This essay is the result of a month-long independent research project conducted as a part of the study abroad program, “Cultural Identity, Social Justice, and Community Development” in Valparaíso Chile. I conducted interviews and worked with a project advisor to investigate the existence of a movement for disability rights in the context of students in Valparaíso. It is written in Spanish and published in SIT’s digital collections.

I wrote this paper as the final project for Diaspora Crossing and Contested Identities in Africa America, a class conducted in Spanish about the African diaspora throughout Latin America. I analyze the intersection of music and religion as an act of resistance for Afro-Latinx communities. I first introduced the two religions which were the focus of the essay, Santería from Cuba and Candomblé from Brazil. After establishing the religious context, I analyzed two songs from two different female artists, one from each religious and cultural background. I argued that the inclusion of religion in the music was a way to reclaim that cultural history and assert its meaningfulness today.

I wrote this analytical review of the Venezuelan movie La Soledad. The review is in Spanish and was written for a Spanish class on the African Diaspora throughout Latin America. The review analyzes the mise-en- scene, or the cinematography, of the movie. I ultimately argue that the director is successful in representing the situation in Venezuela of the time of the movie through the cinematography.