Laura Elena Belmonte

Dr. Laura Elena Belmonte is an Assistant Professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies at the University of New Mexico, serving as Director of Graduate Studies Online. She holds a B.A. and M.A. in Spanish from UNM (2009, 2011), and a Ph.D. in Spanish with a concentration in Chicana/o Literature and Culture from Arizona State University (2016). Her research focuses on Chicana/Mexicana feminism, border/transnational studies, and decolonial spiritual activism rooted in her experiences as a child of immigrants and borderlands dweller. She is currently completing a book titled Borderland Brutalities: Violence in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands in Literature, Culture, and Art.

Her research emphasizes the intersection of spirituality, resistance, and cultural production in marginalized communities. Key themes include border violence, transnational identity, and feminist theological practices. She teaches courses like Introduction to Chicana and Chicano Studies, Cultural Expressions in Chicana and Chicano Studies, and Immigration and Assimilation.

Publications include analyses of Chicana literature (e.g., Ana Castillo, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz), border violence narratives, and feminist spiritual leadership. Her work bridges literary analysis with sociopolitical critique, advocating for decolonial frameworks in understanding Chicana/x experiences.