José Amador

Dr. José Amador has been at Miami University for 13 years. He is an Associate Professor of Latin American, Latino/a, and Caribbean Studies in the Department of Global and Intercultural Studies and faculty affiliate to the Department of History. He teaches a wide variety of courses relating to history, including Latin America in the United States; the European Slave Trade and the Making of the Black Atlantic; Gender and Sexuality in Latin America;  Race, Science, and Disease in the Americas; and Afro-Latin America. Amador co-coordinated the 2021-2022 Humanities Center’s Altman Program, “Race and Racism: The Problem of Persistence” with the Humanities Center. He is also a board member of ALFAS, Association of Latinx Faculty and Staff, where he helps think about issues of Latinx representation on campus. 

 

Amador received his bachelor's in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico. His interest in history, art, and literature precipitated a change in his career path. Rather than continuing on to medical school, he went to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he earned a Ph.D. in Latin American History, with a specialization in the history of African diaspora in the Americas and medical history.

 

Split by the Midwest

Coming from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Amador has always been surrounded by a big, busy, and culturally diverse community. Though his first arrival to the US was to Ann Arbor, MI for academics, he has since moved around to San Francisco CA, Oxford OH, and Chicago IL. His identity has evolved throughout his moves, and his experiences as a Puerto Rican in the United States have fluctuated with each geographical relocation. For example, in San Francisco he found himself immersed in a heavy Mexican and Central American population, and in Chicago he found himself in a heavy Puerto Rican and Mexican American population.

 

During the year, Amador moves between both Chicago and Oxford. In Chicago he lives in an apartment, while in Oxford he lives in a late-nineteenth century rural farmhouse. He stated, “a contrast between here in Oxford is it is isolated and farm-like, and rural and Chicago is in the middle of a city.” Amador resides in Chicago during academic breaks and attempts to visit once or twice during the academic year. He describes himself as a “city person” and is accustomed to the city life due to growing up in San Juan. Having both outlets allows Amador to stay reconnected with the city experience. Amador spent countless hours at the beach growing up, and having the opportunity to live by a lake in Chicago gave him a sense of connection to Puerto Rico. Amador states, “there's a lake that I love, [and] even though it’s not the same as the beach, I pretend that it is similar.” Having connections like these become a placeholder for his Puerto Rican identity, especially since he is far from home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

five interviews and examines the diverse ways in which each Intralatino/a grapples with both identities, since “Chicago has been long described as a city of Latinidad.”. Aparicio wrote this book to capture the rich history of Chicago being a site for inter-Latino relationships as well as to establish the new Latinidad that has arisen in the Midwest, particularly Chicago. In her book she states, “While highlighting the relational and situational nature of the social meanings accorded to skin color, these four anecdotes of racial belonging and non-belonging also problematize and complicate our understanding of race and social identities in the United States.”. This quote introduces the question of identity, especially since the term Latino has a complex history in the United States. Living in the Midwest, Amador has been able to experience the similar ideas that Aparicio presented in her book. 

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Latino Faculty Perspective 

Amador is proud to be a faculty member at Miami University. Having been at Miami University for over ten years, he has had the opportunity to witness transformation in terms of diversification especially since Miami University is a predominantly white institution (PWI). He also believes that being one of the few Latino faculty members entails a certain level of responsibility. He expressed his concerns about the Latin American, Latino/a, and Caribbean Studies (LAS) program. At Miami University, the program is subsumed into the department of Global and Intercultural Studies. Rather than having its own department, the program is reduced, which reduces the visibility of LAS alongside other programs within the larger umbrella structure of the department.  It also devalues the importance of the program to students: “The Latin American Studies and Caribbean studies program sits within Global and Intercultural Studies rather than being a field of study that may merit its own investment and time,” stated Amador. 

 

Despite structural challenges, Amador has witnessed change on campus. In his classes, Amador has noticed how there is more diversity in the classroom than when he first arrived in 2008. He has also been able to witness students of color be more vocal,  speaking up in class and empowered to speak about their identities. Although there is still a lot of work to be accomplished, he has noticed the efforts Miami University has worked to accomplish. 

 

Amador shares how proud he is to be a part of the Latin American Studies and Caribbean studies program. He states, “despite being a small number, the Latin American Studies program offered is a very dynamic program, where the professors are really invested in the wellbeing of the students, while at the university but also beyond.” Amador elaborated by sharing how the program has worked hard to put on events and try to keep students engaged and connected. 

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