Author Date

2026-03-17

Degree Name

Department

Visual Arts

College

Fine Arts and Communications

Defense Date

2026-02-20

Publication Date

2026-03-19

First Faculty Advisor

Dr. Richard West

First Faculty Reader

Dr. Erik Larson

Second Faculty Reader

Professor Doug Thomas

Honors Coordinator

Dr. Gregory Stallings

Keywords

borderlands identity, visual semiotics, postcolonial design theory, bilingual typography, cultural negotiation, visual communication

Abstract

This study examines graphic design in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) as a site of cultural hybridity, shaped by transnational histories and bilingual practice. It explores how Mexican and Anglo design markers intersect and are negotiated in daily life through analysis of 2,180 visual artifacts, interviews with ten local creatives, and a survey of fifty residents. Historical research traces influences like nineteenth-century wood type and rótulo signage to contemporary advertising. Interviews reveal that local creatives navigate hybrid identities through code-switching, bilingual fluency, and borderlands experiences. Survey results show that participants’ language preferences predict how they categorize and rank typographic designs within the categories of Mexican and Anglo, highlighting the fluidity of cultural perception. Findings suggest that LRGV graphic design functions as more than communication; it is a visual negotiation of identity, offering insight for designers, educators, and policymakers in bilingual, transnational contexts.