Transnational Ties and Struggles for Justice: El Salvador and the U.S. Post-1992
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About the talk
In this lecture, Linton will explore the evolving transnational relationship between El Salvador and the United States since the end of the civil war in 1992. Using her first book, El Salvador Reborn (University of Arizona Press, 2026) Linton will focus on how this relationship shapes the country and #39;s internal political struggles, particularly through the lens of reproductive policies and environmental laws that threaten to privatize vital resources like water. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in San Salvador, Linton will analyze how U.S.-El Salvador diplomatic ties shape policies like the 1998 abortion ban, resulting in wrongful imprisonments, and the 2024 repeal of the 2017 metals mining ban, which criminalizes environmental defenders. She will also explore how Salvadoran feminists and activists use digital campaigns, protests, and public art to oppose these policies.
About the speaker
Mellissa Linton-Villafranco is an assistant professor of women and gender studies at Arizona State University’s School of Social Transformation, where she also coordinates the LGBT Studies Certificate. Her research focuses on Central America, reproductive justice, and ethnic studies. She has published on transborder activism and fetal personhood laws. She holds a Ph.D. in ethnic studies from UC San Diego and a BA from USC.
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