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Andrew Higgins ´07: Study of the Americas, in Mexico
Andrew Higgins ´07, American Studies major with a focus on multiculturalism.
March 31, 2006
Last summer, when Andrew Higgins '07 was preparing to spend two months in Puebla, Mexico working on a project with CC anthropology professor Harold Juli, he knew that he would enjoy his time there. But he never expected to fall in love.
Love, however, is exactly what happened. "I enjoyed Mexico so much, I knew that I had to return," the native of Newton, Massachusetts says. Now he is back in Mexico for a year, studying at the Universidad de las Americas in Cholula. An American Studies major with a focus on multiculturalism, Higgins says that spending time in Mexico has helped round out his academic career.
"American Studies not only seeks to look at the cultures of our nation, but the cultures of the Americas in general. Mexicans, being the largest Latino group in the nation, have had a profound impact on our country, and living in Mexico has helped me to better understand this influence." This summer, Higgins will continue interning with Professor Juli, who directs a study in the village of La Soledad Morelos. The project's principal aim is to uncover the locals' opinions regarding ethnicity, and the changes their community underwent when it transformed from an indigenous community into a Mestizo community following the Mexican Revolution. "During my first summer's research, I looked into a number of topics pertaining to daily life, village history, and the impact of technology," Higgins says. "But this time I hope to focus more on the impact that immigration had on the village." He also plans on teaching English to a class of fifth graders. Higgins will return to CC for the spring semester of his senior year, but Mexico will stay close to his heart. "I am not positive where I will end up," he says of the future, "but I have been giving some thought to returning to Mexico after graduation to teach English, and then going on to graduate school to study one of the social sciences."
- Julia Wisbach
View the American Studies program site, and the anthropology and Hispanic Studies department sites.
For media inquiries contact: Amy Martin (860) 439-2526; a.martin@conncoll.edu