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Graduate student Silvia Alvarez supports Latino immigrants and their new communities
Doctoral candidate Silvia Alvarez is witness to the changing face of small-town Minnesota in places such as Willmar, where one-quarter of the town’s 20,000 residents are Latino, many of them recent immigrants.
“This change has caused economic and social strains,” explains Alvarez, whose thesis focuses on the experiences of Latino meat packing workers in small Midwest towns. “You can see how the population is not prepared to face these changes…. I want to provide the environment for these populations to know and learn from each other.”
Alvarez earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of San Carlos in her native Guatemala and worked on community development, cultural, and education projects for local and international organizations for several years. Upon receiving a Ford Foundation fellowship six years ago, Alvarez came to the U.S. and the University of Minnesota for graduate studies in comparative and international development of education—a track in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development.
At the University of Minnesota, Alvarez joined a community of classmates and faculty from around the world, including her doctoral adviser, professor emeritus Theodore Lewis, who is from Trinidad and Tobago. “I found excellent faculty, excellent guidance for international students, and great opportunities to become more active in the community,” says Alvarez.
Her community involvement has included starting a 4-H club in the university housing where she lives with her husband and two children and hosting bilingual radio shows at Jazz 88.8 FM and the University’s own Radio K. In 2008, the University recognized her Radio K work with a Women of Color Tapestry Award, which is granted to individuals who help create a thriving campus community where diversity is welcomed and supported.
Alvarez’s research and community service dovetail nicely with her work as a human rights coordinator for the Midwest Coalition for Human Rights, where she brings international and immigrant perspectives to research, outreach, and public education strategies. “The immigrant population is becoming more stable and looking for places where they stay, live, and work longer,” explains Alvarez, who notes that the typical immigrant is no longer a single, young male. “I want to learn how well the immigrant population’s needs are being met, particularly how they can become citizens and contribute to society…. It’s important to me that the immigrant population be aware of what’s provided to them, their responsibilities, and how to navigate the system.”
Alvarez expects to complete her doctorate this term. “Having a Ph.D. opens up so many opportunities,” she says. “I really don’t know what’s next or where it will be, but it’s very important to me to apply what I have learned.”
Story by Kara Rose | Photo by Justin Evidon | September 2010
