Bicultural Living: Maria Luisa Mainou's Experience with Immigration and Cultural Change
Submission Type
Event
Expected Graduation Date
2013
Location
Atrium, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Start Date
4-20-2013 9:00 AM
End Date
4-20-2013 10:00 AM
Disciplines
Anthropology
Abstract
This poster focuses on the experiences of Maria Luisa Zamudio Mainou, a first-generation Mexican immigrant who lives in Bloomington, Illinois as a legal permanent resident. Maria Luisa enjoys living in the U.S. and retains a strong link to her Mexican heritage through artwork displayed in her home and close connections with her family in Mexico. Using photographs I took of Maria Luisa's house and artwork, I show how she has integrated the legacy of her home country with her current lifestyle. The images also demonstrate the use of visual methods in ethnographic research. Maria Luisa's story relates to a number of issues in anthropology that the poster briefly addresses, including the effects of transnationalism, immigrant replenishment, and kinship networks. She provides an insightful first-hand account of a bicultural perspective that integrates both the host and origin nations' customs and languages while assigning equal value to both.
Bicultural Living: Maria Luisa Mainou's Experience with Immigration and Cultural Change
Atrium, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
This poster focuses on the experiences of Maria Luisa Zamudio Mainou, a first-generation Mexican immigrant who lives in Bloomington, Illinois as a legal permanent resident. Maria Luisa enjoys living in the U.S. and retains a strong link to her Mexican heritage through artwork displayed in her home and close connections with her family in Mexico. Using photographs I took of Maria Luisa's house and artwork, I show how she has integrated the legacy of her home country with her current lifestyle. The images also demonstrate the use of visual methods in ethnographic research. Maria Luisa's story relates to a number of issues in anthropology that the poster briefly addresses, including the effects of transnationalism, immigrant replenishment, and kinship networks. She provides an insightful first-hand account of a bicultural perspective that integrates both the host and origin nations' customs and languages while assigning equal value to both.