In early April, EWU McNair Scholar Saul Bautista presented his paper A Different View of the Rising Sun at the Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies (SECOLAS) in Asheville, North Carolina. This research discussed Japanese internment camps in Mexico during World War II and how they were influenced by the United States. Saul said it was a great experience. As soon as he flew back, he presented at the recent Phi Alpha Theta history conference hosted by EWU. Each year McNair encourages it’s scholars to present at conferences to prepare for graduate school, and Saul has done a great job making the most of that experience. Saul also presented last school year at the International Studies Association conference in St. Louis, Missouri, at Phi Alpha Theta at CWU, and at the EWU Symposium! McNair pays for the majority of each students’ trip and they are often also supported financially by their department, college, and the Provost’s travel award for undergraduate students.
Saul Bautista will be graduating soon with a major in History and minors in Spanish and Japanese, which reflects his desire to research the history and experiences of the Japanese, and other marginalized populations, within Central and South America. For his research project in the summer of 2022, he worked under the mentorship of Dr. Joseph Lenti to research how Honduras actively tries to undermine the presence of the Native Americans in the history of the country, and the treatment of the indigenous people in the region by the Honduran government. For the summer of 2023, Saul worked under the mentorship of Dr. Ann C. Le Bar on a research team for Hanford National Park. Having supplied plutonium for the Manhattan project, the Tri-Cities, WA site investigated any community impacts. Saul focused on the Hispanic community of Hanford, largely Mexican immigrants. This research project has prepared Saul for graduate level work. He plans to obtain a PhD in History.
