SOLAS
The Student Organization for Latin American Studies

SOLAS

The Student Organization for Latin American Studies

Latin American and
Iberian Institute
University of New Mexico
801 Yale NE
Albuquerque, NM 87131-1016

Phone: 505-277-2961
Fax: 505-277-5989
Email: taylors@unm.edu

Adentro:

LAS NOTICIAS
ESTUDIANTILES

EDITOR:
Sue Taylor

CO-EDITORS:
Jeannie Ellis
Pat Hughes
Dana Logan

SOLAS
OFFICERS:
President: Jeannie Ellis
Vice President: James Grubel
Secretary: Roberta Rice
Treasurer: Nancy Gonzalez
Community Outreach
Coordinator: Mia Chavez

Latin American and Iberian
Institute
Director: Gil Merkx
Deputy Director:
Theo Crevenna

SOLAS


The student
Organization for Latin American Studies

Letter from the President

Dear Las Noticias Readers,
Well, the semester is almost over--I hope everyone's final exams and papers go well.
These last few months have been very busy for SOLAS.  First, we had many interesting speakers participate in our weekly Brown Bag Lecture Series.  In fact, for a while SOLAS was hosting at least two lectures per week!  The lectures this semester encompassed numerous different disciplines and topics.  SOLAS members heard Dr. Doris Meyer speak about Latin American literature, Dr. Jorge Duany detail the position of Puerto Rico in the eye of American anthropologists, and Dr. Roberto Jordán Pando recount his experiences as the Bolivian Representative to the United Nations. 
SOLAS also coordinated with another student organization, Net Impact (formerly Students for Responsible Business), to bring Angelo Tomedi to the LAII to speak about Peacecraft's economic development projects in Latin America.  Thanks to Net Impact members for making delicious cashew treats for audience members to enjoy during the lecture.
If anyone has ideas for future speakers, please email them to the SOLAS account, noticias@unm.edu.
Probably the biggest project undertaken by SOLAS this semester was the Solidarity for El Salvador Benefit Concert for the victims of the El Salvador earthquakes.  On April 12^th, we held an event with music, photographs and Salvadoran crafts at the Launchpad downtown.  Students from SOLAS, PILA and Zapatismo worked very hard to make this event happen.  Thanks to them and all the local business that donated gifts and posted our flyers.  And of course thanks to the Launchpad for opening its doors to us, and to Wagogo, Stoic Frame and Concepto Tambor for donating their time.  Without all of these groups, the event definitely would not have been possible.  We had a great turnout and made over $1,600, which will be sent down to El Salvador via two non-governmental organizations.  Thanks again to all who helped with and attended the benefit concert!
The other major initiative of SOLAS this semester was the Latin American Film Festival.  From April 13^th - 19^th SOLAS and the SouthWest Film Center showed movies from many different parts of Latin America.  Probably the most exciting film that SOLAS showed was Zapatista, a 2000 release documentary about the plight of the indigenous population in Chiapas and the Zapatista revolutionary movement.  Kim Nolan, coordinator of the event, was able to procure the film through a non-profit organization that shows the film for educational and activist purposes.  The donations we collected during the film festival (over $250!) will be sent to a refugee camp in La Realidad, Chiapas.  A million thanks goes to Kim for organizing this great event. 
A few weeks ago SOLAS held elections for its next president, and the winner was Monica Delgado.   Congratulations, Monica!  You can read more about her on Page 4 of this issue.
Finally, we are losing a dear friend and strong supporter of SOLAS.  Gil Merkx, Director of the LAII, is heading off to Duke University.  Dr. Merkx has continually encouraged SOLAS to expand its activities and has been a great source of institutional support.  Thank you Gil, for all your help and encouragement.  You will be sorely missed!  And thanks to all staff members of the LAII, who always provided assistance to myself and all SOLAS endeavors.
Well, it has been a great year as SOLAS president.  Thanks to everyone who has continued to support SOLAS activities.  Have a great summer, and best of luck to all!
Jeannie Ellis

