Óscar F. Gil-García

Óscar F. Gil-García serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University at Buffalo's College of Arts and Sciences, specializing in migration, Indigenous Maya communities, and health impacts of US border policies. His research examines how Guatemalan civil war trauma intersects with contemporary immigration enforcement to shape family separation experiences.

His educational background includes:

• PhD in Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara
• MA in Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara
• BA in Sociology, Vassar College

Dr. Gil-García's work centers on photographic testimonio and forced migration legacies, particularly documenting how state border policies perpetuate violence against Indigenous Maya families across Mexico and the United States. He investigates health disparities among undocumented populations and the long-term psychological effects of family separation under policies like zero tolerance.

His publication trends reveal consistent focus on Indigenous community resilience, conditional cash transfer programs in Chiapas, and refugee statelessness, with recurring themes of trauma, gendered impacts, and policy advocacy emerging across his work since 2016.

Key recognitions include:

• UC Chancellor’s Post-doctoral fellowship at UCLA
• UB CDI Distinguished Visiting Fellowship

He actively mentors students through co-authored publications on healthcare access for undocumented populations and family separation trauma, though specific grant details remain unmentioned. His current book project on photographic testimonio of Maya forced migration represents significant future scholarly contribution.