Dr. Rafael Pérez Torres

Biography

Professor Rafael Pérez-Torres specializes in the study of contemporary U.S. culture, focusing on the social configurations of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. His research particularly emphasizes the intersection of contemporary multicultural production and the theories of postcoloniality and postmodernity. He has authored several influential works, including 'Movements in Chicano Poetry: Myths, Margins' (Cambridge University Press, 1995) and 'Mestizaje: Critical Uses of Race in Chicano Culture' (University of Minnesota Press, 2006). Additionally, he co-authored 'Alcatraz, Death Row Back: Memories from East L.A. Outlaw' (University of Texas Press, 2005), and co-edited 'Chicano Studies Reader: An Anthology of Aztlán 1970-2000' (Chicano Studies Research Center Publications, 2001). His publications delve into topics such as Chicano ethnicity, cultural hybridity, and the dynamics of multicultural postmodernism. Throughout his career, he has served on the editorial boards of prominent journals such as 'American Literary History' and 'American Literature', and regularly teaches courses on Chicano/a literature and culture, postmodernism, and multiculturalism. Before joining UCLA, he held positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Pennsylvania, and UC Santa Barbara.

Research Interests