Presidents Revive G-3

(Continued from page 1)

President Hugo Chavez April 7-8.  Free trade, energy, and drug trafficking topped the agenda.
     Chavez has pushed for Latin America to move more slowly toward a Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA), emphasizing instead regional trade blocs.  Chavez blames savage neoliberalism for worsening poverty around the globe, and he says the G-3 should lead opposition to a fast-track FTAA deal.  He has called the Quebec talks "the first great debate of the century."
     Chavez and other FTAA critics say the accord could throw millions out of work, exacerbating a Latin American poverty rate that exceeds 40% by flooding regional economies with cheap US goods and forcing struggling farmers and businesses to compete against their northern counterparts, who often receive state subsidizes.
     "If something needs to be accelerated, it's not the FTAA. It's the integration of Latin America," Chavez said.  "We have to increase our own productivity before going to the big leagues."
     Chavez won backing for his trade position at a meeting in early April with Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who agreed the FTAA should wait until 2005 and said he would back Venezuela's bid to join the Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR), the world's third-largest free trade area.
     Chavez urged the other two presidents to put reducing poverty at the top of their agenda as they revived their regional trade bloc.
     "We cannot have an integration agreement that leaves anyone out," said Chavez.  "It would not be viable and sooner or later the dispossessed masses would tear it down."
     Fox and Pastrana also expressed their commitment to broaden the G-3's mandate.
     "So far the focus has been on economic integration, but the time has come...for greater political dialogue," Pastrana said.  "The issues are peace and regional security, strengthening democracy, drugs, human rights, and development in Central America and the Caribbean."
     
Mexico supports Chavez on poverty
     Since signing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and the US in 1994, Mexico has become an enthusiastic proponent of trade pacts.  In February, it signed a deal with the European Union (EU).
     While Fox does not share Chavez's strong criticism of neoliberalism, he joined in his call to fight poverty in the region.
     "We need to roll up our sleeves and get to work to recover lost time," said Fox.
     Both Fox and Pastrana are more open to eliminating trade barriers, although Fox expressed support for those countries, including Venezuela, that want to do it slowly.
     "Our region continues to be among the most unequal in the world: 220 million Latin Americans live in poverty, 40 million of them in Mexico," Fox said.  "Our educational systems, as well as our scientific and technological abilities, are far from meeting the demands of the emerging information society."
     
Agreements on oil, trade
     Since 1980, Mexico and Venezuela have provided oil at subsidized prices to Central American and Caribbean countries under the San Jose Pact.
     In Caracas, the three oil producers announced an agreement to help stabilize oil prices.  Mexico's Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda said the countries will coordinate energy policies "to continue contributing to the stabilization of the market at fair price levels."
     "It's not a new [price] band or a new policy," Castaneda said.  "It's simply the reaffirma

(Continued on page 12)

ISTEC (Ibero-American Science and Technology Consortioum

This article is another of the series about the various entities that make up the Latin American and Iberian Institute.
Ibero-American Science and Technology Education Consortium (ISTEC) is a non-profit organization comprised of educational, research, and industrial institutions throughout the Americas and the Iberian Peninsula.
In the summer of 1990 personnel from the University of New Mexico visited several Latin American countries to identify and evaluate opportunities for collaborative projects. Meetings were held with officials from various governments, educational institutions, research facilities, and industrial firms to gage interest in establishing efforts of cooperation in technical fields. The meetings resulted in the identification of areas of common interest for employing hands-on education, research, and technology transfer in state-of-the-art technology and science. As a result of these visits, an organizational meeting was held in December, 1990, at the University of New Mexico, involving personnel from universities, industries, governments, and foundations throughout Ibero-America.
These discussions resulted in the creation of ISTEC.   A number of obstacles were identified that needed to be addressed by the new organization:

ISTEC has developed a mechanism called the Initiative, which is an organized effort to create activities to address a specific area of concern. The Initiatives utilize personnel and resources from diverse geographical locations. 

