Apopka, Florida
In addition to my main research as a postdoctoral research scholar, I also conducted a mixed-methods pilot study as principal investigator on the mental health of im/migrants living in Central Florida. This project centered on how new changes in immigration policy have affected the mental health of im/migrants. This research demonstrates that the mental health of im/migrants has worsened due to newly enacted im/migration polices, with downstream consequences for physical health. Further, this study indicates the need for structural interventions to address both the mental and physical health of im/migrants in Central Florida.
North Texas
My work as a postdoctoral research scholar focused on structural interventions to improve relationships between law enforcement officers and community members in North Texas. Findings from this study show a need for sustained community engagement between law enforcement and community members, as well as the desire for each to see the other's humanity. These findings informed the second phase of the research project that focuses on the implementation and feasibility of structral interventions to address these problems. This study is a community-based research project and promotes the overall health and well-being of minoritized populations in North Texas. This project was funded by the National Initutes of Health.
Apopka, Florida
My dissertation, “Mental Health and the Effects of Stress and Violence on Immigrant Farmworker Communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic” examined the direct, structural, and symbolic violence that im/migrants experience and how it affects health disparities and their overall mental health. This study was conducted in Apopka, Florida with im/migrants and nongovernmental organization workers.I conducted ethnographic research with 38 participants and examined how im/migrants living in Apopka experience violence—physical, psychological, and social—and how this violence affected perceived well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, I explored how state violence was experienced by im/migrants and how structural violence perpetuated negative mental health outcomes. My doctoral research shows that im/migrants living in Apopka experienced the pandemic in different ways than other populations based on their prior experiences with multiple forms of violence and trauma, exacerbating existing inequalities. Further, this study demonstrates the need for increased culturally appropriate mental health services. This research was supported through the USF Anthropology Dissertation Completion Fellowship.
Siracusa, Sicily, Italy
In 2010 I visited Siracusa, Sicily as part of an undergraduate study abroad program. During this time, I volunteered at a local reception center for men asylum-seekers. In 2015, I returned to Siracusa to conduct preliminary research for my M.A. in Cultural Anthropology. In 2016, I conducted ethnographic field research at six refugee centers: one center for men refugees, one center for refugee women and infants, three refugee centers for unaccompanied minors, and one center for men, women, and children refugees. This research explored the everyday lived experiences of refugees and their overall well-being and included 43 participants at six second reception centers for refugees. My MA thesis entitled "Life After the Boat: Understanding the Needs of Asylum-seekers in Sicily" won the UCF College of Sciences Award for Outstanding Master's Thesis. I plan to continue this line of inquiry in Italy to examine the experiences of women and unaccompanied minor asylum-seekers.
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Photo Credits: Russell Rice Manzano ©