Latinx Civil Rights

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  Marian Fernandez Hernandez

  Nadia Abulbaki

  Marian touches on cultural topics like the stereotypes or expectations descendants of a Hispanic American origin are placed under concerning social skills, education, occupation, etc. In addition, Marian discusses her family origins and education levels. The interview concludes with a comparison of Marian's views and experience of learning about Hispanic American history in Honduras to traditional American school learning.

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  Amir Samandi

  Megan Angelo and Elizabeth Perez

  Amir Samandi describes his high school experiences including attending a predominately white school as a person of color. He mentions the efforts of teachers who supported him in pursuing higher education. Amir also discusses his undergraduate education at St. Mary’s University and the environment of the community. He then explains how his career led him to create a nonprofit that focuses on young students and how his personal experience connects with the organization's mission.

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  Etiem Rivera Gonzalez

  Megan Angelo and Elizabeth Perez

  Etiem Rivera Gonzalez discussed her hardships as a DACA student and her parents’ lack of education and their traditional values. She prioritized gaining higher education by communicating with her high school professors and counselor to find financial assistance. She explains her experience working part-time and participating in school activities. Rivera Gonzalez talks about her career path and gives advice to students struggling with the immigration system.

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  Margaret Cantu-Sanchez

  Megan Angelo and Elizabeth Perez

  Dr. Margaret Cantu-Sanchez discusses her experience with education starting as early as elementary school all the way up until she received her Ph.D. in English from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She describes the obstacles she faced throughout this experience and acknowledges the privileges that helped her along the way. Dr. Cantu-Sanchez offers a unique perspective on higher education for Latinx communities as she is now a professor at her alma mater, St. Mary’s University, which is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). She also plays an important role in cultivating the Mexican American Studies program at this university and encourages students to continue her effort. She emphasizes the importance of representation and advocates for increased outreach and resources for young Latinx individuals throughout the higher education experience.

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  Alex Birnel

  Carly Bagley

  Alex Birnel shares his experience organizing young voters and helping create the organization MOVE Texas. Birnel also discusses providing voter education to other young voters in the San Antonio area during his time as a college student as well as inviting the local community to participate in civic engagement outside the university campus.

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  Meghann Peace

  Calie Brame

  Dr. Peace discusses the process of becoming a volunteer at RAICES and the training she received through the organization. She recounts personal stories about the poor conditions immigrants endured in detention centers. Dr. Peace also explains how RAICES helps people through the legal process of immigration

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  Aaron Arguello

  Madeline Emke

  Aaron Arguello speaks about his work as a campaign organizer for MOVE Texas. He talks about the issues of apathy and education among voters. He shares examples of the successes and challenges that come from the often draining work of campaigning.

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  Elisha Carillo

  Madeline Emke

  Elisha Carrillo talks about their motivations for being involved with MOVE Texas and serving as a deputy field organizer. Elisha explains their first interactions with MOVE as a student at St. Mary’s University and finding an interest in voter advocacy through local elections in the area. Elisha discusses their current position working with MOVE Texas in the San Antonio area as the Bexar County Regional Coordinator and organizing community events regarding local elections and voter education.

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  Alex Hidalgo

  Paul Garza

  Dr. Alex Hidalgo discusses his unique educational trajectory and his arrival to his current faculty position at Texas Christian University. Dr. Hidalgo provides some background information and how his Latino identity has informed his experience in higher education. Reflecting on his time as both a student and faculty, Dr. Hidalgo shares some of his struggles and triumphs.

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  Arturo Vega

  Paul Garza

  Dr. Arturo Vega, a tenured professor at St. Mary’s University shares about his educational experience as a Latino student. He discusses coming from El Paso, Texas and how it informed his journey as a student and a faculty member. Dr. Vega explores what it is like to teach at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and challenges he has faced doing so.

