Sarah M. Quesada

Sarah M. Quesada is an Associate Professor in the Department of Romance Studies at Duke University, with a joint appointment in Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies. She holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University (2016) and specializes in literatures of the Global South, including Latin American, Caribbean, and African texts. Her research bridges postcolonial/decolonial studies, heritage tourism, and archival oral histories. Her landmark book The African Heritage of Latinx and Caribbean Literature (2022) won an MLA honorable mention, exploring African influences in Latinx literature through Cold War and UNESCO frameworks. Quesada’s work has been supported by ACLS, the National Humanities Center, and Stanford’s Center for African Studies.

Research Focus: She examines transnational linkages between Africa and the Americas, with a focus on revolutionary movements, state archives, and feminist texts. Current projects include a book on African revolutionary movements and Greater Mexico writings.

Awards: ACLS Fellowship (2015), Andrew W. Mellon Assistant Professorship (2023), MLA Honorable Mention (2023).

Teaching: Courses include Race and Memory in the Americas, Global South Feminisms, and First-Year Seminars. She advises students in archival and fieldwork methodologies (CITI/RIB-certified).