Frank García

Frank García serves as an Assistant Professor of English at Rutgers University-Newark, with affiliate appointments in the Department of Africana Studies and the American Studies program. His scholarly work centers on Latina/o/x and American literature, film, and culture, with particular emphasis on gang and prison narratives, critical race theory, and queer studies. García's research interrogates the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality in cultural production, contributing significantly to multi-ethnic American literary and film studies.

Dr. García's academic journey began with an Associate of Arts in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Riverside City College. He then earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of California, Riverside, followed by a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in English from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

• Ph.D. English, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• M.A. English, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• B.A. English, University of California, Riverside
• A.A. Social and Behavioral Sciences, Riverside City College

Professor García's research spans Latina/o/x literary and film studies, critical race theory, and queer theory. He examines how gang and prison narratives reflect broader societal issues of race, gender, and sexuality. His monograph Clicas: Gender, Sexuality, and Struggle in Latina/o/x Gang Literature and Film (2024) analyzes representations of gang culture in Chicago, Southern California, and Northern Triangle contexts. Current projects include a second book on the carceral state in American literature, alongside investigations into #OwnVoices authenticity, racialized sexuality in Disney films, and queer Chicana/o/x filmmaking.

His recent peer-reviewed articles (2018-2025) reveal a trajectory centered on critical interrogations of race, gender, and sexuality in American cultural production. Key contributions include analyses of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, #OwnVoices debates, Chicano social problem films, and borderlands cinema. García consistently explores how marginalized communities deploy cultural narratives to challenge systemic oppression and assert identity.