University of Washington Tacoma
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Access*: Interdisciplinary Journal of Student Research and Scholarship

Author Biography

Krystal Perez is an undergraduate student at the University of Washington Tacoma. She is a bilingual Puerto Rican writer, traveler, mother, and assistant teacher in Physical Geology 101 at Pierce College. Krystal is a member of the Seattle Geology Association and has participated in multiple geology field excursions, where she continues to explore her passion for science, especially Earth systems and landforms. Outside of academics, she runs a small business, Live to Like LLC, focused on travel and cultural content. A certified travel adviser for Puerto Rico, Japan, and the Caribbean, she has visited Japan more than five times and lived there for short periods since 2016. Krystal also has professional experience as a production assistant for NBC and FOX News in Texas, and holds a Media Communications Certificate from Full Sail University (2020). Her writing reflects a lifelong interest in identity, migration, and belonging.

Document Type

Undergraduate Research Paper

Abstract

This article analyzes the political and personal dimensions of belonging through one Puerto Rican student as he constructs his identity in mainland United States. From lived experience, The Cost of Belonging describes colonial histories, immigration, language, and displacements that structure the sense of self and community. Using an interdisciplinary approach combining narrative reflection and social critique, the book puts into relief the emotional and systemic challenges of assimilation, biculturalism, and invisibility. The book contributes to Latinx studies, immigration, and student scholarship discourse by highlighting a bilingual, first-person voice that traditionally has been excluded from academic dialogue.

University

University of Washington Tacoma

Course

TWRT 388

Instructor

Dr. Riki Thompson

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