Perla Guerrero

Perla Guerrero is an Associate Professor of American Studies and Director of the U.S. Latina/o Studies Program at the University of Maryland, College Park. She holds affiliate roles in the Asian American Studies Program, Center for Global Migration Studies, and Latin American Studies Center. Her research focuses on relational race studies, Latinx and Asian American communities, labor dynamics, and spatial transformations in the U.S. South. She authored Nuevo South: Asians, Latinas/os, and the Remaking of Place, exploring racial diversification and historical legacies in Arkansas.

Education: Ph.D. and M.A. in American Studies and Ethnicity from the University of Southern California; B.A. in Communication (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Central Arkansas, with minors in Spanish and Interdisciplinary Studies.

Research emphasizes the intersection of labor, migration, and regional history. Key projects include Smithsonian fellowships analyzing refugee integration and museum initiatives. Awards include two Smithsonian Postdoctoral Fellowships. She contributes to public humanities through symposiums like 'Civil War to Civil Rights' and Terp Talks on Southern demographic shifts.

Advancing interdisciplinary scholarship, Guerrero collaborates with community organizations and museums, bridging academic research with public engagement. Her work interrogates how historical traumas shape contemporary racial and spatial politics in the U.S. South.