Date of Award
2026-05-01
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
English Rhetoric and Composition
Advisor(s)
Lucia Durá
Abstract
This dissertation examines the memorial landscape of El Paso, Texas as a contested site of public memory, cultural identity, and community representation. Situated at the U.S.-Mexico border, El Paso functions as a palimpsest of layered histories shaped by colonization, militarization, and ongoing negotiations of belonging. Drawing on memory rhetoric and composition studies, and art history, the paper raises critical questions about community engagement, representational equity, and the politics of visibility in public art processes. The paper ultimately calls for a deeper examination of the rhetorical strategies and institutional frameworks that shape memorial meaning-making at the local level, with broader implications for how marginalized communities claim agency in the public memory landscape, utilizing counterstory as a decolonial methodology.
Language
en
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
Copyright Date
2026-05
File Size
175 p.
File Format
application/pdf
Rights Holder
Rebecca Ann Munoz
Recommended Citation
Munoz, Rebecca Ann, "Public Art And The Future Of Remembrance In Contested Spaces" (2026). Open Access Theses & Dissertations. 4741.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/open_etd/4741