Studying a language isn’t just learning how to speak the language; it’s studying how the language defines a culture. Professors and graduate students in the Department of Romance Languagesin the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languagesmake this a central part of their research and curriculum. 

A recent example is Assistant Professor Eleanor Paynter’s use of a CAS Library Acquisitions Grant to purchase streaming access to a package of five documentaries about migration and citizenship in Italy. 

“As a scholar of migration politics, media and testimony, I'm thrilled at the chance to get to share work produced by and with migrants and people living in Europe's legal and social margins with UO students,” she said.  

The specific set of documentaries she chose covers experiences and perspectives related to precarious journeys from Africa to Europe, farmworker rights, the marginalization of Romani communities, questions of migration and gender, and questions of belonging for the children of immigrants in Italy.  

Paynter explained further that ZaLab, the collective producing and distributing the films, produces documentary and narrative films about migration, environmental issues and other social justice questions. They also work directly with people affected to help them tell their own stories, making it, "an example of innovative independent filmmaking.” 

Paynter will use the films in classes and plans to screen them on campus as part of a series in the near future. The films are “Like a Man on Earth,” “Lbi,” “Green Blood,” “My Flying Roots” and “Container 158.”  

“Eleanor Paynter is one of the exciting new hires in the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages doing fascinating interdisciplinary research,” said Robert Davis, professor of Spanish and head of the De. "We’re delighted to see Eleanor hit the ground running, accessing resources on campus like the CAS Acquisitions Grant to improve our collections for research and teaching.”