Papers by Dimitri Nesbitt Pérez
In 2014, then Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto unveiled a series of glamorous plans for the c... more In 2014, then Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto unveiled a series of glamorous plans for the construction of world-class national airport in Mexico City (NAICM). The project’s scale and international design reverberated throughout the country, with many perceiving the airport as a critical step in Mexico’s membership into the developed world. It was not only an epitomal chance for planners to participate in an influential long-term project, but, if executed well, it would expand the possibilities for metropolitan planning for years to come. However, resistances relentlessly noted governmental abuse, from negligent accountability by several agencies to lack in procedural transparency. It culminated in a highly controversial 2018 consulta in which the population decidedly voted to condemn the airport project, choosing to fund alternatives.
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Ridgeland Connect is a strategic plan for the Ridgeland Avenue corridor in Berwyn, Illinois, that... more Ridgeland Connect is a strategic plan for the Ridgeland Avenue corridor in Berwyn, Illinois, that assesses the comprehensive existing conditions with innovative, sustainable, and inclusive spatial design techniques and best practices for a graduate course at the University of Illinois - Chicago.
Co-Authored by Margaret Schafer, Adam Beaver, Sierra Berquist, and Mihir Saraf.
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Le républicanisme français est célèbre pour sa reconnaissance d'une gouvernance non-voyante et un... more Le républicanisme français est célèbre pour sa reconnaissance d'une gouvernance non-voyante et universelle, où la différenciation sociale est considérée comme inutile. Aux yeux de la loi, chaque personne est égale, ce qui permet de légiférer pour les politiques antidiscriminatoires est illogique. Cette constitutionnalité a, cependant, montré que les idéaux républicains ne se traduisent pas dans sa pratique, ce qui a perpétué la discrimination dans l'histoire de la France, à la fois coloniale et postcoloniale. L'histoire de la France comme puissance coloniale a fait du pays une destination pour les migrants, en particulier ceux qui émigrent de ses anciennes colonies. Pourtant, avec ces populations, l'État et ses acteurs adjacents ont constamment reproduit des divisions sociales au sein de l'idéologie de la gouvernance non-voyante. Les immigrants et les personnes anciennement colonisées illustrent les groupes les plus visibles touchés par cette pratique. Par conséquent, « l'aveuglement » idéologique du républicanisme permet un traitement discriminatoire des immigrés en raison des relations disproportionnées de la France avec ses anciennes colonies, des désaccords entre les partis sur la façon d'accepter sa violence historique, et les pratiques domestiques qui rendent le républicanisme, lui-même, problématique. Les relations tendues qu'elle entretient avec l'Algérie sont les plus emblématiques de l'histoire coloniale de la France. Malgré l'extension légale du territoire métropolitain français, l'Algérie est subordonnée à la satisfaction des besoins économiques de la France. Avant la colonisation en 1830, les divers groupes ethniques de l'Algérie étaient relativement égaux, mais les efforts français d'assimilation créaient un système de castes coloniales qui favorisait les intérêts européens. Les changements migratoires entre les deux pays ont commencé par l'imposition d'une économie de marché, qui a exigé la militarisation française des espaces
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Our acceptance of human positionality, in relation to everything else, determines our utilization... more Our acceptance of human positionality, in relation to everything else, determines our utilization of natural resources and our version of wilderness. Our position in a web, spectrum, or any other structure can determine the type of relationship we might have with the environment. Darwinism, for instance, can be framed with a sociological perspective that aims to confirm capitalist order as biologically efficient and morally correct. Likewise, the thermodynamic formalism conjectured by Raymond Lindeman offers humanity a budgetary and transactional approach to natural resources and beings. While environmental utilization is consistent across centuries and ideologies, what appear different are the social groups identified with enforcing that utilization. By examining corporate restructuring and the industrial form of nature; oceanographers versus politicized science for national interests; and Indigenous people and the rejection of the Pristine Myth, it becomes apparent that constructions of nature provide certain societal classes the necessary agency to identify the natural world for its sociopolitical benefit.
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Henry David Thoreau's "Sounds" presents the state of his world through observation of its activit... more Henry David Thoreau's "Sounds" presents the state of his world through observation of its activity. Locomotors, timber, and economic systems are understood as belonging to a rapidly industrializing existence, further disconnecting itself from natural processes. Such reactive awareness, of critiquing industrialization from a Romantic perspective, lends credence to how society used nature and the enduring relationship to it. American environmental praxis, therefore, is a story of utilitarian management and control of nature, formulated by the nation's anthropocentrism in wilderness, its mercantilist history, and its structural position on conservation.
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This is part two of a paper on Puerto Rican identity.
Latin American perspectives of identity a... more This is part two of a paper on Puerto Rican identity.
