Hilary Johnson

Hilary Marie Johnson, originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, earned her B.A. in Romance Languages and Literatures (Italian, Portuguese) at the University of Chicago and her M.A. in Latin American Studies from Tulane in May 2015. During her undergraduate career, Hilary lived in Pisa and Bologna, where she conducted research on identity and integration issues of immigrants in Italy through the study of Migration Literature. As a Mellon Mays fellow, Hilary had the opportunity to refine, present, and ultimately parlay her research findings into her B.A. thesis, entitled “Una nuova generazione, un nuovo impedimento: Identità spaccata attraverso i ‘nuovi’ scrittori-migranti.” Upon completing her undergraduate studies, Hilary was awarded a Fulbright grant, which allowed her to teach English in Pelotas, a city in southern Brazil close to the border with Uruguay. This was the second time Hilary lived in Brazil; prior to enrolling in college, Hilary was a Rotary Youth Exchange Student in the state of São Paulo. Hilary is a Brazilianist and her research during her time at the Stone Center focused on funk carioca, manifestation of culture in marginalized groups, and social inclusion discourse. Hilary was a Department of State Charles B. Rangel fellow and is currently with the U.S. Foreign Service as a Public Diplomacy officer.