Carlos Jiménez, a doctoral student in the Film and Media Studies department, hopes that his research will shed light onto migrants' use of various forms of media to exchange information and overcome harsh living and working conditions. Carlos is a Ford Fellowship recipient and the first in his family to pursue a Ph.D. He has an M.A. in Film and Media Studies from UCSB and a B.A. in Communication, with a minor in Digital Media Production, from DePaul University in Chicago. Read on to learn more about Carlos' passions, accomplishments, and advice for graduate students.
Tell us a little about your research and how you came to choose the topic.
I study the media practices and media environments of farm laborers (predominantly Mexican migrants) in Oxnard, California. I consider how social, cultural, and economic constraints produced by migration and reterritorialization cause farm laborers to engage with media in unexpected and creative ways, both at home and at work. Some media I study include smart phones (social media: Twitter, Facebook, etc.), remittance media (Western Union, mobile money, mwallet, etc.), televisions, and international calling cards. I am interested in the flow of information, and how media and space interact on the fields, in restaurants, and at home.
Carlos JiménezWhen I first arrived at UCSB I studied ethnic humor in film, but I could not find purpose or direction for my work. I found myself in the media archives of USC, UCLA, and the Paley Center, and I felt secluded. I wanted a research topic and method that dealt with current issues, people, and problems that could be solved in my lifetime: hunger, migration, and low-wage. It took me two years at UCSB before I realized that what I wanted had been near me the whole time. As I began looking for a dissertation topic I discovered that a through line in my research dealt with how disadvantaged people overcame harsh living or working conditions. These are the conditions that produced me, my family, and I want to understand them. I ultimately found my dissertation project through a combination of luck and great mentorship. If it had not been for Film and Media Studies Professor Lisa Park’s class on TV/New Media my second year, I don’t think I would have ever thought about studying the media environments and media cultures that were around me. Dr. Parks encouraged my interest in ethnography and television located in Latino public spaces in Santa Barbara. She started me down a path towards becoming an ethnographer. Then, I made inroads into course work in both Chicano/a Studies and Anthropology, where both students and faculty have been extremely supportive.
What has graduate student life been like for you?
My first few years were very difficult. I remember that there was no such thing as a weekend for me. I would wake up Saturday and Sunday and head straight to my desk, library, or office. Skipping meals was normal, and so were protein bars. But graduate student life is such a privilege. I get to be around some of the most intelligent and hard-working people in the United States. I may not have had the same academic background as many of my peers that I have met at the university, but I now have their support. My first roommate Diana Pozo was an incredible source of knowledge and encouragement, and I do not believe I would have made it past my second year without her. I am not the same person that came to UC Santa Barbara four years ago.
I have been so lucky to be a part of the Film and Media Studies department and even more lucky to have such a supportive community at the University. I do admit that sometimes it does get hard and sometimes as a person of color I did get a case of imposter syndrome. I did experience some discrimination, but because of my department and the graduate students, I kept going; they believed what I was doing was important. I stayed and continued to work hard because of people like Diana Pozo, who would stay up late studying with me, Maria Corrigan, David Gray, Athena Tan, and Rahul Mukherjee, who would take time from their schedules to encourage my ideas and writing. I know I am privileged in this stage of my life to be able to spend a day in the sun reading and learning from some of the most accomplished students and professors.
What has been a source of motivation or drive for you in your graduate studies?
I want to be able to say that I was first-generation college student who lived on the South Side of the City of Chicago (not the suburbs), attended Chicago Public Schools, and became the first in his family to become both a college graduate and a professor. I hope that my background and experiences serve as motivation for others that are thinking about becoming graduate students. I want to motivate hundreds of underrepresented students toward their Ph.D. that would not have previously considered the option.
Name an accomplishment you are most proud of and why.
One day I received an email that I had received the Ford Foundation Fellowship. In disbelief that I had actually received it I replied to that email asking what was the next step in the competition. I received a reply that said there are no other steps and that I am a recipient. I had earned one of the most selective and competitive fellowships available to the humanities. This moment was important for me because it brought financial security to my studies, and it gave me a confidence in myself that I had been lacking. I have that over my wall and I make sure to read it any time I doubt myself.
Who is your hero and why?
My dad is my hero. The U.S. has been less than kind to him, but in spite of the discrimination, low-wage labor, and long hours he still has hope and happiness. My dad came here at 22 not knowing English, without documents, and only a limited understanding of American culture. Yet, he learned English at a community center through night classes after work in the 1980s. It would take him 30-something years, but in 2012 my dad attended college after being laid off to seek vocational skills. He was 62 and did not let a struggling economy stop him. I’m only 26 and am (hopefully) less than 2 years away from completing my Ph.D. When I am 62 I can only hope to be filled with as much sprit and heart as him.
What do you do to relax? Any hobbies, collections, pastimes, favorite places to go, favorite things to do? Along these same lines, what makes you happy?
Ever since I have moved to Santa Barbara, I’ve become very Californian. A yoga studio opened up on my block and I said to myself, why not. I also learned how to garden in Santa Barbara and now I have my own vegetable garden. My prized possession is a 3-year-old avocado tree that one day will meet my annual avocado needs. I also do donation-based videography and photography for friends or people around town who need some photo help. I have a section dedicated to graduate students: www.carlosjimenezworks.com
What do you hope to be doing 5 or 10 years out of graduate school?
Aside from maybe having a tenure track position, in 5 years I hope to be the director of a mentorship program like the McNair Scholars Program (which I have worked for a little over 3 years now) that mentors underrepresented college students toward a Ph.D. or greater academic achievement. I am also hoping that during this time I continue my photography and in 10 years I’ll be a famous photographer.
Do you have any advice for current grad students?
The exercise, eating, study, and research habits that you have now during your years as a graduate student will probably be the same habits you have when you are a professor. If you do not like them, change them now. Become aware of them, and adjust them because they will not change themselves the moment you become a professor; life does not work that way. The professor or person you want to become, that processes starts right here, right now.