Carleton students routinely engage in fascinating research projects that allow them to pursue their intellectual and creative interests off campus. Lauren Kempton ’18 chats with Olgaby Martinez '16 to see what she’s been digging into. 

Hometown: San Jose, Calif.

Major: Sociology/Anthropology

Fellowship: Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellowship

Project: Compare elder care among first- and second-generation Mexican-American families in San Jose to typical elder care in Mexico

Big Question: How do these elderly people feel about their care, and what can we do to better care for them?

Inspiration: “My grandmother was institutionalized at a senior home—a practice that is not common in Mexico. I didn't really understand what impact this decision had on my family, and so I wanted to understand it through this project.”

Hypothesis: Mexican parents move to the United States to give their children better opportunities, but in order to take advantage of these opportunities—college or a job, for example—their children often have to move away from their parents and are unable to care for them.

Next step: “Next year I’ll be conducting interviews to write an ethnography. I’m interested in how different levels of acclimation to American culture, socioeconomic status levels, and education impact what elder care looks like for these immigrant families."