hampshire_1365-OBJ (3)

Acknowledgements
Conducting fieldwork of any magnitude is impossible without the help of others. In my
case, it would not be just to continue this piece without the acknowledgement of the people who
have invested much of their time and attention to me and my research. I would like to thank my
family, and my grandmother and mother in particular, for keeping me connected to my
Dominican culture as a first­generation American; for teaching me that identity is more than
where you are born, it is where you, your blood and family, come from. I would also like to
thank the brilliant professors and students that I have grown beside throughout my time at
Hampshire College, and within the Five College Consortium. More specifically, I would like to
thank professors Rebecca Nordstrom, Helen Scharber, Junko Oba, Carl Clements, and
Roosbelinda Cárdenas; my advisors, mentors, and source of emotional support during the
stresses of college due­dates. These professors have gone beyond the requirements of their
contracts to guide my development as a scholar. Brendan Linehan, William Wright, and Flannery
Weiss, my closest peers in college helped me develop my goals, aspirations, and a sense of
humor that were critical in building the relationships central to my work. Finally, I would like to
thank my collaborators in Dominican Republic; Edis Sánchez, Jesus Guillén, José Luis, Chema,
Esteban Brazobán, and Payano “Grandpa.” Without these individuals, my work would have no
academic authority. These people volunteered their time, office space, and homes to support my
research in the Dominican Republic, and I could never be more grateful.
The following Division III Advanced Independent Project is a collaborative piece;
written by me, with the contribution and guidance of the people mentioned above, as well as the
voices echoed throughout this piece.