Alcalde, Cristina

Fernandez Cantero, Juan

Lane, Sharrah

English

University of Kentucky

Nomenclatura: aproximaciones a losestudios hispánicosVolume 7 Migration in 20th and 21st Century Spainand Latin AmericaMigración en España y Latinoamerica en los siglos XXy XXIArticle 32019From “Home” to Interdisciplinarity: An Interviewwith Cristina AlcaldeCristina AlcaldeUniversity of Kentucky, cristina.alcalde@uky.eduJuan Fernandez CanteroUniversity of Kentucky, juan.fernandez@uky.eduSharrah LaneUniversity of Kentucky, sharrah.lane@uky.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/naehPart of the Spanish and Portuguese Language and Literature CommonsRight click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefitsyou.This Interview is brought to you for free and open access by the Hispanic Studies at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Nomenclatura:aproximaciones a los estudios hispánicos by an authorized editor of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact UKnowledge@lsv.uky.edu.Recommended CitationAlcalde, Cristina; Fernandez Cantero, Juan; and Lane, Sharrah (2019) "From “Home” to Interdisciplinarity: An Interview withCristina Alcalde," Nomenclatura: aproximaciones a los estudios hispánicos: Vol. 7 , Article 3.DOI: https://doi.org/10.13023/naeh.2019.03Available at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/naeh/vol7/iss1/3© 2019 The Author(s).  This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original author(s) and the publication source are credited. Nomenclatura:	aproximaciones	a	los	estudios	hispánicos	7	(2019)		Migration	in	20th	and	21st	Century	Spain	and	Latin	America/	Migración	en	España	y	Latinoamérica	en	los	siglos	XX	y	XXI	Eds.	Juan	Fernandez	Cantero	and	Sharrah	Lane			From	“Home”	to	Interdisciplinarity:	An	Interview	with	Cristina	Alcalde	Cristina	Alcalde,	Juan	Fernández	Cantero	and	Sharrah	Lane		University	of	Kentucky			Sharrah	Lane	(SL):	Thank	you	so	much	for	giving	us	the	opportunity	to	interview	you.		Cristina	Alcalde	(CA):	Thank	you	for	coming	and	inviting	me	to	do	this.			SL:	So,	as	you	know,	our	issue	this	time	around	is	related	to	migration	and	intersectionality.	We	were	just	wondering	how	you	approach	migration	in	your	work	and	how	you	use	an	intersectional	lens	in	your	work.		CA:	Why	don’t	I	tell	you	first	a	little	about	the	research	that	I	do	so	that	we	can	talk	about	how	I	approach	it.		SL:	Ok.			CA:	So,	for	my	latest	project	I	was	looking	at	Peruvian	migrants	who	have	lived	or	who	live	in	Germany,	Canada	and	the	U.S.	and	I	was	looking	at	why	they	stayed	there	and	why	they	decided	to	return	to	Peru,	and	specifically	to	Lima.	So,	in	that	case,	my	approach	to	migration	was	to	look	at	middle-class	and	upper-class	migrants	and	that’s	against	the	background	of	most	of	the	research	being	done	on	migration	which	is	about	economic	migrants	who	are	lower-class,	and	that’s	really	important,	and	that’s	also	a	lot	of	the	research	 I’ve	 done	 in	 the	 past.	 But	 I	 think	 to	 be	 able	 to	 understand	migration,	we	need	to	look	at	it	holistically	and	middle-classes	and	upper-classes	are	the	ones	that	often	dominate	and	have	the	power	to	change	the	discourses.	And	so	I	wanted	to	explore	the	sorts	of	discourses	coming	from	 2 the	middle	and	upper	classes	about	what	it	means	to	be	Peruvian	and	how	that	 changes	 when	 you	 migrate	 and	 when	 you	 cross	 borders.	 I	 was	interested	in	how	ideas	about	national	identity--again	this	would	have	to	do	with	my	 approach	 to	migration	which	 is	 about	 identity--	 and	 about	experiences,	about	inequalities,	about	racialization	and	about	gender.	And	so	 that’s	 how	 intersectionality	 comes	 in.	 I	 think	 when	 any	 of	 us	 cross	borders,	we	really	fundamentally	shake	up	and	question	who	we	really	are,	and	 so	 I	wonder,	what	happens	when	you’re	 coming	 from	a	position	of	privilege?	