We enjoyed an extended spring in Austin this year, with abundant rains and cool temperatures that have brought a vibrant season of Texas wildflowers and balmy outdoor time before the beginning of our long hot season. As usual, our academic year was hectic and productive. During the week of … [Read more...] about From the Director
LLILAS Benson
Staff Spotlight: Paloma Díaz-Lobos
BY SUSANNA SHARPE PALOMA DÍAZ-LOBOS HAS MADE HER MARK on LLILAS Benson in a variety of job titles. Yet even her recent appointment as Associate Director of Programs only hints at the work that Díaz-Lobos accomplishes in the space of an academic year, or a semester, or even, perhaps, in a single … [Read more...] about Staff Spotlight: Paloma Díaz-Lobos
Salmon Production in Chile: The Making of a Commodity Region
BY BEATRIZ BUSTOS CHILE is a country commonly known for its turbulent political past and its economic achievements over the last twenty years. Neoliberal policies such as privatization and deregulation have been implemented there under the premise that open and free access to global markets … [Read more...] about Salmon Production in Chile: The Making of a Commodity Region
Reconceptualizing Trans-Centered Research in 21st-Century Brazil
BY JOSHUA REASON FOR DAY OF THE DEAD LAST YEAR, toward the end of my Fulbright research in Salvador da Bahia, I attended “Elas Não Morreram” (They Did Not Die), a drag show commemorating the five-year anniversary of Coletivo das Liliths, an LGBTQI1 theater collective I had become acquainted with … [Read more...] about Reconceptualizing Trans-Centered Research in 21st-Century Brazil
From the Director
As the 2017–2018 academic year comes to an end, the halls are quieter without our students, many of whom are now off in Latin America working on their research and further cultivating their love for our favorite region of the world. But the busy pace at LLILAS Benson barely slows down over Austin’s … [Read more...] about From the Director
Faculty and Staff Profiles, Fall 2017
BY SUSANNA SHARPE Pilar Zazueta In 2012, Mexico attained the dubious distinction of becoming the world’s number one consumer of soft drinks, passing previous first-place holder the United States. And although Mexico is no longer in first place (Argentina now claims that title), the increasing … [Read more...] about Faculty and Staff Profiles, Fall 2017
Cardenal in Hard Times
BY LUIS E. CÁRCAMO-HUECHANTE Leer en español It was the winter of 1979. I was already in my fourth year of high school in Valdivia, in southern Chile, when my literature teacher surprised my class by bringing in a record player. As she turned it on, a singular voice came out, with an accent … [Read more...] about Cardenal in Hard Times
Departing Reflections: Charles R. Hale
BY CHARLES R. HALE I take this opportunity—the last Portal produced under my directorship—to offer a few words of thanks, an expression of excitement for the future, and some reflections on the past seven years. By the time this Portal reaches your hands, Professor Virginia Garrard-Burnett will … [Read more...] about Departing Reflections: Charles R. Hale
