Students of Dr. Bell's Spanish classes attended the closing reception of Tina Medina’s exhibit Somos at Artes de la Rosa Cultural Center for the Arts. The Dallas-based artist gave a talk on the show, which featured Medina’s compelling mixed-media representations of the alienation that she feels as a result of being a second-generation Mexican-American citizen. Medina feels she is “ni de aquí ni de allá” (neither from here nor there). This phrase, common among Latinx citizens and residents of the U.S., encapsulates the sense that they are from two worlds, belonging fully to neither. In Somos, the artist centers this feeling and reclaims her Mexican heritage while forging a new identity, that of Xicana.

“I am so excited for my students to see these pieces and to have the opportunity to talk with the artist,” said Dr. Bell. “Medina’s art is especially relevant for my SPN4369 (Hispanic-American Literature) students; our entire focus is to explore how Latinx writers in the U.S. navigate feelings of isolation and non-belonging and seek to build a new identity through their work—the phrase ‘ni de aquí ni de allá’ is literally in the course description.”

Dr. Bell’s SPN4369 students plan to present on the subject at University College Day on April 19.