We	 know	more	 about	what	 happens	when	 you	 come	 from	 a	position	in	which	you’ve	been	oppressed	in	some	ways,	but	when	you	come	from	a	position	of	privilege	and	that	privilege	isn’t	recognized,	what	does	that	do?	Do	you	then	take	on	a	new	identity?	What	do	you	do?	And	in	this	case,	what	I	found	is	that	people	sometimes	hold	on	to	these	ideas	of	who	they	are,	which	are	very	hierarchical,	and	at	the	same	time	they	hold	on	to	ideas	of	themselves	as	being	very	open.	And	so,	there’s	that	contradiction	of	 how	 they	 view	 themselves	 and	how	we	view	ourselves	 as	 very	 open	people	and	then	our	own	actions	and	discourses	and	prejudices	as	we	try	to	hold	on	to	some	sort	of	power.	Because	as	immigrants,	we	are	all	in	an	often-ambiguous	situation	so	that’s	the	power	we	have	sometimes.	With	Peruvian	migrants	 sometimes	 it	was	 referring	back	 to	what	 school	 they	went	to,	to	show	they	were	of	a	certain	class.	Though,	how	do	you	control	power?	So,	my	research	is	intersectional,	because	it	looks	at	power	from	different	perspectives	and	the	different	identities	people	have;	with	upper-and	 middle-class	 Peruvians	 sometimes	 it	 was	 that	 they	 employed	discourses	 that	were	discriminatory	and	 that’s	 in	a	way	 to	uphold	 their	own	status.	Even	at	the	same	time	that	they’re	being	discriminated	against	by	others	because,	as	is	the	case	with	many	Latin	Americans,	it’s	the	first	time	 that	 they	 were	 racialized	 and	 seen	 as	 an	 Other.	 To	 me	 that’s	fascinating,	both	 from	a	personal	perspective	because	 I’m	an	 immigrant	and	 I’ve	 experienced	 that,	 but	 also	 because	 that’s	when	 I	 think	we	 can	really	find	out,	as	an	anthropologist	I’m	interested	in	what	it	means	to	be	human	and	how	these	experiences	show	us	patterns	of	behavior.		SL:	Using	that	question	as	a	basis	for	further	inquiry,	how	would	you	see	power	and	sexuality	intertwining	with	the	migration	experience?		CA:	Well,	in	the	research	I’ve	been	doing	specifically,	because	in	general	it	intersects	 in	 so	many	ways	because	 some	people	 leave	because	of	 their	sexual	 identity,	 because	 they’re	 oppressed	 and	because	 there’s	 violence	against	 them.	 I	was	 interested	 in	seeing	specifically	how	Peruvians	who	 3 identify	as	queer,	if	they	decided	to	return,	how	the	experience	of	return	migration	 would	 affect	 them.	 In	 their	 self-identification	 as	 Peruvian,	depending	on	where	you	live	because	of	different	laws	and	different	forms	of	protection.	What	I	found	is	that	oftentimes	the	home	and	the	family	is	where	 a	 lot	 of	 the	 oppression	 is.	 I’m	 always	 interested	 in	 looking	 at	oppression	 at	 multiple	 levels:	 the	 level	 of	 the	 family,	 the	 level	 of	 the	community,	the	level	of	the	society.	So	what	I	found	is	that	to	return	home	for	 LGBTQ	 Peruvians,	 unlike	 for	 other	 migrants	 who	 were	 Peruvian,	 it	often	meant	having	to	put	up	with	violence,	whether	it’s	verbal	violence	or	the	violence	of	being	constantly	told	that	you	don’t	belong	or	that	you	only	belong	if	you	suppress	part	of	your	identity.	And	that’s	not	something	that	heterosexual	or	Peruvians	who	identify	as	heterosexual	really	experience.	For	me	it	was	interesting	to	see	how	sexuality	was	the	one	identity	that	stood	 out	 and	 that	 made	 people	 more	 vulnerable	 to	 violence.	 Not	necessarily	physical	violence,	but	more	verbal	and	emotional	violence,	like	being	told	that…	There	was	one	person	I	interviewed	who,	when	anything	that	went	wrong,	his	family	was	like,	“Oh,	it’s	because	you’re	gay,”	so	it’s	this	 constant,	 “Well,	 it’s	because	you’re	 that,”	 that	 you’re	Other	 in	 some	other	way,	so	it	was	a	way	of	marking	them	as	Other.	Even	though	in	his	case,	 as	 in	many	 others,	 he	 felt	 that	 the	 only	 place	 where	 he	 felt	 truly	comfortable	was	with	his	family	in	Lima,	yet	it	was	his	family	in	Lima	that	was	the	one	that	was	most	oppressive	and	which	really	rejected	who	he	was.		