Itza A. Carbajal

pronouns: she/her

I am the daughter of Honduran parents, a native of New Orleans, and a child of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. In the fall of 2020, I will start a doctoral program at the University of Washington Seattle in the department of Information Studies. My research focus is on children, their records, the impact records have on their development, as well as the transfer of memory and trauma through records. More generally, my curiosities as a researcher include the role of archives both physical and digital in shaping collective memories, the use of archives as methods of power and control, memory retrieval, people’s role in the production of history, and the systematic erasure of disempowered, marginalized, or oppressed peoples.

For a number of years I lived, worked, and studied in Austin, Texas during my time as the Latin American Metadata Librarian at the LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Special Collection held at University of Texas. I received a Master of Science in Information Studies with a focus on archival management, digital records, museum studies, and cultural policy and nonprofit management from the University of Texas at Austin School of Information. Before that, I obtained a dual-degree Bachelor of Arts in History and English with a concentration on creative writing and legal studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

My cultural roots begin three generations ago when one of my great grandfathers landed in the port city of New Orleans from France. He then travel by boat to Honduras, a country in Central America. There my paternal grandmother would be born. She would become a school teacher, a mayor, and a mother of four. On the other side of the border in the early 20th century, my maternal grandfather escaped military repressions in El Salvador. He would eventually meet my maternal grandmother and give birth to eight children including my mother.

My father and mother grew up in Honduras. As they began to settle down, they chose to leave temporarily due to economic uncertainties. I by chance came to life in New Orleans and never claimed another place as home until 2005 when Hurricane Katrina struck. I left my city and have resided in Texas ever since.

As a result of these experiences, I am many things – a transnational daughter of immigrants, a displaced Hurricane Katrina survivor, a woman of color, a product of neoliberal policies in Latin America, and a child raised in a working class environment. 

Welcome to my portfolio. I involve myself in many ways, so feel free to look around.