My Research

My dissertation, "Landscapes of Longing: Migration and the Remaking of Rural Mexico," is a comprehensive history of how Mexican emigrants saved rural Mexico. I explore why emigrants left their homes and how they remained attached to their patria chicas or little fatherlands. Focusing on towns from Los Altos de Jalisco during the second half of the twentith century, I detail how emigrants acted as distance residents through remittances, cultural productions, poltical activism, and by identifying as hijos ausentes or absent children, all while shaping their new residencies.

During my fieldwork in small town in rural Mexico, I came across unorganized documents dating back to the 1800s. I decided to arrange the sources and establish a historical archive. After over a dozen volunteers and I went through 15,000 documents in over six weeks, the archive was set. Read more about my experience in these American Historical Association columns.

Take a look at this guide volunteers and I wrote to create and establish a local historical archive. Note that it is still a work-in-progress, please reach out if you have questions or concerns.