SL:	 And	 in	 terms	 of	 the	 migratory	 experience,	 you’ve	 talked	 about	 the	decision	to	return	as	related	to	sexuality,	but	in	terms	of	the	actual	decision	to	 migrate	 from	 the	 community	 and	 living	 in	 a	 new	 community,	 for	instance	 abroad,	 did	 you	 find	 that	 people	 you	 interviewed	 thought	 that	they	were	able	 to	be	more	open	about	 their	sexuality	 in	 the	places	 they	were	able	to	migrate	to?	Or	was	that	also	problematic	in	leaving	the	home	community	and	going	to	the	receiving	community?		CA:	I	interviewed	a	large	group	of	people	and	only	a	minority	identified	as	LGBTQ.	 In	 those	 cases,	 what	 I	 found	 that	 was	 interesting	 to	 me,	 even	though	migration	research	 typically	 talks	about	how	migration	can	be	a	form	of	liberation,	you	can	be	away	from	your	family	and	all	these	forms	of	oppression,	 but	 really	 to	 belong	 oftentimes	 as	 immigrants,	 we	 look	 for	those	 immigrant	 communities.	 And	 so	 what	 would	 happen	 is	 that	immigrants	are	looking	for	those	immigrant	communities	so	they’re	once	again	in	these,	in	the	middle	of	these	oppressive	discourses	about	what	it	 4 means	to	be	Peruvian,	so	the	first	question	would	be	for	a	woman,	“So	who	did	you	marry?”	and	“Well,	I	didn’t	marry	anyone,”	or,	“Why	don’t	you	have	children?”	in	the	cases	in	which	they	didn’t	have	children	or	if	her	partner’s	a	 woman	 it	 would	 be	 this	 total	 disavowal	 that	 that’s	 a	 legitimate	relationship.	So	then	in	some	cases	what	it	was	is	that	the	Peruvians	I	met	with	 didn’t	 feel	 comfortable	 in	 those	 immigrant	 communities.	 So	 again,	that’s	a	violence	against	 their	own	belonging	as	Peruvians,	 so	migration	doesn’t	mean	you	become	totally	isolated	and	in	those	cases	in	some	ways	they	had	to	choose	between	feeling	like	they	belong	to	this	community	of	Peruvians,	which	Peruvians	come	from	all	classes,	all	sexual	orientations,	everything,	 but	 in	 those	 cases,	 the	 ones	 that	were	 very	 narrow	 in	 their	focus,	or	 the	community	outside	 in	which	they	wouldn’t	have	this	much	surveillance.		Juan	Fernández	Cantero	(JFC):	I	was	thinking	that	some	immigrants	look	for	 communities	 of	 immigrants,	 which	 is	 similar	 to	 looking	 for	 home	outside	of	their	home	countries,	but	their	home	can	also	be	seen	as	their	return	and	going	back	 to	 those	patterns	of	oppression.	 In	your	opinion,	what’s	 the	 tension	between	home	as	a	 safe	place	and	home	as	 factor	of	identity?		CA:	That’s	a	great	question.	In	my	previous	research	I	worked	on	intimate	partner	violence,	one	of	the	first	things	I	approach	my	research	with	is	that	the	home,	we	shouldn’t	assume	that	the	home	is	a	safe	place.	And	I	also	apply	that	here.	The	home	is	not	[necessarily]	a	safe	place,	so	the	new	home	that	you	might	migrate	to	or	the	home	you	come	from	is	not	necessarily	a	safe	place.	It	might	be	one	of	the	most	violent	places.	I	think	either	one	can	be	 home,	 but	 I	 think	 as	with	 all	 immigrants,	 the	 idea	 that	we	 can	 have	multiple	homes	and	that	having	more	than	one	home	doesn’t	diminish	our	attachments	 to	 another	 one,	 but	 it	 does	 change	 our	way	 of	 viewing	 the	world.	Sometimes	we	have	to	have	one	home,	like,	“Where	are	you	from?”	or	“Where	is	home?”	or	“Are	you	going	back	home?”	all	these	questions	are	very	binary,	so	a	lot	of	the	research	I’m	interested	in	really	challenges	those	binaries	of	home	and	abroad.	If	you	can	be	at	home	in	both	places,	but	in	reality,	you	might	not	feel	fully	at	home	in	either	one.	Because	there	is	no	perfect	home.		SL:	You	spoke	a	little	about	your	work	with	intimate	partner	violence	and	mentioned	 being	 an	 advocate	 in	 your	 previous	 research,	 and	 we’re	wondering	how	you	see	your	work	in	academia	contributing	to	your	work	 5 as	 an	 advocate	 and	 vice	 versa.	 