, and Representation in Peruvian Film
Abstract:
From 1980 until 2000, Peru endured a period of internal armed conflict that devastated the country and traumatized several generations of Peruvian citizens. It was a period marked by extreme violence at the hands of Shining Path (far-left political party and guerrilla group), the Peruvian military forces and the regime of Alberto Fujimori. In this essay, I will analyze two Peruvian films, La boca del lobo (1988) and Av. Larco, la película (2017). Each film depicts a distinct aspect of the violence experienced by the Peruvian population during the era of the internal armed conflict. Drawing upon the theoretical framework of memory studies, I argue that both La boca del lobo and Av. Larco favor the perspectives of inhabitants from Lima, granting representations of White, upper class perspectives with more leniency, agency and dignity than that of their Indigenous, working class counterparts. This analysis is imperative for examining alternative forms of narration and commemoration, such as cinema, in order to preserve untold stories from the era of the internal armed conflict.
Trauma y política: análisis del impacto psicológico en los niños y familias en detención migratoria/Trauma and Politics: Analyzing the Psychological Impact on Children and Families in Immigration Detention
Abstract:
In this essay, I will be analyzing the effects of detentions and separations of children and families implemented by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). I will be considering the changes in immigration policies in the United States, from 2018 with the Zero Tolerance Policy (ZTP), where total separation of a parent and a child was done, to now, 2026, with the new Family Residential Standards (FRS) policy, where they are being held together in the same detention facility. The representation of trauma as the main effect of the detentions is going to be analyzed through psychological research articles and victim testimonies. The matter is, if in fact the new policies regarding detention are doing what they propose. Are these changes, as in, detention together, diminishing the trauma? Or does this continue to be a traumatic experience but in a different way?
Bad Bunny en contra de la gentrificación en Puerto Rico/ Bad Bunny against Gentrification in Puerto Rico
Abstract:
This essay examines the relationship between cultural influence and urban change through the public advocacy of Bad Bunny in the context of gentrification in Puerto Rico. As global investment and tourism reshape local communities, long-term residents face rising housing costs, displacement, and cultural erasure. In response to these situations, Bad Bunny has used his platform to bring attention to these issues, positioning himself as both a cultural icon and a political voice. Through his criticism of tourism, foreign investment and displacement, Bad Bunny has made visible globally how gentrification in Puerto Rico threatens local communities, cultural identity and access to housing. Finally, this research shows that cultural figures can act as powerful agents in challenging gentrification and advocating for social justice.
Sincretismo como resistencia: memoria indígena, imposición colonial y resignificación simbólica / Syncretism as Resistance: Indigenous Memory, Colonial Reinforcement and Symbolic Reinterpretation
Abstract:
Through a comparative analysis of emblematic churches such as El Santuario de Nuestra Senora de los Remedios and La Capilla de Santa María Tonantzintla, we can understand that the superimposition of Catholic churches over Indigenous sacred sites in the state of Puebla, Mexico, reflects a struggle between the collective memory of Native people and colonial reinforcement. This resulted in the emergence of religious syncretism that can be interpreted as a form of resistance. This study draws on theoretical concepts such as symbolic resignification and religious syncretism. Understanding these historical tensions is essential to acknowledging Indigenous heritage in postcolonial Mexico and to explaining how contemporary Puebla identity emerges from a complex cultural fusion rather than from simple colonization. This work offers a critical perspective on memory, language, and architecture as arenas of resistance.
Disciplinando el lenguaje, resistiendo el poder: el español como sitio de control y resistencia/Disciplining Language, Resisting Power: Spanish as a Site of Control and Resistance
Abstract:
This capstone examines how language functions simultaneously as a site of control and resistance within the context of Spanish-speaking communities in the United States. Focusing on the regulation, racialization, and repression of Spanish across educational, legal, political, and everyday social spaces, the project analyzes school policies, “English-only” rhetoric, language vigilantism, intergenerational language loss, and contemporary political discourse to argue that language is deeply connected to structures of power, identity formation, legitimacy, and belonging. Drawing on theories of disciplinary power, racialization, coloniality, and identity, the essay explores how institutions and dominant social norms position English as the standard of legitimacy while framing Spanish as improper, threatening, or undesirable. Ultimately, the paper responds to the question, “How do we combat fascism in everyday life through language?” by arguing that the preservation, transformation, and reclamation of language can function as acts of dignity, survival, care, and resistance against authoritarian logics of control.