(Continued on page 8)

Letter from the Editor

As we approach the end of this school year, I want to say that I have enjoyed being editor of Las Noticias for this pas year.  I had wonderful co-editors: Dana Logan and Jeannie Ellis, for the entire year, Cymene Howe, Nancy Gonzalez and Marty Huenneke for the first semester, and Pat Hughes for the second semester. They all were a tremendous help. 
In this issue we have several articles and poems from students.  These include an article from Anna Archuleta  the role of women in Latin America in different periods of literature and an article from Kent Swanson about his work on the Rio Laja. 
Also, Gabrielle Vrain has shared with us how she became interested in Latin America. There are pieces introducing Monica Delgado, our new SOLAS President and Willie Richardson, the new Peace Corps Coordinator.   We also have more updates from former Latin American Studies students.  And, finally, there are all the end of the year lists of graduates and department award winners.  Be sure to congratulate these students.
I hope you all have a wonderful summer.

Sue Taylor
Editor

El Papel de las Mujeres:  Contrastando la Mujer durante el Modernismo, Pos-Modernismo, Pre-Vanguardismo, y el Vanguardismo.

By Anna Archuleta

as mujeres en el fin del siglo XIX y el principio del siglo XX no tenían muchos derechos y en la literatura durante el siglo XIX los escritores modernismos describieron las mujeres en sus obras y poemas como objeto.  Durante el modernismo, los hombres creéron que las mujeres debían de ser blancas, con ojos azules, castas, puras, y perfectas.   "De blanco," escrito de Manuel Gutíerrez Najera, habla de la mujer casta y blanca como objeto y "El cisne," escrito de Rubén Darío, también escriba de la mujer como algo ideal y perfecta.  En "Nocturno" escrito de Delmira Agustini, vemos que ella critica a "El cisne" escrito de Darío y en "Tu me quieres blanca" escrito de Agustina Storni, ella escriba de la mujer sangrando y teniendo hijos - la realidad, del cuerpo de las mujeres y del nacimiento.  Luego tenemos Pablo Neruda, vanguardista que escribio "Walking Around" donde dice que el es como cisne pero ya no compare la mujer como objeto pero el mismo se compare con el simbolo del cisne. 
"El cisne" en la poema de Darío, escriba del modelo de la poesía del modernismo pero también describe como crean que la mujer debe ser.  La mujer debe de ser blanca como una diosa, llena de gracia, y pura.  Esto es el ideal llevada a un extremo.  En contraste en el verso "Yo soy el cisne errante de los sangriento rastros, voy manchando los lagos y remontando el vuelo" (p. 339, Voces), Agustini nos dice que la mujer representada en el cisne, sangre y mancha los lagos.  Es decir que la mujer tiene hijos y puede referirse a la realidad de que sangre cada mes, y también sufre.  Ella utiliza el pensamiento del pos-modernismo donde la mujer se escribio como sujeto y incluye la realidad de la vida de la mujer. 
También en "De blanco" Najera describa la mujer como si ella debia de ser blanca, pura, casta, virgen, y santa.  El representa la mujer como diosa también como si la idolisió como estatua hecha de mármol.  "¡Oh mármol!  ¡Oh nieves!  ¡Oh imensa blancura que esparces doquiera tu casta hermosura!  ¡Oh timida virgen!" (p. 250, Voces) representa la mujer como una virgen, casta, y diosa.  Es increíble que el hombre vio la mujer de esta manera, pero es parte del pensamiento del modernismo.  En contraste Storni, en "Tu me quieres blanca" critica este pensamiento durante el pre-vanguardismo/pos-modernismo.  "Me pretendes casta (Dios te lo perdone), me pretendes alba," (p. 356, Voces) el hombre se engaña el mismo pensar que la mujer debe de ser blanca y casta, porque no pueden quedarse haci, se casan, nacen hijos etc...  Ella critica a los autores (y los hombres en general) y les dice que deben que ir al monte y poner sus manos en la tierra - la realidad.  Lo que necesitaban es ensuciarse y ver las cosas más claramente.  "Toca con las manos la tierra mojada; alimenta el cuerpo con raiz amarga;" (p. 356, Voces) es interesante que Storni utiliza la palabra "alimenta" el cuerpo es decir que ver la realidad de la mujer es alimentoso.  Pero los hombres que leyeran estas poemas durante esta epoca eran de clase aristrocrática y no estaban acustumbrados usar sus manos en la tierra, la realidad o el trabajo manual. 
Después del pos-modernismo tenemos el vanguardismo, y aunque algunos piensan que Neruda escribe poemas de amor depremiendo la mujer, yo no estoy de acuerdo.  En la poema "Walking Around" el dice "Sucede que me canso de ser hombre. … como un cisne de fieltro navegando en un agua de origen y ceniza" (p. 428, Voces) el se compare con el cisne el mismo, a mi es significante de que el da igualidad a las mujeres con los hombres, porque el es el cisne.  Neruda nos da nueva espiritú en el simbolo del cisne, porque da igualidad entre la mujer y el hombre (aunque los vanguardistas no estaban interesados en el placer de la mujer, hay un poco de libertad en este verso).
Los autores Darío y Najera, nos dicen mucho de los pensamientos tradiciónales de los modernistas y su pensamiento del papel de la mujer de ser casta y perfecta como estatua.  Es cosa triste que en el fin del siglo XIX las mujeres tenian que vivir en una sociedad con hombres creyendo que la mujer era nada más pero objeto fragile, sin vos, sin pansamientos.  Gracias por autores como Storni y Agustini que escribieron para la mujer y sus derechos en el pos-modernismo y pre-vanguardismo, nos da otra perspectiva. Criticaban a los autores engañadores y les dijo que tienen que vajarse de su mundo de sueños y ensuciarse porque no es la realidad.  Las dos autores son mujeres buscando y pidiendo por la igualidad y derechos de la mujer.  Y desgraciamente, todavía hoy día, las mujeres piden por igualidad y derechos.