Would	 you	 have	 any	 advice	 for	 young	scholars	regarding	academic	work	and	advocacy?		CA:	I	wish	I	could	be	more	of	an	advocate.	When	I	was	working	on	intimate	partner	 violence,	 one	 of	 the	 things	 I	 did	 was	 volunteer	 at	 a	 shelter.	Individually,	I	tried	to	do	different	things.	As	an	academic,	one	of	the	things	that	research	has	allowed	me	to	do,	both	the	intimate	partner	violence	and	immigration	research,	is	that	from	time	to	time	I’m	called	on	to	be	an	expert	witness	for	asylum	cases,	so	that’s	for	me	the	most	significant	way	in	which	I	can	be	an	advocate.	Apart	from	serving	on	community	organizations	or	organizing	events	for	the	university	about	migration	or	teaching	classes,	because	that’s	a	form	of	advocacy	because	that’s	education	a	well.	But	the	real	life,	more	urgent	cases,	especially	now	of	asylum,	those	are	the	ones	that	I	feel	are	more	advocacy.	They’d	be	impossible	without	the	work	that	I’ve	done	on	intimate	partner	violence	and	migration,	and	that’s	why	I	can	help	with	that.	In	those	cases,	that	helps	me	bring	it	all	together.	And	you	said	also	advice	for	scholars?	It	would	be	to	do	something	that	you	truly	believe	in	and	that	it’s	ok	to	change	as	you	move	through	your	career;	there	are	always	things	to	advocate	for.	But	I	think	it’s	critical	to	be	able	to	look	at	how	your	research	is	going	to	have	an	impact.	It’s	not	always	going	to	have	an	impact	in	the	real	world,	or	the	outside	world,	but	if	it	does,	it’s	important	that	we	pursue	those	possibilities.		JFC:	How	do	you	see	your	work	interpreted	or	used	across	disciplines?		CA:	 That’s	 another	 awesome	 question.	 Because	 I’m	 in	 Gender	 and	Women’s	Studies	and	students	from	different	disciplines	take	my	courses	and	what	I	teach	isn’t	necessarily	what	I	write	about.	And	I	keep	learning	how	 what	 I	 write	 is	 interpreted	 because	 of	 the	 questions	 I	 get,	 like	 in	graduate	seminars,	like	my	methods	and	my	methods	have	become	more	and	more	interdisciplinary	because	I’m	an	anthropologist	but	I’ve	been	in	a	Gender	and	Women’s	Studies	department	for	over	a	decade,	and	so	my	methods	have	changed.	So,	whereas	before	I	would	do	more	field	research,	then	I	started	doing	more	focus	groups	and	then	more	textual	analysis	and	discourse	analysis.	So,	for	the	latest	book	project	on	Peruvian	migrants,	I	read	novels.	I	mean,	I’ve	always	read	novels,	but	I	used	this	also	as	a	source	of	 information,	 so	 [I	 used]	 novels,	 interviews,	 online	 surveys.	 I	 feel	comfortable	with	using	different	methods	in	a	way	that	I	didn’t	when	I	was	a	younger	scholar	and	I	think	that	helps	me	because	I’m	always	trying	to	learn	more.	So,	the	people	in	my	classes	and	the	other	people	that	I	work	 6 with,	they	tell	me	how	they	interpret	my	work.	I	also	have	reading	groups	with	other	faculty	who	are	from	other	disciplines,	so	that’s	really	helpful.	They’ll	read	it	and	they’ll	ask	me	questions	that	I	hadn’t	thought	of.	That	keeps	it	exciting	and	challenging.		SL:	Speaking	of	reading	groups,	we	were	curious	if	you	could	recommend	a	book	or	article	that	you	think	has	really	changed	or	contributed	to	your	work	regarding	migration	and	intersectionality?			CA:	One	book,	I	wouldn’t	say	it’s	a	central	book,	that	I	was	thinking	of	 is	Telling	to	Live:	Latina	Feminist	Testimonios	I	think	that’s	women	academics	telling	stories	–	they’re	very	intersectional	–	in	academia.	I	think	I	used	that	for	the	first	time	a	decade	ago	in	a	class	and	I	think	that	it	helped	me	and	it	helped	a	 lot	of	us	think	through	how	our	identities	are	connected	to	the	work	we	do	sometimes	and	how	our	experiences	can	be	someone	else’s	research	interests.	So	that’s	always	interesting	to	look	at.	I	can’t	think	of	a	single	 book.	 But	 constantly	 reading	 new	 books,	 that’s	 what	 keeps	 me	thinking.	 Reading	 new	 books	 that	 come	 along	 and	 reading	 novels,	 that	means	I	get	a	lot	of	ideas	just	from	reading	books	from	different	disciplines.	