Justin Perez

Justin Perez is a Professor in the Department of Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His research focuses on the intersection of sexuality, public health, and postconflict society in Latin America, with particular expertise in Peru.

His research interests span anthropology, Latin American studies, LGBTQ+ studies, sexuality studies, public health, and ethnography. His work often examines how marginalized communities navigate complex social landscapes, particularly in relation to HIV/AIDS prevention and postconflict memory.

Perez's recent publication in American Ethnologist analyzes how gay and transgender communities in Peru use the concept of "peches" (small gifts given to incentivize sexual and romantic relationships) to navigate both the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the legacy of Peru's internal armed conflict. This work demonstrates how local cultural concepts can illuminate the moral dimensions of global health categories.

• Social Science Research Council grant
• Inter-American Foundation grant
• National Science Foundation grant

Perez has conducted extensive ethnographic fieldwork in Tarapoto, Peru over the 2010s, following the implementation of the Tenth Round of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. His research has been supported by multiple institutions including the Department of Anthropology at UC Irvine, Princeton University, and the Research Center for the Americas at UC Santa Cruz.