Education, Feminism, and Spanish: The Definition of a Library Cuban, The Eagle Feather

2006 Issue

Table of Contents | Editorial Board | Review Acknowledgements

Education, Feminism, and Spanish: The Definition of a Library Cuban

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Author: Candace Sibley
Faculty Mentor: Mariela Nuñez-Janes, Department of Anthropology, College of Public Affairs and Community Service
Department: Department of Anthropology, College of Public Affairs and Community Service
Bio:
Candace Sibley is a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology. She enjoys working with people and telling their stories. Her research interests include spirituality, sexuality, ethnic studies, and the effect of HIV and AIDS on Africans, Afro Latinos, and Latinos. She is a current member of the Center for Psychosocial Health and a Ronald E McNair scholar. In 2005, she participated in the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates in the Department of Anthropology at the University of North Texas. She will present her research at the National Association of Ethnic Studies conference in March 2006. She plans to pursue her master's degree in public health and her doctorate in applied anthropology.

Abstract:
This oral history project focuses on Latina professors at the University of North Texas and aims to give insight into their lives by focusing on how race, gender, and language interact in their everyday lives. The qualitative data revealed that education, language, and feminism are vital elements in their lives. The various identities of Latina professors intersect to form a hybrid ethno-racial identity outside of the American black and white binary model. The study examines a Latina’s struggle to create her own framework amongst the stringent binary structure of America through nomenclature and language. It also discusses the mechanism of how africanization, feminism, and high education levels combine to create a unique plastic identity that refuses to fit into any model.

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