High Adventure on the Rio Laja, Guanajuato, Mexico

By Kent Swanson

he sun was high and bright and the winds were dusty the day I got my first  taste of Pulque, a fermented beverage made from the Maguey cactus found in great numbers in the Bahío of central Mexico.  Once a beverage served to the ruling class in pre-Hispanic times, Pulque is now readily available to all who favor the pungent and lightly alcoholic drink.  While wandering through a town called Palo Blanco, my coworker and I came upon two women carrying several milk jugs filled with the stuff.  Coincidentally the women were both named Rosa.  Las Dos Rosas.  They offered us a cup and then offered us lunch and conversation, and plenty more Pulque.  That afternoon we ate tacos, chorizo soup, and rice on the patio of Doña Rosa´s house overlooking a valley mostly barren of trees and talked about the declining conditions of the rivers in the region.

Since January of this year, I have been working for Save the Laja, a non-profit organization centered in San Miguel de Allende in the state of Guanajuato, the Cradle of Mexican Independence.  Save the Laja recently received a grant of a quarter of a million dollars from the North American Wetlands Conservation Council to perform river restoration work in 36 communities throughout the severely degraded Rio Laja watershed.  The Laja River, located mostly in the state of Guanajuato in arid central Mexico, is a vital corridor of green essential for migratory and local wildlife and local communities.  Its headwaters are located in the mountains above one of Mexico's most productive breadbaskets and the Rio Laja is a primary tributary of the Rio Lerma, one of Mexico's largest rivers and a major industrial corridor.  The Rio Laja watershed is degrading rapidly due to historic and modern land uses such as deforestation, overgrazing, sand and gravel mining, and industrial agriculture.

