Victor Vazquez

Dr. Victor Vazquez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), where he has been a faculty member since 2017. A Puerto Rican sociocultural anthropologist, his work bridges Hispanic Caribbean Studies and Border Studies, focusing on systemic inequalities and community resilience.

• Education
• 2000 - BA in Social Sciences General Program, University of Puerto Rico at Cayey
• 2003 - Master’s in Social Research Techniques, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
• 2012 - PhD in Social Anthropology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Research Interests: Dr. Vazquez’s work primarily examines Puerto Rico’s gentrification crisis and its socio-economic implications, with a focus on community activism in Los Chorros, Guaynabo. He also explores migrant humanitarian crises, environmental challenges, and violence along the U.S.-Mexico border. His 2024 book Resisting Gentrification in Puerto Rico and forthcoming 2026 book highlight these themes.

Publications Trends: His scholarship spans ethnographic analyses of migration (e.g., caravans in Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez), political movements (e.g., #Rickyrenuncia), and critiques of neoliberalism. Subfields include gentrification, drug trafficking, community resistance, and post-colonial policy debates.

Labs & Affiliations: Dr. Vazquez contributes to UTEP’s Socio-Environmental and Geospatial Analysis Lab and the Immigration and Border Communities REU program.