Tag: Spanish

Contextualizing a Collection of Rare Cambodian Glass Ornaments Within Contemporaneous Trade Networks

Presenter: Kelby Beyer − Anthropology, Spanish

Faculty Mentor(s): Alison Carter

(In-Person) Poster Presentation

Though archaeological glass ornament research in Iron Age Southeast Asia is a well-established field, the current body of work excludes morphologically and numerically rare objects (Carter 2016). This research uses compositional data to contextualize a looted collection of rare glass ornaments within a likely Phum Snay, Cambodia context situated within Iron Age Southeast Asian glass trade networks and interaction spheres. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LAICP-MS) compositional analysis of six of the collection’s 12 total glass earrings, bangles, and a spiral ornament forms the basis of this research. This work found that this collection’s glass ornaments were likely circulated within a local South China Sea potash glass trade network operating in the early Iron Age as well as a long-distance high-alumina mineral soda glass exchange network with South Asia during the late Iron Age. This previously unstudied collection’s novel compositional data of understudied rare prestige glass ornaments and contextualization of those artifacts within exchange networks contributes to previously sparse understandings of Iron Age Southeast Asian glass composition, exchange networks, and interaction spheres of several rare ornament types.

The recent history of PCUN and the victories of farmworkers in Oregon

Presenter: Odalis Aguilar Aguilar − History, Latin American Studies, Spanish

Faculty Mentor(s): Julie Weise

(In-Person) Poster Presentation 

For this project, I was approached by PCUN’s executive director to document the last few years of the history of the organization. About 10 years ago, a professor from the University of Oregon partnered up with the organization and since then, historic victories have been secured for the farm working and Latinx immigrant community. My approach was to analyze the ways in which organizers and staff retell their experiences working in legislative processes and also expand on what PCUN is and how they carry its mission. These interviews were done in both English and Spanish and are transcribed. While being in conversation with the folks I interviewed, I found that there was a turning point in PCUN’s recent history that really catapulted their success and put PCUN on another playing field where usually dominant culture organizations are overwhelmingly present. This project not only serves as a historical piece, but it also strives to provide new and coming PCUN staff a document that can ground them and visualize themselves as leaders who will continue the legacy of PCUN elders.

Campus Scultures

Presenter: Alison Brown, Spanish

Poster: A-3

The lost wax method of casting a bronze sculpture is centuries old, yet pieces from ancient times still survive to tell the stories of our ancestors. This is the spirit of a bronze: an emotion and a message, immortalized. As a bronze artist, I believe it is my purpose to celebrate the tales we tell as humans through sculpture. To tell my own story, I have gathered my experiences of joy and intrigue from the University of Oregon and have commemorated them in a statue of the Oregon Duck Mascot. As an entrepreneurial sculptor, my goal is to share my creativity with other alumni who want their experiences remembered in bronze.

Perpetuating Otherness Through Sexualization: a Study of the Representation of Immigrants in American Television

Presenter(s): Maddie Kelm − Psychology, Spanish

Faculty Mentor(s): Mariko Plescia

Poster 120

Research Area: Humanities (Spanish)

Throughout the history of the United States, immigration has been a topic of contention. Today, this tension persists in an American society which is characterized by xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment. This paper considers the manner in which the sexualization or desexualization of immigrant characters in American television series contribute to the perceived otherness of immigrants in the United States. By analyzing the representation of immigrant characters in the acclaimed television series That 70’s Show and Modern Family, this paper demonstrates that the valorization of immigrant characters is often based on their perceived sexuality. This paper argues that immigrant characters are sexualized (if they are women) or desexualized (if they are men) in order to maintain entrenched hierarchies: social, racial, and economic. Through its examination of popular media, this paper engages readers in a study of the subtle yet insidious injustices which are being perpetuated against immigrants via mainstream American television.

Language Proficiency and Lexical-Semantic Processing in Bilingual Toddlers

Presenter(s): Abbey Ward—Communication Disorders and Sciences; Spanish

Faculty Mentor(s): Stephanie De Anda

Session 6: Interact & React

Prior research suggests that language systems are not entirely separate but interact in bilingual individuals . The current study seeks to extend prior work by investigating whether or not bilingual toddlers organize vocabulary words and their meanings (i .e ., lexical-semantic networks) within and across languages as early as 2 years of age . Of interest is how the words a toddler hears (i .e ., language exposure) versus the words that they say (i .e ., language proficiency) influence this organization of dual vocabulary systems . This study presents findings from a group of Spanish- English bilingual toddlers (N = 20, Mage = 24 .65 months) to examine the association between (a) language exposure and (b) language proficiency with lexical-semantic processing . Four measures were used: the Language Exposure Assessment Tool (LEAT) captured exposure, whereas the Computerized Comprehension Task (CCT) and the English-Spanish Vocabulary Inventories (ESVI) measured vocabulary size in both languages . Lastly, eye-tracking measures assessed lexical- semantic processing within and across Spanish and English . Consistent with prior literature, results suggest that vocabulary systems interact in bilingual toddlers by 24 months of age . As a group, toddlers with larger vocabulary sizes and faster speed of word recognition in their stronger language (Spanish) demonstrated inhibition, such that they were more likely to efficiently discard words similar in meaning (i .e ., semantic competitors) in order to correctly identify the target . When processing semantic relationships between words in their weaker language (English), toddlers with slower speed of word recognition demonstrated facilitation in order to continue ongoing activation of their sparse vocabulary networks . However, language exposure was not associated with lexical- semantic processing . Together these findings demonstrate that the words bilingual toddlers say and understand (and not necessarily what they hear) influence the organization of dual language systems . Ultimately, our findings contribute to the current understanding of bilingual first language acquisition and emerging theoretical models on bilingual language development .

