Xin Yi Lim

Xin Yi is a MA student in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese specialising in Hispanic Linguistics with a collaborative specialisation in Diaspora and Transnational Studies. Originally from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, she found a passion for Hispanic Linguistics and Latin American Studies while completing her Bachelor's degree at the University of Toronto.

Her dedication to academic pursuits has been recognized by the Dean’s International Excellence Award (2019), the Ruth Kirkland Scholarship (2021), the Alessandri Scholarship in Latin American Studies (2020-21), OUA Academic Award under the Varsity Blues Figure Skating Team (2020-21) and William Robert Phillips Memorial Scholarship (2021-22). Due to her student leadership roles in Pandemos Canada, she was also the recipient of the UofT COVID-19 Student Initiative Engagement Award from 2020 to 2022.

As part of her academic and pedagogical training, Xin Yi is currently a research assistant with the Bilinguals in Toronto project, led by professors Laura Colantoni and Ana Teresa Pérez-Leroux. She is also a teaching assistant for SPA100Y1 (Spanish for Beginners). Her research interests in Diaspora and Latin American Studies focus on the politics of environmental exploitation of the Yanomami territory in Brazil, and she is active in support of Afro-Latinx intersectionality in and out of the diaspora population.

Outside of academia, Xin Yi is a former professional Malaysian figure skater and 1st-dan Kyokushinkan karate martial artist. She is also a graphic designer for the Ice Academy of Montréal, where the amalgamation of both her athletic and artistic interests allows her to thoroughly enjoy her profession. With her profound love for languages, Xin Yi is also currently aiming to acquire her 12th language by 2025.