Latin American perspectives of identity and ethnicity are often contextualized by historical events in which a foreign, European power invaded and replaced Indigenous society. Likewise, the spiritual successor of this imperialism has been understood to be the United States. While factual, these perspectives exist in an incomplete state, particularly when juxtaposed against Native discourses in identity and the raciality of Latinxs. In this vein, I contextualize the continued debates on Latin American, expanded from exclusively Puerto Rican, identity through mechanisms of accountability theorized within Indigenous studies. Specifically, I argue that a more accurate understanding of Latin American identity must include discussions about the praxis of Indigeneity, self-indigenization and appropriation, socially reproduced colonialism, and a recognition of Latinx positionality. The complexities of the entire Latin American and Caribbean region illustrate colonialism and imperialism's pervasive nature-one that is exponentially heightened by the proximity of the United States. However, if the goal of Latin American identity is to be liberated from the bonds of political whiteness, it must acknowledge how it has been complicit in it.
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Latin Trap is an emerging style of music that merges Southern African American musical cadences a... more Latin Trap is an emerging style of music that merges Southern African American musical cadences and trap tempos with contemporary reggaeton influences; by its very nature, it is not singly identifiable as one genre or the other—it is a fusion. Its emergence can be interpreted as a moment in which Latin urban artists are actively creating a sound that stems from, combines, and redefines historical narratives of race and ethnicity in Latin America. Through its lofty vocal delivery and its measured, deep beats, Latin Trap can be interpreted as moment in music trends that recognizes historical and ethnic influences of Africanness within Latineity; that embodies and personifies structural difference and violence; and that symbolizes the creation of another mechanism through which Afro-Latinxs can identify.
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The trove of leaked documents known infamously as the Panama Papers sheds light on the dealings o... more The trove of leaked documents known infamously as the Panama Papers sheds light on the dealings of individuals affiliated with Mexican drug cartels. Specifically, Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca’s documents allow us to understand the movement of money from illegitimate to legitimate sectors by how the cartels collect money, how they launder it, and why illegal measures appear to be more desirable. Surprisingly, Mexico is only mentioned roughly 30,000 times in the Papers, even though serving as home base for many powerful drug syndicates, which makes the tracking of financial laundering even more curious.
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Since the Partition of India in 1947, the normative culture over identities has been constructed,... more Since the Partition of India in 1947, the normative culture over identities has been constructed, reconstructed, and challenged. Questions over a historical national Indian identification simultaneously affect the treatment of South-Asian subcultures in idealistic and oppressive ways. A particular aspect includes the construction and repetition of gendered interpretations, and emulative gender behaviors and relations within Bollywood cinema that perpetuate or criticize systemic oppression. Zameer (1975), directed by Ravi Chopra, and Fire (1996), directed by Deepa Mehta, are symbolic in these respective categories. By utilizing Judith Butler's theoretical framework on gender performativity, I attempt to uncover how Chopra and Mehta's films are mechanisms and discourses that uphold and condemn an institutionalized perspective on gender roles.
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Although being geographically close, France and Germany have experienced different methods of mig... more Although being geographically close, France and Germany have experienced different methods of migration that have influenced their respective citizen requirements throughout their histories. Such naturalizations have been staunchly resolute, as is the case with Germany, or remarkably elastic, like in France. The terms jus soli, birthright citizenship through soil, and jus sanguinis, citizenship through blood or heritage, present polarizing situations for both nations. With a rising number of populist parties, a flirtation with nationalist ideologies, and a growing sense of urgency to resolve the Syrian migrant crisis, Europe remains the center for socio-political experiments in humanism and globalization. This last aspect, the refugees, has particularly adapted the moods in Europe with a variety of countries responding retroactively.
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As the birthplace of modern philosophy on human freedoms and rights circa the Enlightenment, Fra... more As the birthplace of modern philosophy on human freedoms and rights circa the Enlightenment, France continues on its quest to find equilibrium between its secular national identity and its commitments to individual liberties. The French experiment with democracy, born of revolution and rejuvenated by immigration, has created a dramatic, egoist, and tragic stage populated by a multitude of narratives. It has become one in parallel with the Anglo republican schools of thought. It has dizzyingly pivoted across the political spectra like a pendulum. It has created complex scenarios where lines of personal freedoms are blurred by the prosperity of the greater nation-or so it argues. But this is especially what is being debated. Is the French model of integration actually functioning? Or are intersectional identities outcast to the peripheries? Is discrimination truly an epidemic or is it simply a minor side effect of the sacrifices one much make for the good of republic? Is multiculturalism a march to utopia or is it the dystopian nightmare that threatens sovereignty and identity? French contemporary race relations allow us to shed light on the social attitudes, cultural shifts, nationalist sentiments, and political responses from 1990-2010 to answer these questions.