Save the Laja's primary goals are to implement river restoration work by assisting social work agencies including FAI (Fundación Apoyo Infantil de México), the Mexican branch of Save the Children, CASA (Centro para los Adolescentes de San Miguel Allende), a world recognized family planning agency that has recently formed an ecology team, and CCG (Cuerpos de Conservación de Guanajuato) to train counselors in river restoration techniques (making rock dams and baffles, and planting trees to stabilize banks, slow flood waters, and restore natural stream sinuosity).  Since January I have been exploring the watershed, helping with Save the Laja's restoration efforts, and searching for Pulque and adventure.

My experiences have brought me significant understanding of the problems of the region, the challenges of river restoration work, the rewards of working in community-based conservation, and a number of high adventures.  Among others, I have virtually destroyed two cars driving the undriveable roads of the campo; I have participated in long sweaty days of building small water retention dams with community members; I have waded through the dense jungle of Mexican Bureaucracy attempting to gain funds for future restoration work; and I have lived in the strange yet enchanting city of San Miguel de Allende, known to Mexicans as Gringolandia because of the strong expatriate community.

The future of the Rio Laja is uncertain.  While the pressures on natural resources due to rapid population growth are immense, the restoration work seems to be expanding at an incredible rate, with international funds steadily pumping into the network of organizations working within the region.  Projects of reforestation, river restoration, dry latrines, solar energy, family planning, environmental education, and sustainable agricultural practices are popping up throughout the watershed seemingly on a daily basis.  And communities are quick to respond to the aid offered by grass-roots organizations in conservation and restoration efforts, easily recognizing the problems and their solutions.  It also appears that the region where the Rio Laja watershed is located is rated as a global priority for habitat protection by the World Wildlife Foundation, a fact that may help leverage more funding in the future.  The story that is being written in the Rio Laja seems to be a story of slow but steady successes.  I have been privileged to play a part in this effort and to experience the adventure of living and working in central Mexico during the last four months.

I encourage anyone who has an interest in the work being conducted in the Rio Laja watershed to contact the President of Save the Laja, Susan Porter Smith at spsmith@unisono.net.mx.  The organization is constantly looking for Spanish-speaking interns to help in their efforts and to enjoy an adventure or two.

Kent earned his Masters Degree in  Community and Regional Planning in December, 2000.

(Continued from page 4)

In order to confront the hurdles mentioned above, there are currently four Initiatives underway:

Within Initiatives, projects are identified, planned, and implemented. The projects are  designed with both short- and long-term goals and include consideration of social impacts.  With the Initiative concept ISTEC can provide an organization and coordination of efforts that avoids duplication of efforts, maximizes the utilization of available resources and responds to its members'  needs.
The ultimate goal of ISTEC is to enhance resources in Ibero-America and contribute to regional development in science and technology. By attracting industries, universities, foundations, and both governmental and international agencies, progress can be made towards improving educational opportunities, disseminating technology, and opening potential avenues for business development

Where are They Now?
Former Latin American Studies Students

Diata Rhodes
I recently started working for Multnomah County Health Department in Portland, Oregon.  I was hired to work on an Women's HIV/Domestic Violence Prevention project.  Having a degree in Latin American Studies with concentrations in history and gender was very helpful in applying for the position.  I'm going to be conducting interviews with recently incarcerated women in the Portland area.  My interest in working with culturally diverse populations was important for this position, and I am really enjoying my job.  I did not expect to work in the Public Health field with MA/LAS, but it has proven to be a pretty versatile degree! As for the LAS program, I'm so glad I did it. I had a wonderful experience at UNM, and on occasion I even miss Albuquerque!

