Papers by Esmeralda Salinas
Poverty and marginalization are two words that are synonymous with Latin America and many Latin A... more Poverty and marginalization are two words that are synonymous with Latin America and many Latin American artists create work in response to these issues. This paper examines the Argentine artist Antonio Berni’s Juanito Laguna series, placing it in the sociopolitical context of 1960s - 1970s Argentina. Antonio Berni was a leftist with Marxist ideals and his ideologies forced him into exile shortly after the 1976 coup d’etat. He fled to New York where he continued his work on the Juanito Laguna series, which he used as a social critique of not only government, but of the effects of industrialization and modernization projects that he felt did not work. Antonio Berni wanted to use his art as a tool for social justice, expressing his opinions the best way he knew how - on the canvas. Berni would express the plight of the working class and the residents of the villas miserias
(shantytowns) most notably during the latter part of his career in the late 1950s and well into the 1970s. While Juanito Laguna has been written about extensively, there is not much scholarship outside Latin America. And, more importantly, there has been no attention paid to how the character of Juanito has filtered into pop culture. In this paper, I examine instances where Juanito, the boy from the villas, has emerged from the canvas and into the public via music, YouTube, theater, and
bars while also speculating on the power of this one character’s ability to touch the lives of all Argentines.
Thesis Chapters by Esmeralda Salinas
This chapter looks briefly at Chile in the 1970s and introduces memory and trauma studies. The fi... more This chapter looks briefly at Chile in the 1970s and introduces memory and trauma studies. The first sections will look at the events that led to the coup on September 11, 1973 and life under the regime. The second section will look at the various theories of memory studies, beginning with the father of memory theory, Maurice Halbwachs, and then continuing to explore commemorations, objects, and emotions. The Other September 11th On September 4, 1970, Salvador Allende won the presidency in Chile, but not by an absolute majority vote. The final decision was made by Congress who, upon review, appointed him president. Soon after he was appointed president, he began work on implementing the socialist program called La vía chilena al socialismo (the Chilean Path to Socialism) which included the nationalization of large-scale industries, a government healthcare system, and the expansion of land seizure and distribution. Allende remained at odds with the Congress and faced several crises throughout his presidency, especially during the summer of 1973, which led to the eventual breaking point. One of these crises was the 1972 truckers strike when Allende moved to create a state transportation scheme which caused major shortages in all industries, but, most importantly, the food industry. This led to long lines and rations which eventually led to demonstrations. Allende was also faced with numerous economic problems including inflation which doubled in 1972 due to wage increases and increases in spending. With the help and backing of the United States, Allende was overthrown and assassinated on September 11, 1973 in a violent military coup dʼétat led by General 4
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Papers by Esmeralda Salinas
(shantytowns) most notably during the latter part of his career in the late 1950s and well into the 1970s. While Juanito Laguna has been written about extensively, there is not much scholarship outside Latin America. And, more importantly, there has been no attention paid to how the character of Juanito has filtered into pop culture. In this paper, I examine instances where Juanito, the boy from the villas, has emerged from the canvas and into the public via music, YouTube, theater, and
bars while also speculating on the power of this one character’s ability to touch the lives of all Argentines.
Thesis Chapters by Esmeralda Salinas
(shantytowns) most notably during the latter part of his career in the late 1950s and well into the 1970s. While Juanito Laguna has been written about extensively, there is not much scholarship outside Latin America. And, more importantly, there has been no attention paid to how the character of Juanito has filtered into pop culture. In this paper, I examine instances where Juanito, the boy from the villas, has emerged from the canvas and into the public via music, YouTube, theater, and
bars while also speculating on the power of this one character’s ability to touch the lives of all Argentines.