Elizabeth Velasquez Estrada

Elizabeth Velasquez Estrada is an Assistant Professor in Latina/Latino Studies at the University of Illinois, affiliated with the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies (CLACS). She earned her Ph.D. (2017) and M.A. (2013) in Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Research Focus: Her work bridges violence studies, transnational feminisms, and activist anthropology, examining how marginalized communities in El Salvador navigate post-conflict reconciliation. She investigates the paradox of youth gang members as both perpetrators and agents of peace, alongside women’s solidarity networks demanding intersectional justice.

Academic Contributions: A member of an activist feminist scholars’ collective, she co-edits the volume Fugitive Anthropology supported by the Wenner-Gren Foundation. The project develops decolonized fieldwork methodologies centered on embodiment for racially marginalized researchers.