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As society progresses through new experiences of a globalized, hyper-connected reality, it become... more As society progresses through new experiences of a globalized, hyper-connected reality, it becomes more conducive to exploring new ideas regarding socioeconomic and geopolitical topics. The global atmosphere has redefined how political engagement functions for or against issues of sustainable development--including immigration, drug trafficking, and human rights, for example. A valuable insight is in Gary Bryner's legacy, "Protecting the Global Environment," which calls into review understandings of international theories to rethink market practices, economies, and theoretical policymaking frameworks into an environmental justice lens.
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Identity: a quality that has the power to define deeply personal yet unimaginably expansive socie... more Identity: a quality that has the power to define deeply personal yet unimaginably expansive societal characteristics. Its overlap, its intersectionality is continuously changing in the lens of modern Latin American culture as an entire people with a shared story hurdle to a progressive future they were seemingly destined for. Unsurprisingly, this contemporary moment has been molding, colliding, and restructuring itself because of an extensive history. The nature of identity within Latin America's narratives is a paramount analysis into understanding the complexity of an entire region, riddled with diverse traditions, ideologies, and values. Quite simply, the fluidity of identity directly contributed to Latin America's turbulent historical timeline from colonial powerhouse to democratic bastion through the changing perceptions of race and ethnicity, the shared continental nationalist sentiments within revolutionary and independence movements, and the widespread cross-class sociopolitical engagements, all of which have shaped a unique legacy and a promise of hope for the future.
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Latin America is characterized by land grabbing activities with varying levels of violence that c... more Latin America is characterized by land grabbing activities with varying levels of violence that contribute to a neoliberal paradigm of capitalism. Whilst many governments have re-institutionalized and repackaged neoliberalism into their governance-and, despite the assertions and desires that many of these states would like to exist neoliberal perspectives-this execution of capitalism continues to present problematic circumstances for urbanization. As a highly urbanized region, Latin America's urban development remains in a situation in which urban planning is deficient, unsustainable, and underdeveloped. Environmentally, many forces are in question. The desire of the state to modernize cities and improve economic conditions (themselves unequal in urban areas) foster the notion that land grabs are necessary for improvement. The dispossession of land and absorption of fringe and subordinate communities near metropolitan centers suggests livelihoods are fundamentally lost and communal engagements with land are systemically removed and ignored. This paper examines the case of Mexico City's new international airport as an example in which neoliberal agendas were integrated into megaproject development that excluded local livelihoods by using global city theory as described by Susan Fainstein, Richard Florida, and Saskia Sassen.
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Modern Mexico's identities, narratives, and introspection can be reflected upon its dynamic histo... more Modern Mexico's identities, narratives, and introspection can be reflected upon its dynamic historical figures and the personification of values that have named them mythical within the country's conquest by Spain. Included are actors like Hernan Cortez, whose presence earns him portrayals of ambition and the ultimate "champion" of Spain. Additionally, Mexico can point to figures like La Malinche, whose presentation reads like a revenge plot, and Moctezuma, whose superstition ultimately leads to his demise. This triangulation weaves threads of historical figures into the fabrics of historical events, eventually blanketing Mexican society into a modern, intimate, and personal understanding of itself.
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As society continues to be pressed by the challenges of sustainable development policymaking, the... more As society continues to be pressed by the challenges of sustainable development policymaking, the philanthropic nature of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has proven itself as worthy guidelines to consider. Nevertheless, one goal in particular is perhaps the most important in ensuring success within sustainable development pursuits: gender equality. The triangulation of sustainable development is one that includes the mapping of perspectives between environmental preservation, economic growth, and social welfare. Too often, has this trinity been ignored, in favor of agendas focused on a spectrum from economic growth to environmental integrity, with issues addressing popular disenfranchisement relegated to second-tier operations. In elevating gender equality to its own goal, the international community has codified the notion that women's empowerment is a way to ensure progress. The SDGs 5 th Goal specifically wants to "achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls" (UNDP 2015). Whereas explicit mechanisms are in place for how to address gender equality, it is a recurring theme recognizable throughout all seventeen goals. While no small task, it is important to examine the areas in which the Sustainable Development Goals are defining gender equality and how gender issues were historically developed, as well as consider the spheres of gendered violence, inhibited rights, and female participation within defined settings, such as individual nation-states and the international realm.
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The introduction of Chinese migrant workers to Wyoming presented a new opportunity for a communi... more The introduction of Chinese migrant workers to Wyoming presented a new opportunity for a community to establish unique and lasting ways of how to transform livelihoods in the new frontier. These migrants were instrumental in founding crucial ways to further the United States’ mission of furthering westward expansion, primarily through the construction of the transcontinental railroad. Based in the southwestern corner of the state, Chinese immigrants brought with them oriental concepts of space, new architectural forms of expression, and richness in culturally distinct artifacts that embody the realities of a community noted for its vibrancy and attacked for its orientalism.