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  Charles Cotrell

  Analyssa Gracía and Gabriella Parra

  Dr. Cotrell discusses the motivations for his activist work and the experiences he faced as a professor and community leader. He recalls cases from his time serving as an expert witness in voting rights lawsuits and notes the importance of telling stories of voter intimidation. Dr. Cotrell shares his thoughts on staying proactive in politics, gives advice to young activists, and describes how university faculty can support students in their activism. He also reflects on his personal interests and those that occupied most of his time as a professor.

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  Christine Cabrera

  Grace Ibarra

  The interview touches on her background, both educational and personal and outlines how she got to the point she is today. She speaks on how she became passionate about teaching Mexican American history and teaching to students like the ones at Memorial High School. We also talk about her classroom dynamic and her plans to expand the course

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  Jimmy Segura

  Grace Ibarra

  Jimmy recalls attending public schools in the Westside of San Antonio and discusses the perception of the area. He reviews his years in college and his experience of marginalization in higher education. Jimmy also explains how his teaching style is impacted by his own former teachers.

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  Natalie Marquez

  Ashton Jeffers

  Natalie Marquez explains the work she does for Jolt Action and the ways Jolt is involved in the San Antonio Latinx community. Marquez describes how social and political issues in Texas personally affect her and her family. She also shares how to make voting a cultural norm and practice in the Latinx community.

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  Oscar Lazaro

  Ashton Jeffers

  Oscar Lazaro shares his experience working as a fellow for the Student Voting Network as well as his observations about voting and democracy. He describes how he started his podcast as well as lessons he has learned from producing it. He also details how he addresses difficult topics with others who may disagree with him.

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  Roberto José Juáez

  Ashton Jeffers

  The interview begins with a brief description of the focus of the session. Dr. Juárez discusses how he became involved in voting rights advocacy and how his family experiences led him to this path. He also explains how he continued centering civil rights expansion throughout law school and his legal career.

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  Abilene Solano

  Yairy Mendez

  Abilene Solano discusses the interpretation of Mexican American Studies in public school education. She also shares insights about her experiences attending public school and some of the challenges she faced being a first-generation student. Abilene relays how her graduating cohort was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and how that affected her everyday life

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  Daniel Gutiérrez

  Yairy Mendez

  In this interview, Daniel discusses how Mexican American Studies is interpreted in Texas public schools and how this affected his own education and cultural identity. Daniel also shares how the COVID-19 pandemic affected his education during his transition from secondary to tertiary school.

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  Claudia Donoso

  Juan Ochoa

  Dr. Donoso discusses a variety of topics centered around immigration. She highlights the immigration process and lack of adequate resources for immigrants while also going into depth about political and economic factors. Dr. Donoso shares both personal and professional perspectives of immigration.

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  Virginia Ibarra

  Arthur Reyes

  Virginia discusses events of her childhood such as crossing the U.S.-Mexico border at Laredo, Texas and working as a babysitter. She also explains how she moved to Houston to work in a sheet metal factory and finally settled in the San Antonio area. Virginia recalls the processes of gaining residency and citizenship while pursuing her education.

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  AJ BellidoDeLuna

  Claudia Sanchez

  Assistant Dean A.J. Bellido de Luna recounts his higher educational experience as a white passing Cuban Latino. He covers his upbringing, where his family is from, what it means to be Latino to him, and his experience as a Latino faculty member in higher education.

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  Gerald Poyo

  Claudia Sanchez

  Dr. Poyo recounts his educational experience as a Latino migrating from Latin America to the United States to study in university. He speaks about the influence that his Latino professors had on him and his journey of becoming a professor himself. Dr. Poyo also speaks on his role as O’Connor chair including his duties and influence on Latino students.

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  Lloyd Van Winkle

  Victoria Van Winkle

  As a rural doctor, Dr. Van Winkle faces many challenges to keep his practice open and operating properly. Despite the problems that have surfaced due to COVID-19, he has managed to keep his office open every single day. His love for taking care of his patients overpowers the challenges that arise.

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  Mary Nguyen

  Victoria Van Winkle

  Dr. Nguyen discusses the struggles she faced keeping her office operating properly before the COVID-19 pandemic. She goes on to explain how she and her partner continued to operate their office during and after the COVID-19 outbreak.