Allison Sáenz (’17) is starting her tenure as a Latino Museum Studies Program predoctoral fellow by the National Museum of American History (NMAH) and National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL) in Washington D.C. Fascinated with the Latina/o/x culture, immigration and the Central American diaspora in Houston, Sáenz will participate in hands-on recovery of history throughout the D.C. area, researching archival materials from disparate museums.
“I will be spending some time at the National Museum of American History in their collections, heading to their archives, reviewing important works, scanning those materials and researching and writing off and on,” said Sáenz. “I will also be at the Anacostia Community Museum and the Archives of American Art, which is probably where I will spend most of my time, looking at material that is important concerning Central American Solidarity movements back in the 1980s.”
From September 2022 to April 2023, Sáenz will be in Washington, D.C. conducting the research that will become her dissertation, “Being a U.S. Central American: Immigration, Culture, and Ethnicity in Houston.”
“I stay tuned into the programs and fellowships offered by the Smithsonian because I am a public history minor in the program, and that is my area of study,” said Sáenz, a doctoral candidate. “I really think about it and am passionate about how we can bring history to life outside of the classrooms, and museums are always active in that sense as well.”
Sáenz fell in love with D.C. during a graduate school summer fellowship in 2019 where she was housed in the National Museum of American History for a political history initiative regarding immigration. Sáenz now is looking forward to an extended period of study with access to historical artifacts and archives.
“This fellowship at the Smithsonian is a wonderful opportunity to conduct research in their world-class collections and engage with other fellows working on exciting research in the field of Latinx studies,” said Monica Perales, associate professor of history. “Allison’s dissertation project on Central American migration to Houston promises to make some critical interventions in Central American, Latinx and immigration history.”
Sáenz is a first-generation college graduate and the daughter of immigrants from Central America who met in Houston. Her mother is from Costa Rica and finished the sixth grade; her father, who is from Honduras, dropped out of school to return later for a GED. She has a dual citizenship with Costa Rica, and although it may be difficult to explain career pursuits at times, her family is always supportive.
“This story represents me, highlighting my community and personal histories, just wanting to know more about Houston and how my community fits into this story of diversity and how a growing metropolitan area like Houston, cannot happen without the Central American community,” said Sáenz. “That’s me, born and raised on the north side of town.”
Sáenz will conduct oral histories to keep the voice of the people at the heart of the story. That is Sáenz’s ultimate goal with historical characters and their experiences. Immigrant stories are often ones of intense heartbreak and joy. As their histories merge into a tapestry of beautiful communities created across Houston, Sáenz works to ensure no one is drowned out.
"D.C. has such a cultural, artsy vibe that gets pushed to the side sometimes because of the fact that it is the political capital of the country,” Sáenz said. “The truth is that there is a huge Central American population there as well, and I can’t wait to explore it, to dig deeper.”