Ana Aparicio

Ana Aparicio is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Northwestern University, specializing in Cultural Anthropology with a focus on racial formation, urban studies, and Latino/immigrant politics in the United States and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. Her research bridges ethnographic studies of youth activism with critical policy analysis, examining how marginalized communities navigate racial/ethnic disparities across public sectors.

• PhD from The Graduate School and University Center, CUNY (2004)
• Executive Board Member, American Anthropological Association

Research Themes: Her work spans two primary areas: (1) ethnographic exploration of political engagement among people of color and youth in urban contexts, and (2) policy analysis linking racial/ethnic disparities to structural inequalities. Current NSF-funded research investigates suburban Latino immigrant communities, inter-group relations, and public space evolution in contemporary suburbia.

Publication Trends: Aparicio’s scholarship reveals interdisciplinary intersections between race, migration, urban sociology, and policy studies. Her publications examine how marginalized groups utilize cultural and political strategies to reshape urban landscapes, contest systemic inequities, and negotiate diasporic identities across transnational spaces.

Awards: Recognized with the 2006 Association for Latina and Latino Anthropologists Book Award Honorable Mention for *Dominican Americans and the Politics of Empowerment*.

Policy Engagement: Collaborates with city and nonprofit organizations to analyze disparities in healthcare, education, and labor sectors, translating findings into actionable strategies for equitable policy reform.