TAMIU's Dr. Momen, Dr. Berndt Celebrate Book Publications in 2023
Two Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) faculty members celebrated the publication of their books in 2023.
Dr. Mehnaaz Momen, profesor of Public Administration, published her book, Listening to Laredo: A Border City in a Globalized Age. The book's focus is on the voices and people of Laredo.
In her book, Dr. Momen traces Laredo’s history while examining the city's ever-changing economic and cultural infrastructure. Through a critical examination, she focuses on the existing interdependence on a sister city across a national boundary and the resilience of a border community that thrives amidst the ever-present challenges of a national narrative centered along the U.S. – México border.
Momen, who initially moved to Laredo in 2002 after receiving a job offer from TAMIU, was enthralled by the city's historic feel and rich heritage but could not fully make sense of its urban growth.
“All the theories I learned in my Urban Studies program felt inadequate for the then-second-fastest growing city with its core of Spanish plazas, which remained underutilized, and the growing warehouses that surrounded the city. There were no delineable suburbs, and yet there was a striking north/south divide,” said Momen.
For Momen, living in a border city offers a myriad of challenges, particularly for those who hold preconceived notions of existing cultural stereotypes.
“I want my readers to see Laredo from the eyes of the people who live there by choice. We always hear about the dangers of the border, but the border is fragile, the border is beautiful, and the border is evolving. The border is full of possibilities, especially because it is always a little wild. For the people who live on the border, it was historically an abstract notion that had legal and political restrictions -- but did not obstruct cultural and economic exchanges,” Momen explained.
The narrative of Momen’s publication focuses on collected oral histories from Laredoans, focusing on the implications of daily life along the U.S. – México border.
A previously recorded author talk was recently digitally broadcasted and is available at https://www.facebook.com/NuestraPalabra/videos/867805488034597.
Also, this year, Dr. Virginia Kuulei Berndt, assistant professor of Sociology co-authored a publication, Body Art, with Dr. Brian Brown, professor of Health Communication at Montfort University in Leicester, United Kingdom.
A recorded video interview about Dr. Berndt’s latest publication is available at https://youtu.be/mljn0N99pdg. A full audio version is also available at https://youtu.be/oirmB95E7Rk.
Their collaboratively written work focuses on how body art can act as a catalyst for mental and physical health while also focusing on the cultural and historical components behind body art. Berndt noted that the publication aims to provide a radical rethinking into how tattoos and other body modifications contribute to healthy well-being and positive psychology.
“Body art can contribute to so many facets of physical and mental wellbeing. It can be used to cope with different illness experiences that folks have experienced…for instance, my first tattoos were done over surgical scars,” said Berndt.
She continued, “Sometimes, people will have their heads tattooed after chemotherapy when they have no hair. And then, when their hair grows back, they’ll still always have that memory that they have overcome cancer.”
Berndt noted that body art can reflect someone’s personality, act as a reflection of their aesthetic, or indicate community belonging. The publication also discusses the role of body artists and the importance of offering individuals a safe and well-regulated workplace.
Body Art is now available for purchase online via Amazon and other affiliate websites. Learn more at https://books.emeraldinsight.com/book/detail/body-art/?k=9781804558119.
TAMIU’s Spring Semester 2024 begins Tuesday, Jan. 16. Late Registration continues through Jan. 22. There is no tuition increase for the Spring 2024.
To learn more about TAMIU’s Registration processes, visit the dedicated Registration Hub at https://go.tamiu.edu/registration
TAMIU offices close Friday, Dec. 22 in a State-authorized holiday break, and reopen for full services Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024.
Dr. Mehnaaz Momen
Dr. Virginia Kuulei Berndt
