Dr. Jesus Hernandez

Biography

Jesus James Hernandez is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in American Studies at Brown University. He holds a PhD and MA in American Studies and Ethnicity from the University of Southern California. His research focuses on representations of illegitimate familial figures and their relations within Cuban diasporic cultural production, exploring themes such as bastards, wayward daughters, paper families, and queer relatives. Hernandez's academic interests began during his undergraduate studies at Brown, where he concentrated in Ethnic Studies. He has previously taught Latinx Studies, emphasizing literature, cultural studies, political theory, and humanities at institutions including USC, Williams College, and Mount Holyoke College. Before returning to Brown, he was the inaugural Mellon University Press Diversity Fellow at MIT Press, where he worked in acquisitions for Communication and Information Science. In addition, Hernandez serves as Director of Community-Engaged Learning at the Swearer Center, collaborating with students, staff, and faculty to connect community work with academic knowledge production that promotes collective liberation and personal flourishing.

Research Interests