Lindsay Ruf
I am presently working at the Boeing plant as a career advisor. I am contracted by the Machinists Union and the Boeing Company through Renton Technical College to provide career advising assistance to the hourly machinists.  My first job in Seattle working as a vocational counselor for low income Latino clients at El Centro de la Raza gave me the initial experience I needed to land my present job.  My education at UNM in Latin American Studies attracted me to that first "professional" job after school. I was able to use my Spanish frequently and stay immersed in the Latino community. However, with each succeeding job, I have moved further and further away from my training in Latin American Studies, while becoming more involved with the vocational advising and counseling side of things.  I presently use no Spanish, nor draw much from the Latin American Studies training.  I ended up going back to school at the University of Washington to get a certificate in Career Development. !
However, I credit my years at UNM with allowing me to obtain my first job in Seattle at El Centro de la Raza and introducing me to the field of career development.   
Since returning to work in January after the birth of our son, I have decided to work three days a week. 

Kevin Ruf
I am working at the Washington State Housing Finance Commission on a program to preserve affordable housing.  I will have been working here for two years on May 10.
My degrees were in Latin American Studies and Community and Regional Planning.  My experience in LAS and CRP helped me get this job because it kindled an interest in affordable housing and finance.   I was able to work on these issues for my master's thesis, which gave me some academic and technical grounding in the field.  Even though my thesis was on the Mexican housing sector, the comparative study and investigation of the economic and policy elements of housing taught me the issues and problems of housing here in our own community.  The education I got and the challenges I was presented with at UNM help me to deal with complex issues and how to work things through to the end with tenacity and as part of a team. 
The connection between graduate school and professional life is less direct than I had thought it would be, but I definitely benefited from the time I spent studying Latin America at UNM.  The opportunity to study housing from an economic, social and political perspective led me toward a career I otherwise would not have identified on my own.
If you want personal info on me and Lindsay, we had a baby named Henry last July 13th.  He is growing, crawling, he's healthy, he's gregarious, a crowd pleaser, he's already developed his own unique character, he's charismatic, and we are very proud of him.

(Continued on page 11)

Former Students continued

(Continued from page 10)

Lois Stanford
I am an Associate Professor of Anthropology at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.
From 1994-1996 I collaborated on an NSF project examining local community organizations and their strategies in recovery following the Northridge Earthquake. This study, The Northridge Earthquake: Vulnerability and Disaster (Routledge, 1998) addressed particularly the role of non-government organizations working with Hispanic minorities in rural communities in Southern California.
My current research projects focus on the impacts of globalization and neoliberal economic policies on small farmers and agricultural organizations, as well as their responses and efforts to defend their interests in a globalized economy in Mexico and in New Mexico. In 1998, as a Fulbright scholar, I held a visiting faculty position at the Facultad de Agrobiología, Universidad de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, in Uruapan, Michoacán. During this period, I conducted research on the history and social organization of the avocado industry, examining the impacts of Mexican neoliberal economic policies and export markets on this regional industry.   I am currently collaborating on an edited volume, Anthropological Perspectives on Globalization: Examining Latin America's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Industry, with Dr. Humberto González, a Mexican anthropologist, to be published in the United State and in Mexico.
In New Mexico, I am engaged in applied social research on government and non-governmental organizations working with Hispanic farmers in the state. My efforts are part of a 4 year project, The Center for Minority Land and Community Security funded through the USDA/Fund for Rural America and coordinated with colleagues at the Land Tenure Center (U. of Wisconsin) and Tuskegee University. Housed at Tuskegee, the proposed center addresses the critical problem of disproportionate land loss by three rural minority groups (African Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Native Americans).
I continue to do research in Mexico, so the interdisciplinary M.A. in Latin American Studies obviously has helped.

SOLAS
The Student Organization for Latin American Studies

Latin American and Iberian Institute
University of New Mexico
801 Yale NE
Albuquerque, NM 87131

Phone: 277-6847
Fax: 505-277-5989
Email: knolan@unm.edu

Presidents Revive G-3