This three-article dissertation is a qualitative exploration of language ideologies and discourse regarding the English language’s role in Puerto Rico’s (PR) education, politics, and culture. Centering the perspectives of civically engaged youth (CEY) and adhering to critical and decolonial theoretical frameworks, I explore how Puerto Ricans conceptualize the English language and its value at macro, meso, and micro levels. The first article provides a history of English language policies in PR. I perform a thematic analysis of archival newspaper data, political platforms, and politician and educational professional discourse to gain a nuanced understanding of the historical and current sociolinguistic discourse around English in the archipelago. I find that PR politicians use English as a bargaining tool to garner support, while they ignore the citizenry’s educational needs. Many educators, parents, and researchers have first-hand knowledge of the public education system’s dire needs that must be addressed to ensure successful language education programs. This knowledge is ignored by PR’s politicians. To explore language ideologies regarding English from a mid-level view, I interviewed twelve CEYs to understand their perceptions, ideals, and experiences regarding English language use in PR. I then interpreted the language ideologies that inform CEYs’ interactions with, and perspectives of, the English language. I find that CEYs have complex, fluid, and nuanced beliefs about the English language. With these beliefs, they make room for resisting the traditional dichotomous views between English/Spanish that constrain us to Western ways of thinking, and they create opportunities to affirm their own knowledge and experiences as legitimate. In the third article, I explore English language use at a micro-level. This involves examining English language use in activism and community work organizations’ official websites and social media platforms. I find that organizations use English not only in nominal ways (to refer to technology terms, United States (US) institutions and more) but also in complex and engaging ways such as citation of Black and Decolonial scholars and disseminating protective language.

Alexander the Great is one of the most well known figures in history, but while many of his battles and actions are documented, little is known about his personality. This is because very few documents survive from his contemporaries, and we have no way of knowing his own private thoughts. However, extensive research has been done to try to establish and understanding of the character of the man, and so, in an effort to create the most well-rounded and complete portrayal of Alexander the Great possible, I seek to examine and synthesize many of these testimonials into a comprehensive analysis of his personality. In this process, we must rely on the secondary historians of Alexander, namely Quintus Curtius Rufus and Lucius Flavius Arrianus. Curtius is important because he based much of his work off of Cleitarchus who actually was a contemporary of Alexander. I will also look to the work of more recent hisotrins and popular literature in order to form the most comprehensive picture of Alexander's personality.