AD/PR Professor Brings International Perspective

Born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, Dr. Miriam Hernández received her bachelor's degree in International Relations and master's in Political Analysis from Tecnológico de Monterrey, but she believes that the world and different cultures can enrich someone's education outside of the classroom.

Dr. Hernández earned her doctorate degree in Communications from City University of Hong Kong, followed by a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, where she worked on research for a dissertation about immigration coverage in United States media from 1980 to 2010.

Her research analyzed minority voices, when and where immigrants and their families are interviewed, and the amount of coverage such individuals got in the U.S. This led her to research gender issues, gender-based violence and survivors, and how journalists can comprehensively report news surrounding these topics.

"What we have found is, yes, when they cover news about Latin America, they do give a lot of space to voices that you wouldn't traditionally hear, a lot of indigenous interviews, a lot of people who are doing strikes," Dr. Hernández said. "They are covering their own domestic issues."

Programs offered by the Communications Department like Journalism, Film, Television and Film, and Advertising and Public Relations piqued Dr. Hernández's interest. But what drew her in was the diversity on campus and variety of voices, and the consistency of that commitment to diversity in college mission statements.

"I want to be in a place where my research is not contested, not something weird, but it's something appreciated, invaluable," Dr. Hernández said. "It's a place where you can find your voice."

During her studies in Hong Kong, Dr. Hernández discussed minorities and what they can look like in different countries. When she asked her Chinese students what groups were minorities in China, they would not understand what she meant. Different international points of view and the role traveling played in her studies taught her to be more confident and less hesitant to new things or discuss possibly uncomfortable subjects.

Two years ago, Dr. Hernández moved to California, her first time stepping onto U.S. soil. Her worldly view and experiences bring a unique perspective to CSUDH. She gives credit to her advisers and instructors across Asia for believing in her, their encouragement, her higher education experience and what she's learned over the years about mental health and bettering your overall mind and body.

"The things I want my students to remember most are not related to any of this. It's just the skill of knowing that certain things are hard but that they are worth working for, that success," Dr. Hernández said. "It's really a matter of working hard, but that it shouldn't be stressful, you should be able to feel happy and proud of the work that you do."

Dr. Hernández sheds light on mental health awareness and amplifies those voices that cannot be heard or are ignored. This is another reason why she chose to teach and continue learning at Dominguez Hills.

"I think we are such a diverse campus and we are such a unique program, not just in journalism, but advertising and public relations," Dr. Hernández said. "Students here come, even if you don't identify as a person of color, you are learning how to work with all these groups, that is important. So, I think we have the potential to be the new pool of professionals that bring these diverse voices into the job market."