Dr. Varela’s beginning at Texas Lutheran University was practically fate. While finishing his Ph.D. program in Spanish and Portuguese at Vanderbilt, he saw that TLU was hiring a Spanish professor. He started in August 2021 and is currently going on his third year teaching at the institution.

“I really like the structure of TLU so far. I am very happy with my decision to come here, and I like TLU’s Hispanic-Serving Institution designation with a student body that is almost half Latinx and with with a significant number of African American students.”

Dr. Fernando Varela

When asked about his favorite course to teach, he claimed that he enjoys all of them. Notably, he enjoys teaching the LGBTQ in Latin America and the Afro-Latino course, which are specialty courses. When comparing TLU to other institutions, Dr. Varela enjoys the small university and the lack of a bureaucratic circle. Notably, he enjoys the fact that he can discuss and set one-on-one with the Vice President of Academic Affairs for courses and subjects while still maintaining a level of formality. Dr. Varela feels that this way, he can serve his students more easily. When asked whether he thought TLU respected his academic freedom as a professor, he wholeheartedly agreed. “Here you are an individual and more than just a number,” he said. The student body is also more working class, similar to his own background.

“Here I can go to H-E-B and see the students working, and I can identify with their life experiences more. I also come from a working-class background. I was raised by a single mother in Paraguay, which is a socially conservative country, and we also come from a lower middle-class background. It has been nice to identify with these students, and I feel like I can serve them much better.”

Dr. Fernando Varela

Despite his clear-cut opinion on TLU, Dr. Varela has a complicated relationship with Texas. In some ways, he enjoys the diversity and the large Latino population in Texas, but he also recognizes the struggles that minorities face. Because of how conservative Texas is, opinions and legislature can be dicey at times for minorities. However, TLU seems to be exempt from this.

“I feel completely comfortable teaching about LGBTQ studies here at TLU. It is not just a black-or-white situation. Coming here has taught me not to look at Texas in binary terms, and rather see the complex views of my neighbors and students. It has been a very enlightening experience.”

Dr. Fernando Varela

Dr. Varela loves Tex-Mex cuisine, though. It makes him feel more at home because of the similarities to the food in Paraguay. Though there are some differences, it is the closest he has found widely accessible. One enjoyable cultural shock for him was the amount of trucks on the road. “You need an SUV to be on the road!” he laughed. A recent trip he took was to Portland, Oregon. Compared to the spacious Texas, Portland was extremely small. “The space (in Texas) was a culture shock, but one that I enjoy because I like space.”

One significant benefit of TLU is the fact that it is located between Austin and San Antonio, making it perfect for traveling. Whether for vacations or conferences, TLU is strategically located, according to Dr. Varela.

A recent trip that greatly impacted Dr. Varela was his trip for a for a Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) conference. This was his first time in Mexico, but it will not be his last. “The way the buildings are built, the way the people drive, how the skyline looks like, it all felt like going home, even though it was my first time there.” Being surrounded by Spanish once again was refreshing for Dr. Varela. Going on tours with other faculty during his trip was also fun. He would love to visit Mexico City if he goes back to Mexico.

An older experience that impacted Dr. Varela was moving to the United States when he was fifteen. At this point in his life, he appreciates the United States’ formality versus Paraguay’s familiar style. More importantly, he enjoys the meritocracy of the United States. While it is not always true, he feels like his efforts were rewarded more than if he had studied in Paraguay. Particularly, he likes the U.S. idea of success and working hard.

Dr. Varela’s must read:

A book that Dr. Varela believes everyone in the TLU community should read is The Discovery of the Past by French author Alain Schnapp. This book piqued his interest because of his own research.

“I did my dissertation on the representation of fossils in 19th-century Latin American literature and how these authors used the idea of fossils in pre-history to talk about the construction of race. So they would refer to indigenous peoples as fossils. Fossils destroyed by Columbus. Like the Inca civilization, demised by Pizarro. The idea of pre-history became combined with the human past for these authors, which is what I am currently writing a book about.”

Dr. Fernando Varela

The book he recommends argues that archaeology is not a 19th-century invention but rather something humans have chronicled and tried to make sense of since the beginning of time. Much like a historical review of the past, the book also discusses how the future intersects with the past and what archaeology means for the current population.

“We are at an interesting time where most things we will leave behind are digital. I believe that the student body, faculty, and human population are interested in what we leave behind, especially digital. In the 80s we would leave behind printed pictures but now it is all digital. While a physical photo can be destroyed, so can the cloud. Digitality seems very permanent but it also seems very illusionary.”

Dr. Fernando Varela

Dr. Varela’s opinion on kindness:

The TLU Student Media theme of November is kindness. In light of this theme, Dr. Varela wants to encourage students to join organizations and talk to new people. Reaching out is an act of kindness.

“There was a British poet named Percy Shelley who wrote an essay called In Defence of Poetry that claims that when he writes he sends something into the world with the hope that someone will read it. He considered that an act of kindness, that no matter when, even after he is dead there would still be a connection. Students going to activities will show them that everyone is unique and change their perspectives.”

Dr. Fernando Varela