Fellow, von der Heyden Global Fellows
Miguel Martinez is currently a PhD candidate in the Duke Political Science Department. His research focuses on how Latinx/a/os understand race, their standing in the U.S. racial hierarchy system, and how their conceptualization of race influences their political attitudes and behavior broadly. More specifically, he focuses on experiences of Mexican immigrants. His research question is the following, what role do racial ideologies play in forming the foundation of racial attitudes and behaviors among Mexican immigrants? Through a comparative lens, Miguel seeks to trace how Mexicans in their home country first become socialized into the racial ideology of mestizaje and how these pre-conceptions of race are challenged, reinforced, and/or transformed when they get socialized in the U.S. Miguel hopes to provide evidence to show that Mexicans are not only victims of discrimination but that they can also embody racial attitudes and politics that illustrate their anti-black racism. In order to achieve global racial justice, it is imperative to challenge the belief that Mexico and other Latin American countries exemplify racial democracies. It is this institutional and social belief that has led to racial inequities within the Mexican community and Latinos at large which results in the marginalization of those who do not fit into this national and social narrative.