Bilingual Comics on the Border as Graphic Medicine: Journaling and Doodling for Dementia Caregiving during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The use of comics can be a powerful tool to expand educational outreach efforts for improving the health and well-being of people everywhere. Dr. Ian Williams coined the term graphic medicine to denote the use of comics in medical education and patient care ( Graphic Medicine ). Alzheimer\u27s disease affects approximately five million Americans and is expected to triple to 13.8 million by 2050. Hispanics and Blacks are disproportionately affected at a higher rate than other groups ( Facts and Figures ). There is a lack of culturally relevant educational materials available for these populations. To address this disparity, an interdisciplinary community engaged collaboration was initiated with the Alzheimer\u27s Association West Texas Chapter, The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), and Dukes Comics to produce a series of virtual workshops entitled, Journaling and Doodling for Stress Reduction and Relaxation for caregivers of people living with Alzheimer\u27s and other dementias. These sessions were live-streamed and began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Spanish sessions have also been provided to the public. Health information about the disease process and common caregiver challenges are provided in each session. A guided journaling and doodling activity are also included. Journaling has been shown to be an effective and easy tool to use for stress management (Scott). The impetus behind this project was to address the dire need for increasing access to Alzheimer\u27s disease education and resources in El Paso, Texas, a border community that is also home to Fort Bliss Army base. Hispanics comprise approximately 82% of the population and include a large Spanish-speaking segment. Language is often a barrier to health care access and education. To meet the aim of increasing accessibility, the workshops and comics are available in both English and Spanish and soon in-person. This project received a 2022 joint seed grant from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso and UTEP to conduct research and examine data from these workshops that will be provided in-person in marginalized and multilingual Latina communities surrounding El Paso starting in the fall

Towards a New Cholx Consciousness: The Visual Rhetorics of Cholx Artistas as a Method for Social Justice Movements

My dissertation study examines the Cholx subculture through the artwork of Chola artistas Paola Rascón and Vicko Alvarez Vega. Growing up, I interacted easily with Cholos and Cholas, but I also knew that in society there was an overall negative idea of Cholos and Cholas. My research advances Cholx consciousness as a method for social movements through the examination of the visual and written rhetorics by Chola artistas. For my dissertation study, I have drawn on theoretical frameworks from Chicana Feminism, Latino Critical Theory, and Social Justice Rhetorics as discussed by Dolores Delgado Bernal, Kendall Leon, Tara Yosso, Daniel Solórzano, Victor Villanueva, Asao Inoue, and Gloria Anzaldúa. My research is qualitative, combining video interviews and participant observation research. I also examine art and writing produced by my research participants as cultural artifacts that provide evidence of the key themes they explore and present in their artforms. I also reflect on my own autoethnographic experiences as a Xicana scholar and author of comic books, plays, and films. I’m from a small colonia outside of El Paso, Texas, called Chaparral. I grew up in Cholo and Chola communities. I’m first-generation college in my large blended family. My mom emigrated from Chihuahua and my dad grew up in El Paso. As a scholar, I want to examine my own community to better understand my lived experiences. My research connects with the growing global interest of Cholx identity, arts, and culture. My goal is to put forth Cholx counter-storytelling as a method for Social Justice Rhetorics. I want to make salient the images and stories of the Cholx subculture in order to disrupt the oppressive systems and ideologies that have kept them racially and economically disadvantaged