About the authors

Dr. Elena Foulis was born in El Salvador, grew up on the Mexican side of the U.S-Mexico border and moved to Ohio in 1992. She is a student-centered educator with over 15 years of experience in higher education. She holds B.A and M.A degrees in Spanish and Latin American Literature and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies. Her research and teaching interests include U.S. Latina/o literature, Spanish for Heritage Learners and Oral History. Elena is an engaged scholar and is committed to reaching non-academic and academic audiences through her writing, presentations and public humanities projects. Her e-book, Latin@ Stories Across Ohio, has given her students key resources for understanding our Latina/o community’s rich heritage, and the complexity and diversity, and sometimes, structural and systematic inequalities that this community faces. She is also host and producer for the Ohio Habla podcast.

Dr. Stacey Alex teaches Spanish Language and Cultures for the professions, and Latino Studies at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. While not Latina herself, she had the opportunity to meet many Spanish speakers while growing up in Des Moines, Iowa. Her family has grown to include both Mexican-Americans and Spanish-Americans; her son, niece, and nephew are growing up as Spanish heritage language learners in Iowa. Stacey taught Spanish and English as a Second Language (ESL) in a dual language program in West Liberty, Iowa, and ESL in Maracaibo, Venezuela. She completed her BA and MA at The University of Iowa and her PhD in Latin American Literary and Cultural Studies at The Ohio State University. She researches undocumented Latinx immigrant narratives, Latinx folklore, and Latinx pop culture.