“A feminist perspective analyzing historical problems contributes to an explanation of the working of cultural norms that have allowed women’s subordinated condition to continue.”

Eimeel Castillo is a PhD candidate in history. Her dissertation argues that enforcement of gender norms was an important tool of US imperial rule in early 20th-century Nicaragua. Specifically, she examines how the US Marines’ occupation of Nicaragua transformed gender relations and reinforced patriarchal norms in the country. Eimeel recounts the Marines’ arrival, their unruly social activities, and Marine commanders’ attempt to regulate their interactions with Nicaraguans once it became clear that the troops would be there for an extended stay. The Marines often came into conflict with Nicaraguan men and non-elite women, which shaped Nicaraguan gender norms and laws, including sex work. In summer 2024, her CEW+ fellowship supported Eimeel’s travel to Tulane’s Latin American Library for further archival work for this project.

Eimeel graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s in history from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua. After graduation, Eimeel worked as a researcher and instructor at the Institute of History at the Universidad Centroamericana in Managua, Nicaragua. She also volunteered for the College Horizons Program, which provided no-cost English language and college preparation courses to underserved high school students. Later, Eimeel earned her Master of Arts in history from Tulane. She is also an alumna of the US Department of State’s Undergraduate Exchange Program and the Fulbright Latin American Scholarship Program, and she most recently received the Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship. While at U-M, Eimeel has overcome significant barriers to completing her dissertation, including the political persecution of feminists in Nicaragua. About the importance of her research, Eimeel writes, “A feminist perspective analyzing historical problems contributes to an explanation of the working of cultural norms that have allowed women’s subordinated condition to continue.”

CEW+ recognizes Eimeel’s contributions to the study of women’s history and names her a Riecker Graduate Student Research Fellow.