Santiago-Irizarry, Vilma
Associate Professor, Latino Studies/Anthropology
research
research and scholarship focus
- the issues and paradoxes generated in the production and deployment of ethnic constructs, especially in institutional settings, which are then applied toward the maintenance and reproduction of existing structures of inequality
- arts education
- mental health and medical issues
- substance abuse prevention programs in schools
- penal institutions
- community-based organizations in New York City
- ethnohistorical research on the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, especially on Cuba and Puerto Rico.
- language
- ethnicity and identity
- law
- institutional culture, both in the US and in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean.
international geographic focus
affiliations
other Cornell affiliations
background
educational background
- Anthropology, NYU
- Certificate in Movement Analysis, Laban Centre (Goldsmith's College, University of London)
- J.D., University of Puerto Rico Law School.
professional background
- Affiliated with Latin American Studies, American Studies, Public Affairs, Law and Society, and Women's Studies
- Instructor, Puerto Rican Studies department, CUNY's John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- Public interest law, Puerto Rico
- Professional Dancer, Puerto Rico
publications
selected publications (listing in progress)
- "Environmentalism, Identity Politics, and the Nature of 'Nature'." Latino Studies 1(1):xx-xx. In press
- "Transcending Dichotomies: How to do anthropology in real life/Transcendir les dicotomies: com fer antropologia a la vida real." Revista d'etnologia de Catalunya 20: 64-73. 2002
- Medicalizing Ethnicity: Constructing Latino Identity in a Psychiatric Setting. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. 2001
- "Deceptive Solidity: Public Signs, Civic Inclusion, and Language 'Rights' in New York City (and Beyond)." In A. Laó and A. Dávila (eds.). Mambo Montage: The Latinization of New York City. New York: Columbia University Press. 2001
