In collaboration with my esteemed mentor, Dr. Armin Langer, I am co-authoring the article “Promoting Pan-Americanism vis-a-vis U.S. Cultural Imperialism: Puerto Rican Artist Residente’s Twenty-First-Century Latin American Resistance.” This research is funded by the prestigious Emerging Scholars Award, granted annually to around 50 select freshmen and sophomores. Notably, our article is the first-ever Emerging Scholars Award project chosen by and to represent the Center for Latin American Studies, marking a historic milestone for the program.

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Our research explores the cultural and political critiques embedded in Puerto Rican artist Residente’s 2024 album Las Letras Ya No Importan (“The Lyrics Don’t Matter Anymore”), focusing on three key tracks—“This Is Not America,” “En talla,” and “René.” Through these songs, Residente challenges U.S. cultural imperialism, reclaims pan-American identity, and weaves together themes of colonial resistance, historical memory, and transnational solidarity. Drawing from interdisciplinary frameworks in postcolonial theory, cultural studies, and Latin American popular music scholarship, the article situates Residente’s work within a broader tradition of Latin American art as political commentary and cultural resistance. By engaging with concepts such as  pan-Americanism and Edward Said’s theory of cultural imperialism, the project highlights how Residente mobilizes music to counter dominant geopolitical narratives and envision a pluralistic, decolonial Americas.

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My responsibilities thus far have included conducting a comprehensive literature review, drafting key sections of the article, analyzing and interpreting song lyrics, offering nuanced perspectives on the music video, and reviewing both primary and secondary sources to support our research. The article will be published in an academic journal once completed.