I’m	always	cautious	to	not	say	this	book	is	the	best.		JFC:	I	was	reading	an	article	you	wrote,	one	which	is	really	self-reflective	about	–			CA:	 Oh,	 yes.	 About	 being	 a	 feminist	 anthropologist	 and	 doing	 field	research?		JFC:	Yes.	Is	it	a	common	practice	for	those	people	who	work	with	migration	to	be	self-reflective?		CA:	I	don’t	think	so.	I	think	that’s	more	of	the	feminist	anthropologist,	and	it’s	 something	both	difficult	 and	 challenging	 to	do.	 I	 don’t	 enjoy	writing	about	myself	that	much,	but	I	think	sometimes	it’s	useful	because	it	helps	show	 your	 positionality.	 I	 think	 also,	 since	 I’m	 interested	 in	 power	 and	racialization,	all	those	have	to	do	with	how	people	perceive	me.	What	I	do	is	talk	to	people,	so	people	react	to	me.	So,	to	exclude	me	from	the	equation	would	be	a	disservice	to	the	person	reading	what	I’m	writing,	right?	But	it’s	rough	 because	 you	 have	 to	 be	 self-reflective	 and	 anything	 you	 write	anybody	can	interpret	it	any	way.	So,	you	also	have	to	be	conscious	of	that	and	really	think	about	how	your	position	informs	what	you’re	doing.	I	think	 7 that	migration	research	is	done	from	all	different	perspectives,	so	some	are	very	self-reflective,	some	are	not.	Just	as	with	any	other	topic.	I	think	it’s	the	feminist	research	that	informs	my	reflexivity	and	positionality.		JFC:	 Since	we	 are	 publishing	 this	 issue	 regarding	migration	 and	 it	 also	happens	to	be	the	Year	of	Migration	at	UK	[University	of	Kentucky],	how’s	it	going?	How	are	students	benefiting	from	it?		CA:	 The	Year	of	Migration	 is	 a	whole	 year	of	 events.	We’ve	had	 several	events,	 such	 as	 Migration	 Stories	 Around	 the	World,	 which	 was	 eighty	minutes	of	telling	your	migration	story.	Undergraduate	students	told	their	migration	stories;	 that	was	 really	exciting.	We’ve	had	all	 sorts	of	events	having	 to	 do	 with	 food,	 some	 more	 scholarly,	 some	 more	 community	driven,	 some	 having	 to	 do	with	music.	 So,	 it’s	 really	 all	 about	 trying	 to	understand	how	migration	is	a	part	of	our	lives	and	how	we	can	approach	it	as	scholars	but	also	as	individuals	and	in	our	community.	I	mean,	we	have	such	a	diverse	community,	so	it’s	also	about	bringing	people	in	from	the	community	to	talk	about	that.	So	we’re	beginning	to	plan,	or	we	have	been	planning	things	for	the	Spring	now,	so	there	are	going	to	be	all	these	events.	And	we’re	about	to	put	a	calendar	together	and	our	hope	is	that	people	will	put	those	events	in	their	syllabi	so	that	students	can	come	if	they	want	or	the	community	can	also	come.	The	idea	is	to	learn	from	this.	The	Year	of	Passport	 Series	 that	 this	 is	 part	 of	 typically	 focuses	 on	 one	 area	 of	 the	world,	but	this	year	we	wanted	to	focus	on	something	that	covers	a	lot	of	different	areas	and	that’s	really	contemporary,	so	you	don’t	have	to	be	an	immigrant	or	have	a	mother	or	grandparent	or	great-grandparent	that’s	an	immigrant	to	be	able	to	relate	to	it.	It’s	really	about	who	we	all	are	so	we	thought	it	would	be	a	good	way	to	get	to	that,	both	educationally	and	even	beyond.		JFC:	Do	you	have	any	future	projects	lined	up?		CA:	I’m	still	working	on	some	data	from	this	project	on	migration,	so	I’m	working	on	that.	I’ve	been	working	on	a	couple	articles	and	I’m	working	on	some	new	projects,	so	I’m	trying	to	think	of	the	contours	of	the	new	project.	But	it’s	going	to	be	on	Peru	and	I’m	looking	at	the	possibility	of	looking	at	Chinese	migration	 to	Peru	 and	 to	Lima	and	 looking	 at	middle	 class	 and	belonging.		SL:	Thank	you	so	much	for	your	time!	

From “Home” to Interdisciplinarity: An Interview with Cristina Alcalde

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From “Home” to Interdisciplinarity: An Interview with Cristina Alcalde

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