Alejandro Ramirez Mendez

Alejandro Ramirez Mendez is an Assistant Professor in Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Illinois, specializing in 20th/21st-century Latin American and Latinx literature, culture, and transnationalism. His work bridges migration, border studies, and digital humanities.

Education:

• PhD in Hispanic Languages and Literatures (2018), University of California Los Angeles
• MA in Literary Studies (2010), Leiden University
• BA in Literature and Language Sciences (2007), Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juan

Research: He examines migration and diaspora in literary and cultural narratives, focusing on transnational geographies, U.S.-Mexico border dynamics, and intersections of gender, ethnicity, and social justice. His recent publications analyze Valeria Luiselli, Juan Rulfo, and transnational mythology in global neoliberal contexts.

Publications: His work spans cosmopolitan urbanism, binational violence, and hyper-aesthetics in migration, with forthcoming contributions on Edgar Clément’s decolonial narratives.

Courses: Teaches SPAN 316 (Identity/Ethnicity in Latin American Literature), SPAN 326 (Border Culture/Migration), and SPAN 535 (U.S. Interventions in Latin America through art).