Leticia Villasenor has recently begun a 2013 summer student fellowship at USC Shoah Foundation. Villasenor is working toward her PhD in French from USC, and holds a master’s in international studies at the University of Denver and a bachelor’s in French and international relations at USC. She also interned at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris and has just returned from a year abroad, also in Paris.

What research are you doing at USC Shoah Foundation?

Right now I’m looking at the testimonies of survivors of the Vel d’Hiv roundup in France in 1942. I’m looking at what they say about French police, because the Vel d’Hiv was organized by Nazi Germany and the French, who also rounded up children which wasn’t part of it in the first place. I want to see what survivors say about French police. I’m also looking at what they say about anti-Semitism from French people and just the general attitude of the French. I’m looking at what they say about the resistance because there are several survivors who talk about racism and anti-Semitism from members of the resistance, which I hadn’t heard much about. Last, I’m looking at forgiveness and the duty of remembrance; how people deal with memory and want to keep passing it forward.

What was it like living in France for the past year?

I taught English in the university and spent a lot of time at the Bibliotheque Nationale and also going to lectures and talks at the Shoah Memorial in Paris from survivors, writers, historians and philosophers. That was probably my favorite part. I started writing my dissertation while I was in Paris, and I went to a lecture by Henry Rousso, the historian who I’m using as a central part of my research. It was great to hear him speak in person rather than just reading his books or articles. I also went to a talk with Serge Klarsfeld, which was really cool too. I think the most important part was hearing survivors talk about their experiences firsthand. I went to 10 or so throughout the year. At the Shoah Foundation here at USC I found several testimonies of survivors I heard speak in Paris this year as well as from two authors I’m using in my dissertation and from a man named Joseph Weisman who contributed to the movie La Rafle, which I’m using in my dissertation as well, so that was really cool.

Why is working with USC Shoah Foundation important to you?

It’s a really amazing opportunity, and I was very excited to have it. I really admire what Steven Spielberg and the other members of the USC Shoah Foundation have done. I think it’s an incredible accomplishment to have collected almost 52,000 testimonials and I really am excited to be able to use it firsthand in my research, because I want to have a section in my research that’s quantitative, rather than just abstract. I want to look at a specific group, in this case Vel d’Hiv survivors, and use it in my research.

Fun Fact

I’ve played soccer since the age of 5, and I coached two years of soccer at USC when I was an undergrad. I coached 8-10 year old boys from the neighborhood.