• Posts,  Projects

    1968 Mexico City Olympics: A Mirage of Peace, Progress, and Prosperity

    In 1968, Mexico stood at a crossroads. Under the illusion of a vibrant and proud nation preparing to host the world’s most celebrated athletic event, internal conflicts continued to fiercely arise. The Mexican government, which was increasingly corrupt and authoritarian, faced the force of students, workers, and everyday citizens who demanded systemic change. Students protested, leading to the tragic Tlatelolco Massacre. The protests were handled corruptly by the government as it was stated that “when told that the students wanted to steal the Olympics’ limelight, the reader is already conditioned to sneer at this interpretation because he or she knows the ‘truth…’ the vulnerable are being attacked because the attackers…

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  • Glossary

    Development

    The term “development” refers to the classification of countries in the modern era. Developing is a derogatory Global North classification placed on cultures in the Global South to further other them. The use of the word functions not only as descriptor of economic or societal growth according to Global North standards, but also as rhetoric used to maintain global hierarchies, positioning the Global South inferior. In terms of design, the development framework positions industrial design as a distinct correlation to the culture’s modernity, thus it is superior to Indigenous knowledge and practices. Based on this, Latin American design is othered as their design practices were measured against Global North standards…

  • Glossary,  Posts

    Core-Periphery Model

    The key concepts of the model has been one that has been alluded to over time, yet has been most notably connected with John Friedmann, concerning spatial organization of regional development in the distribution of economic goods and resources related to industrialism as we know it today. The model proposes the unequal levels of development in the world economy contrasting the colonial global north (the core) and the colonized global south (the periphery). In terms of Latin American design it’s been highly referential in groundbreaking theorists as a critique of the negative socio-economic and political views concerning Latin America. The use of the model by Latin American design theorists such…

  • Glossary,  Posts

    Ch’ixi

    A theoretical framework based that was proposed by Bolivian sociologist Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui in her book Un mundo Ch’ixi es posible (2012). As a pioneer in the field of decoloniality studies within Latin America, Rivera Cusicanqui proposes that the term ch’ixi represents an ideal way of coexistence between cultures, specifically western and non-western cultures, in the post-colonial modern society we live in today. Ch’ixi argues for the ability for multicultural coexistence amongst each other rejecting other models, such as hybridization and mestizaje which do not allow for a duality or bothness. What probably inspired Cusicanqui the most in the development of her theories surrounding ch’ixi is her ethnic background as…