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As a region, Latin America has long been associated with the conflicting pressures of United Stat... more As a region, Latin America has long been associated with the conflicting pressures of United States foreign drug policy, entrenched in eradication tactics, and indigenous-born resistances, through regulated cultivation and, most recently, legalization – as was the case with Uruguay and marijuana in 2014. The vast majority of the continent, however, operates under watchful eye of the hemisphere’s geopolitics which shape the discourses on criminalization of drug use. Despite the rhetoric, one such tactic that encompasses the changing times is investment in harm reduction programs for drug users. This approach acknowledges the realities of drug addiction, and, when executed correctly, removes the stigmatization of it. Harm reduction programs in Latin America should be invested in because they statistically work with the realities of a population and have been proven to reduce diseases.
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The dynamic nature of sex work has become heightened in an era of technology and its related patt... more The dynamic nature of sex work has become heightened in an era of technology and its related patterns of increased globalization. No longer does prostitution require physical solicitation or interaction. Rather, it benefits by operating in a sphere dominated by electronic financial transactions, internet personas, and virtual realities.Thus, the purpose of this paper is to understand the prominent discourses of international policing institutions and their impact on the empowerment of sex workers in the online and virtual sectors, with respectable examination on the current spaces in which prostitution is done on the internet. Specifically, the ability for sex workers to use the internet for empowering purposes in prostitution is limited by the policing of institutions whose policies lack circumstantial information, by the role played by damaging online sex addiction and child pornography, and the ambiguous and understudied use of artificial intelligence as a means to apprehending predatory individuals.
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Having been colonized by the Spanish and transformed into a sugar-producing powerhouse, to being ... more Having been colonized by the Spanish and transformed into a sugar-producing powerhouse, to being taken over by the United States as a war prize, to challenges in paths to statehood, Puerto Rico remains a hotbed of conflicting sentiments, for and against the United States. The intense and confusing blend of a native indigenous identity, diluted with Spanish-introduced mestizaje (the racial blending of indigenous and European roots), and then later subject to North American capitalist influences have created one of the most interesting cases in how Latin Americans interact with the United States politically, economically, and societally. The complexities of Puerto Rico's identity crises are attributed to United States interventions on the island, obstacles regarding the pursuit of statehood, and the affiliation of balancing life within two realms-the United States and the rest of Latin America.
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Papers by Dimitri Nesbitt Pérez
Co-Authored by Margaret Schafer, Adam Beaver, Sierra Berquist, and Mihir Saraf.
Latin American perspectives of identity and ethnicity are often contextualized by historical events in which a foreign, European power invaded and replaced Indigenous society. Likewise, the spiritual successor of this imperialism has been understood to be the United States. While factual, these perspectives exist in an incomplete state, particularly when juxtaposed against Native discourses in identity and the raciality of Latinxs. In this vein, I contextualize the continued debates on Latin American, expanded from exclusively Puerto Rican, identity through mechanisms of accountability theorized within Indigenous studies. Specifically, I argue that a more accurate understanding of Latin American identity must include discussions about the praxis of Indigeneity, self-indigenization and appropriation, socially reproduced colonialism, and a recognition of Latinx positionality. The complexities of the entire Latin American and Caribbean region illustrate colonialism and imperialism's pervasive nature-one that is exponentially heightened by the proximity of the United States. However, if the goal of Latin American identity is to be liberated from the bonds of political whiteness, it must acknowledge how it has been complicit in it.
Co-Authored by Margaret Schafer, Adam Beaver, Sierra Berquist, and Mihir Saraf.
Latin American perspectives of identity and ethnicity are often contextualized by historical events in which a foreign, European power invaded and replaced Indigenous society. Likewise, the spiritual successor of this imperialism has been understood to be the United States. While factual, these perspectives exist in an incomplete state, particularly when juxtaposed against Native discourses in identity and the raciality of Latinxs. In this vein, I contextualize the continued debates on Latin American, expanded from exclusively Puerto Rican, identity through mechanisms of accountability theorized within Indigenous studies. Specifically, I argue that a more accurate understanding of Latin American identity must include discussions about the praxis of Indigeneity, self-indigenization and appropriation, socially reproduced colonialism, and a recognition of Latinx positionality. The complexities of the entire Latin American and Caribbean region illustrate colonialism and imperialism's pervasive nature-one that is exponentially heightened by the proximity of the United States. However, if the goal of Latin American identity is to be liberated from the bonds of political whiteness, it must acknowledge how it has been complicit in it.