Carmen Valdivia

Professor Carmen Valdivia is a faculty member in the Department of Languages and Literary Studies at Lafayette College, joining in July 2023. Previously, she served as Visiting Assistant Professor at Macalester College. Born in Cusco, Peru, she immigrated to the U.S. as part of the Peruvian diaspora following the Internal Armed Conflict (1980–2000). Her academic background includes a Ph.D. in Spanish with an emphasis in Native American Studies from the University of California, Davis (2021), an M.A. from San Jose State University, and a B.A. from Universidad San Antonio Abad de Cusco.

Her research focuses on contemporary Latin American cultural production through racial, Indigenous, and feminist critiques, with a focus on Indigenous women’s representation in the Andean region. She collaborates with ONAMIAP (National Organization of Andean and Amazonian Indigenous Women of Peru) on digital projects and explores audiovisual works by urban Indigenous women using social media for cultural sovereignty. She teaches Latin American film, literature, Indigenous cultural production, and Spanish for heritage speakers.

Professor Valdivia has held roles such as director of the Davis Feminist Film Festival (2019) and Education and Training Coordinator at the AB540 and Undocumented Student Center (2020). Her work bridges academic research with community engagement, particularly supporting marginalized voices in cultural expression.