Archive: 2020 | Pg 2 | SRCD Latinx Caucus

Member Spotlights

Dolly Rojo, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Mount Saint Mary’s University

Now that I study language in a research context, I’ve learned that bilingualism and biculturalism are arguably inseparable, and not just for my mom. For my mother (and now for me, too), speaking Spanish “came with the package” of being Mexican. To her, this is a part of our identity, and so, if we lost this skill, it would be as though we lost a part of ourselves. In attending both national and international academic conferences, I realize too that this concern and passion for maintaining heritage languages is neither unique to Mexicans nor to immigrants.

Andrea Romero, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, Full Professor, University of Arizona

There is a need for collective strength to bring voice to these issues on a national stage. Moreover, there is a need for unique perspectives that come from familiarity with the Latinx population to help identify and interpret pressing issues.

Erika Hernandez, Doctoral Candidate, Virginia Tech

My advice to someone starting out in this area is to understand that it is perfectly fine to be interested in a research topic because it impacted your personal life. That’s where passion originates.

Maria S. Carlo, University of South Florida

The caucus brings together researchers who are working toward a more nuanced understanding of the Latinx experience. It helps to break down the false homogeneity of the Latinx category by providing a forum in which attention to within-population variability is encouraged.

Koraly Pérez-Edgar, Penn State University

My mentors and I shared seemingly little with respect to our life experiences and the path that led us to research. However, they each took me on for who I am, didn’t ask that I turn myself into a clone, and gave me the confidence to continue my work. These are the mentoring experiences that I try to inculcate with my own lab.

Lucía Alcalá

Acquiring new knowledge is always tied to the expectation of utilizing it to provide help when needed. These findings provide evidence on the importance of contextualizing children’s learning process based on community values and developmental goals.

Elisa Rachel Pisani Altafim

My parents were my first mentors through their teachings and life examples. My father taught me the importance of research and the art of asking questions and getting answers in science, and my mother the passion for children. I want to help families be protective factors for children’s development, in the same way, that my family was for me.

Vanessa Rodriguez

The Caucus gives me the courage to take this path and the confidence that there is a community of researchers who share my identity and value what it has to offer to research on cognitive development.

Gustavo Carlo

For many years, the Latino Caucus has been instrumental in providing a nurturing and supportive organic environment for anyone working with Latino/a populations.

Rosalie Corona

The sense of family that is deeply rooted in this Caucus is what I have always appreciated as a member. You may not know someone, but you see that t-shirt or the tag on people’s badges and you immediately feel a solidarity and connection to that person. You know you have found someone who “speaks your language” and who “gets” the research you are doing and that you are passionate about. In this group, there is no need to explain why what we do matters. Instead, we are given a place to exist and a voice.

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