The competitive relationship between linguistic perception and production when learning a new sound contrast

Presenter(s): Tillena Trebon—Linguistics, Spanish

Co-Presenter(s): Zoe Haupt, Allegra Wesson, Maggie Wallace

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Melissa Baese-Berk, Dr. Zachary Jaggers

Session 6: Cerebal Matters

This research investigates the connection between perception and production when learning to discriminate between unfamiliar sounds . It is commonly assumed that humans use the same neural mechanisms for recognizing a spoken sound and producing a sound . If this assumption is correct, when we get better at perceiving sounds, we should also get better at producing them, and vice versa . Our research asks: Do linguistic perception and production utilize the same neural processes? Does one get better at perceiving the difference between two sounds by producing them? To answer these questions, experiment participants were trained on a new sound contrast . In the “Perception and production” condition, subjects produced the sounds during training . In the “Perception only” condition, subjects did not produce sounds during training . Results show that “Perception only” participants learned to perceive the difference between the sounds they were trained on . “Perception and production” participants did not learn the contrast nearly as well . Our research challenges traditional assumptions of linguistic perception and production by showing that the relationship between perceiving and producing new sounds appears competitive . Our research reveals that producing new sounds while learning to discriminate between those sounds hinders perceptual learning . Our results are consistent with recent research, which also show that perception and production may not utilize the same neural mechanisms . These results shed light on the complex language acquisition mechanisms in the brain . Understanding the relationship between linguistic perception and production is essential for optimizing second language teaching methods and for understanding how humans acquire language .

You Shall Not Oppress a Resident Alien: The Conception of Immigrants in the Hebrew Bible

Presenter(s): Miriam Thielman—Spanish and Religious Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Deborah Green

Session 4: Cultural Considerations—The Other

An increase in global immigration has resulted in humanitarian crises across the world as countries struggle to respond to the growing number of refugees and asylum seekers arriving at their borders . Religion often influences people’s beliefs, actions, and even the policy decisions for which they lobby, and the various forms of Christianity practiced in the United States frequently use the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures as their sacred instructive texts . Understanding the specific messages within the Hebrew Bible regarding immigrants is important for developing faith-informed responses to immigrants and refugees . A detailed study of relevant portions of the Hebrew Bible, coupled with analysis of biblical commentaries and scholarly criticism, suggests that the Bible underscores the imperative to care for the most vulnerable members of society, as well as to include immigrants in the community . People of faith should take this overarching message into account when considering how to respond to immigrants’ arrival in the United States .

Stress and Implications for Poor Mental and Physical Health Among Latinx Emerging Adults

Presenter(s): Yomaira Tarula-Aranda—Ethnic Studies and Spanish

Faculty Mentor(s): Heather McClure

Session 5.5: McNair Scholars Presentations

The Latinx population is the largest and fastest-growing minority in the United States, and also has growing rates of poor mental and physical health . This research explores how stress is very prevalent among Latinx emerging adults (aged 18–23 years old) and potential contributing factors . Stress is related to an assortment of negative outcomes including development of poor mental and physical health and other outcomes . This research uses data from the Latinx Emerging Adults Project’s Emerging Adult & Peer Survey created by the Center for Equity Promotion in the University of Oregon’s College of Education . To measure stress, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to measure the frequency, severity and perceived control individuals have over daily stressors within the previous 1-month period . Higher PSS scores have been linked to risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and elevation in stress hormones . Analyses explored potential differences in Latinx emerging adults’ PSS scores by different socio-demographic characteristics . Results will be presented and discussed in relation to the potential risks confronting Latinx emerging adults of stress-related poor health .

Ethnolinguistic Vitality of Eugene

Presenter(s): Maya Mackey—International Studies, Spanish

Faculty Mentor(s): Devin Grammon

Session 2: Oregon Trails

Linguistic landscapes are necessary for ethnolinguistic communities to be comfortable in their place of residence . Linguistic landscape is the study of representations of languages that are displayed
in public spaces such as signs, billboards, graffiti, and moving objects . This study examines the Spanish linguistic landscape of Downtown Eugene as it relates to the Spanish-speaking community’s ethnolinguistic vitality . The absence of multilingual signage around Downtown Eugene deprives the Spanish-speaking community of obtaining full access to communal activities and resources . There are many elements that serve a purpose in improving ethnolinguistic landscapes that directly relate to an individual’s comfortableness within a community . Qualitative and quantitative analysis of signs in Spanish, the coding of images, interviews with bilingual members of the Eugene community, and ethnographic data collection was used to determine the ethnolinguistic vitality and perceptions of Downtown Eugene . The analysis shows that there is a lack of signs of various languages in Downtown Eugene . The implementation of multilingual signs is necessary to create a more welcoming community for both residents and visitors of all backgrounds . Although this research is in a current state of development, this proposal shows how to increase the ethnolinguistic vitality for the Spanish-speaking community and will be published and presented to the City of Eugene . Linguistic landscape is necessary for not only the security and accessibility of all residents but for the economy of Eugene as well . When a city shows its willingness to create a safe space for all residents and visitors, people are more likely to be actively involved with the community thus stimulating economic growth .