Spanish@UTA

It’s a pleasure to introduce myself to the Spanish students at UTA. I am an anthropologist whose research interests revolve around the themes of globalization, immigrant labor, Latino studies, and Mexican migration to the U.S. I teach in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, and the Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS). Some of my undergraduate courses include Anthropology of Globalization, Anthropology of Migration, Latinos in the United States, Introduction to Mexican American Studies, and Capstone in Mexican American Studies, the last course that students who minor in Mexican American Studies take before graduating.

Because of my own personal trajectory and family history, and the fact I have lived in three countries –Spain, Mexico, and the US– I am particularly interested in the field of immigration studies, especially on the experiences, struggles, and political mobilization of Mexican and other Latino immigrants in the United States. My book Janitors, Street Vendors and Activists: The Lives of Mexican Immigrants in Silicon Valley (University of California Press, 2006), discusses why and how the industries of high-tech Silicon Valley employs undocumented immigrants, and how these workers respond to their segregation to the bottom of the social structure in this affluent region. I have been fortunate to disseminate my work about Mexican immigrants in the United States in scholarly journals and books both in the US and Mexico. I have extensively written about the structural contradictions in our society that, on the one hand, acknowledges and benefits from Mexican immigrants as hard and productive workers while, on the other hand, it creates laws that punish and make the lives of these workers and their families as harsh as possible. I have also written about how undocumented immigrants challenge these laws and seek to gain acceptance and recognition as legitimate members of a society to which they contribute with their labor. For example, recently I published the chapter “Political Mobilization and Activism Among Latinos/as in the United States” in the book Latinas/os in the United States: Changing the Face of America (Springer 2008), where I discuss the mass mobilizations in favor of the legalization of undocumented immigrants that took place across the US in the spring of 2006, and which I argue signal the emergence of a new civil rights movement on behalf of all immigrants who work and live in this country.

One of my best rewards teaching at UTA is to work with Latino students from diverse origins, cultural backgrounds, and majors. I am especially proud of contributing to the education of Latino students who are the first generation in their families going to college, and who serve as role models in their families and community. I am also happy to see the increasing interest by Latino and non-Latino students alike in learning about the history, culture, and contributions of Mexican Americans and other Latino populations in the US. At the Center for Mexican American Studies we are genuinely committed to support the educational opportunities of our Latino students. In addition, we offer a warm social environment where students can interact, socialize, and become involved with Latino student organizations in campus as well as outreach community activities. I invite you to come visit us and learn about our course offerings, the minor in Mexican American Studies, and the varied social and community activities we sponsor at the Center.