Guadalupe Aviles

Masters
Latin American Studies

Guadalupe “Lupita” Aviles is a first-year MA student in Latin American Studies at the University of New Mexico. Her academic interests focus on language revitalization of indigenous languages, and the social and linguistic rights of these communities. Having family who lives in Mexico City, Lupita has always wanted to reconnect with her Mexican heritage by learning Nahuatl, the language of her ancestors. After conducting summer research on the impact of “foreign” language teaching on Spanish varieties in U.S schools, Lupita became interested in language's power on one’s identity. She chose to study Nahuatl to better understand her own identity and to work and address the current issues of discrimination towards indigenous populations in Mexico. Lupita hopes to work in language revitalization to advocate and educate others on the beauty and visibility of Nahuatl in academia and social spaces. She also aspires to work as a translator and teacher for Nahuatl to expand the accessibility of the language.