E. Gabrielle Kuenzli

E. Gabrielle Kuenzli is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of South Carolina, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. Her research and teaching focus on the intersections of sports, race, ethnic identity, and cultural performance in the Americas.

• B.A., Macalester College
• M.A., Indiana University
• M.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison

Kuenzli’s work examines how Latino jockeys in American horse racing reflect broader demographic and societal shifts, particularly in the American South. Her prior book, Acting Inca: National Belonging in Twentieth-Century Bolivia, analyzed theater as a historical lens for understanding nation-state formation and indigenous mobilization.

Her current research extends this focus to sports, investigating the performative role of Latino athletes in shaping cultural identity and visibility. She teaches courses on Sports and Society in the Americas, Modern Latin American History, and topics related to race, performance, and identity.