IRIS awarded Katya Garza and Emily Janicik with its 2020 Area and International Studies Undergraduate Paper Awards. Garza was awarded for her paper, “Ni de aquí, ni de allá” – Transnational Latinx Communities: Roots and Migrations, and Janicik for her work, Xenophobic Policies in the Name of Gratitude: Refugee Experiences with the Conservative Austrian Government. Additional details on both are below.
Congratulations to both Katya & Emily on their awards and their excellent work!
The Area and International Studies Undergraduate Paper Awards are offered every year by the area studies centers at the UW-Madison. If you’d like to learn more about the award, visit the webpage or email the IRIS Awards Office.
2020 IRIS Area and International Studies Undergraduate Paper Award winners:
“Ni de aquí, ni de allá” – Transnational Latinx Communities: Roots and Migrations
By Katya Garza
Submitted to Almita Miranda’s CHICLA 330/GEOG 475 (Spring 2020)
Abstract: When discussing farm work or the bracero and post-bracero program, we largely focus on the contracted men and their stories. The narratives of the women who came with or afterare often left unheard. In this paper I explore the key themes of upward economic mobility through labor and the immigrant work ethic narratives of older generations of Latinx immigrants in the U.S. through my grandmother’s experiences. These broad themes will be analyzed through the lens of citizenship and privilege, gender, and transnational ties with Mexico.
Xenophobic Policies in the Name of Gratitude: Refugee Experiences with the Conservative Austrian Government
By Emily Janicik
Submitted to B. Venkat Mani’s German 804: Exiles, Migrants, and Refugees: Texts and Contexts (Fall 2019)
Abstract: How has the Austrian government dealt with refugees since the height of 2015 refugee crisis? How have the Austrian people reacted to the increase in refugees? How has the media influenced public opinion and political decisions in relation to the refugee crisis? These questions are central to this paper, which examines the actions of the Austrian government leading up to, during, and after the 2015 Refugee Crisis. Nationalism, populism, and xenophobia have been on the rise in the E.U., which has also been reflected in conservative Austrian politics. Using a combination of government published reports, academic articles, and contemporary journalistic sources, this paper dives into the xenophobic actions the Austrian government has taken against welcoming refugees to their country.