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This article explores the contradictory positionings of two significant Latin Americans, Ché Guevara and Frida Kahlo, through reflection on their historical, ideological, and folk meanings. Frida and Ché have ceased to be historical figures as their images have become commodified as part of the rampant consumerism that typifies modern global capitalism. I argue that Ché and Frida have been transformed into secular icons, in particular by the Latin American left, owing largely to their tragic death/lives which reflect the martyrdom of Catholic saints. As pop cause célèbres , consumed by audiences that care little to understand the complexities of their ideologies, desires, and agendas, their images have been appropriated and marketed by the fashion, novelty, and cottage industries. Frida and Ché now function as fetishized commodities used as stylistic elements designed to sell a range of consumer goods, yet remain powerful icons that challenge the hegemony of globalization, patriarchy, and, in the case of Frida, heteronormativity.

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This article explores Chicana (Mexican-American woman) experiences of being a cyber border crosser – someone of both and neither real life and Second Life.  The presumption and privilege of whiteness as the foundation of Second Life is seen to limit participation of people of color.   Further, I write against the notion that cyber worlds provide transcendence from the limitations of the non-normative body.  Second Life and official Linden discourse are devoid of references to race, ethnicity, disability, or any other type of salient identity that might interfere with Linden Lab’s vision of a perfect world.  Indeed, there is a pervasive blindness to color which has negative rather than positive effects for people of color. As long as SL persists mostly as an entertainment platform, the larger SL population may not consider the lack of interest by people of color anything to be concerned about.  However, the SL grid will continue to grow and engage with educational and commercial operations that will desire the participation and economic resources of people of color.  The issue that needs to be addressed now is will the borders that limit users of color be build up or knocked down?

Independent field work is considered a rite of passage towards advanced degrees in archaeology—particularly for the Ph.D. Through graduate coursework and mentoring from advisors, students prepare for fieldwork by their reviewing the literature, preparing grant proposals, and defending the thesis. Through a period of apprenticeship and/or field-schools archaeology students go on to learn various methods and techniques. However, little explicit guidance is provided to prepare students, particularly women, for the types of problems and issues that can be encountered in the field. Further, there is no published literature that directly addresses the challenges of fieldwork, especially outside one's home country. How is it, then, that archaeologists learn about the pitfalls of the field? It is largely via trial and error, which can be a costly and dangerous mode of learning.