Manny is a PhD student in Literature interested in how 19th-century American texts represent disability and communities of care. His research explores the social and rhetorical constructions of disability and how these intersect with questions of race, class, gender, and sexuality.
Presentations:
“Down with Tiny Tim: Reclaiming Disability from the Pity Parade.” PAMLA Conference, San Francisco, CA. November 20-23, 2025.
“Visible Scars, Invisible Wounds: Disability, Race, and Memory in The Life and Adventures of Joaquin Murieta.” PAMLA Conference, San Francisco, CA. November 20-23, 2025
“Shifting Grounds: Exploring the Landscapes of Homelessness.” Connections Conference 2025: Landscapes, Davis, CA. April 8, 2025.
“Deconstructing Disability Myths in Julia Ward Howe’s The Hermaphrodite: An Exploration of the Intersections Between Gender, Sexuality, and Disability.” MMLA Conference, Chicago, IL. November 14-16, 2024.
“Recognizing Social Constructions of Disability Through the Acknowledgment of Visible and Invisible Disabilities in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises.” International Conference on Myths, Archetypes, and Symbols: “Models and Alternatives.” London Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, September 28-29, 2024.
“Deconstructing Disability Myths in Julia Ward Howe’s The Hermaphrodite: An Exploration of the Intersections Between Gender, Sexuality, and Disability.” 9th Annual International Gender & Sexuality Studies Conference, Central Oklahoma University, September 28-29, 2024.
- B.A. in English, magna cum laude — California State University, Stanislaus (2024)
- A.A. in General Humanities — Modesto Junior College (2023)
- A.A. in English — Modesto Junior College (2022)
- Dean’s List, California State University, Stanislaus: three of three semesters
- President’s List, Modesto Junior College: five of five semesters
- First place, 2021 Modesto Junior College Celebration of the Humanities Academic Essay Competition
- Certification, 2013 Leadership Assembly for Latinos Excelling in Academics and Leadership, issued by California Legislature Kevin Mullin
- 19th century American Literature
- Disability Studies
- Critical Disability Studies
- Gender and Sexuality
- Postcolonial Studies
- California Literature
- Critical Race Theory
- Alonzo, M. (2024). “Deconstructing Disability Myths in Julia Ward Howe’s The Hermaphrodite: An Exploration of the Intersections Between Gender, Sexuality, and Disability.” PRISM, Ithaca, New York, January 2024. Available at: https://sites.google.com/view/prismundergraduatejournal/current-issue
- “From the Dirt We Rise.” Penumbra Online, November 2024. Available at: https://www.penumbraonline.com/fall-2024
- “Mud on Their Faces, Pride in Our Hearts.” Penumbra Online, November 2024. Available at: https://www.penumbraonline.com/fall-2024
- The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) 2023-Present