Nolan Explores Impact of State Violence in El Salvador & Guatemala in Premier Álvarez Seminar
On February 2, 2023, Rachel Nolan, Assistant Professor of International Relations at Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, delivered the premier 2023 Mexico, the Americas, and Spain (MAS) Álvarez Seminar lecture at Trinity University.
Nolan’s lecture, titled “We are here because you were there: Surviving civil wars and migrating from El Salvador and Guatemala,” explored the historical roots of migration from Guatemala and El Salvador to the United States. Fears of spreading communism in the region motivated United States policymakers to send millions of dollars to fund the Salvadoran military government. This contributed to the first large wave of emigrants from both countries, with many immigrating to the U.S.
In discussing Guatemala specifically, Nolan highlighted the inherent misunderstanding of the various Indigenous peoples within the country and a lack of awareness when it comes to their languages. Many people associate them with other Latinx peoples, yet they speak entirely different languages depending on their respective backgrounds. As a result, Nolan said the immigration process for these individuals can be extremely complicated, as finding proper translators in the U.S. and other countries has proven to be difficult.
The Álvarez Seminar is organized every spring semester by MAS to celebrate the history and influence of Mexico, the Americas, and Spain through art exhibits, lectures, film screenings, readings, workshops, and musical performances. The MAS series is made possible through the generosity of Carlos and Malú Álvarez. For more information and a full slate of the seminar’s speakers, visit Trinity University’s website.
Rachel Nolan is a historian of modern Latin America. Her research focuses on political violence, Central American civil wars, childhood and the family, historical memory, and U.S.-Latin American relations. She is currently completing a book manuscript on the history of international adoption from Guatemala. Read more about Professor Nolan on her faculty profile.