Cara Kinnally

Cara Kinnally is an Associate Professor at Purdue University's School of Languages and Cultures, where she studies hidden and lost histories of Hispanic communities.

• Current affiliation: Purdue University
• Academic rank: Associate Professor

Educational Background:

• Combined Ph.D. in Hispanic Literatures and American Studies
• M.A. in Literatures in Spanish from Indiana University
• B.A. in Spanish and English from Augustana College

Research Focus: Kinnally specializes in 19th- and 20th-century Mexican and Mexican-American literature, Latino/a studies, border studies, empire studies, postcolonial theory, and critical race theory. Her work emphasizes recovering lost Hispanic histories from the 19th century, highlighting open conversations about Hispanic identities and racism that remain relevant to contemporary U.S. issues.

Publication: Her 2019 book Forgotten Futures, Colonized Pasts examines transnational collaboration in 19th-century Greater Mexico, analyzing how elite Mexicans and Mexican-Americans defined their identities across geopolitical boundaries.