McNair Scholar 2021 Dyani Acosta
Dyani Acosta is a senior at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, double majoring in political science and Chicano & Latino Studies. Her research interests discuss the influence Mexican/Mexican American communities have on rural Minnesota. Ms. Acosta plans on obtaining an M.Ed. in social studies education, then eventually an Ed.D in Teaching/Administration.
My dream is to teach in a middle school classroom and then eventually obtain an Ed.D. to continue the path towards advocating for kids in the education system. I want to be involved in supporting students with marginalized identities through my lived and taught experiences to better advocate and fight for equity in and outside the classroom.
Research project
The Influence Mexican and Mexican Americans Have on Rural Minnesota
Abstract: This research project focuses on contemporary Mexican and Mexican American communities in rural Minnesota. With the steady number of immigrants from Latin American countries increasing for many years, it has been a point of discussion in political and social environments. The lack of research done on the rural Latinx communities continues to build a narrative that the Latinx community is monolithic — urban, live in barrios, work blue collar jobs, etc. These monolithic myths of the community experiencing the same history, oppression, and successes has prevented a holistic historic view of America and its immigrants.
This project investigates the changes Mexican and Mexican Americans have made in small town culture, what these communities looks like, and the legacy they continue to leave behind. The narratives of the Latinx community in rural Minnesota will also describe the disparities many rural communities already face — the largest being in healthcare, transportation, education, and poverty.
Faculty mentor
Dr. Jimmy Patino is currently an Associate Professor in the Chicano & Latino Studies Department at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Patino attended University of California, San Diego, where he received his Ph.D. in United States History in 2010. His research specializes in the study of Mexican-origin and broader Latino/a/x communities at the U.S. Mexico Border and in major U.S. urban settings. Dr. Patino is published in multiple research journals and has presented his book and work at conferences nationwide. This is Dr. Patino’s first year as a McNair faculty mentor.