Currently, my research focuses on the triangulated relationship between the U.S., Mexico, and Cuba from mid-19th century to late 20th century Hemispheric American literature. More specifically, I am examining the role of borders and the Global South as a particular location for national anxiety. My project seeks to fill in the gaps of mid-19th to 20th century literature by examining the multiple articulation of border regions and geographies in the Americas with a specific focus on terror, sovereignty and national (and academic) security and territoriality. The research will also examine the very significant ways in which the border regions along the U.S.-Mexico border (U.S. South and Southwest) are interconnected with Cuba, specifically, and Latin America, more broadly, through a discussion of how borders have been symbolically and literally constructed throughout this time period.

Research Interests:

19th and 20th century African-American and U.S./Mexico Border Literature. Post-colonial studies. Hemispheric American studies. New Southern studies. Cultural studies. Latin American studies.

Designated Emphasis in Feminist Theory and Research