In the midst of Nashville's rapid growth, it has evolved into a diverse hub, welcoming various minority communities. Throughout the 2023-2024 Academic Year, "Then and Now" embarks on a journey to delve into the history and significance of these communities. This exploration will be enriched by the insights of esteemed historians and the personal narratives of community members.
Dr. André L. Churchwell, Senior Advisor on Inclusion and Community Outreach at Vanderbilt University, created and moderated the series. I had the privilege of participating in the panel dedicated to unraveling the historical tapestry of Nashville's Latinx community.
ContArte Latinoamérica (CAL) is a project I created in collaboration with the Digital Humanities Center at Vanderbilt as part of my work as a Mellon fellow for the Digital Humanities. It is a searchable database of selected artworks made by LatinX artists. The Collection will continually expand to include a larger representation. Under the umbrella of CAL I am developing a series of workshops—such as Heart: Unifying Communities—in which I combine Literature and creative writing with other means of artistic expression.
HEART: Unifying Communities through Language and Textile Art, is a community-driven, interdisciplinary, and trans-institutional workshop where Spanish creative writing and literature, and textile art are linked. HEART helps LatinX people in the community to feel a sense of empowerment and improve their quality of life and self-development. To fund this project I received a grant from the Mellon Partners in Humanities Education, as well as a fellowship from the Curb Center.
Learn more about this project and explore the following articles:
DH Center Blog "Telling Latinx’s Stories through Digital Humanities and Community-Engaged Projects."
VU News "The Heart and Art of Language."
Another effort to create and promote more equitable spaces for the Latinx community was born thanks to the collaboration between Vanderbilt University’s Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies (CLACX) and the Frist Art Museum’s educational team. We have been working on organizing talks in Spanish, ensuring accessibility for the Hispanic/Latinx community. Additionally, we sought to foster an inclusive and engaging environment in the Museum by recording several “Guided audio tours” in Spanish. Through both activities, I am sure the reach of artistic appreciation and cultural exploration became available to a broader audience, thus nurturing a more cohesive and diverse community in the Nashville area.
The Vanderbilt University School of Law's Immigration Practice Clinic ("IPC") represents vulnerable low-income immigrants from all over the world before the immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Justice (DOJ), and federal courts in humanitarian immigration cases. At the IPC, I work mainly with the Nashville Latinx community providing translation services.
As a CHICOS team member, I have worked with the LatinX community in Nashville to conduct surveys and take health measurements to create a pool of data regarding stress and its impact on immigrant communities. CHICOS has also helped me understand the value of the material culture and spirituality of Latin American people.