Some of my Research

My Academic Journey into Afro-Mexico

Over several decades, my research has explored the historical and contemporary realities of Afro-Mexicans, their racial identities, and their evolving position within Mexico’s national story. Below are key writings and research that have shaped my understanding:

Selected Works:

• Race and Nation: A Study of Blackness in Mexico (PhD Dissertation)
  My foundational exploration into how Afro-Mexicans navigate identity amidst Mexico’s mestizaje ideology, tracing historical roots and contemporary social movements.

• Afro-Mexican Historiography (with Ben Vinson)
  Our detailed analysis of how scholars have historically discussed—or ignored—the role of Afro-Mexicans in Mexican history, highlighting shifting perceptions of race from the colonial period to contemporary scholarship.

• Invisible Blackness: Afro-Mexicans in the U.S. South (co-authored research)
  My ethnographic study documenting how Afro-Mexicans experience racial identity differently upon migrating to the United States, particularly North Carolina, where being Hispanic often overshadows their Black heritage.

• Memín Penguin and the Changing Racial Debates in Mexico (article)
  An analysis of race, popular culture, and the transnational debates sparked by the controversial Mexican comic book character Memín Penguin.

These works reflect my journey to understand Afro-Mexican identity in multiple contexts and histories, connecting past with present, and Mexico with the broader African diaspora.