Magdalena L Barrera

Magdalena L. Barrera is Professor and Chair of Chicana and Chicano Studies at San Jose State University (SJSU). Magdalena received her B.A. in English Literature and Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago (1997), and her Ph.D. in Modern Thought in Literature from Stanford University (2006). In addition to teaching Chicanx literature and film at SJSU, she also leads workshops for students on academic resilience and for junior faculty on navigating the tenure process. From 2016-18, she held a faculty appointment in SJSU’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and served from 2018-2019 as the inaugural Director of the Ethnic Studies Collaborative for the SJSU’s College of Social Sciences. Magdalena’s research agenda is situated at the intersection of literary/visual studies and cultural history, specifically representations of Mexican Americans in early twentieth century American literature, music, photography, and government publications. Inspired by the Latinx students of SJSU, she also has a second research area centered on the teaching and mentoring of students of color in higher education. Her work has appeared in California History, Journal of Latinos and Education, Aztlan, Bilingual Review, Teaching with Tension, Latina/o Literature in the Classroom, Sexualities in History, Inside Higher Ed, Ms. Magazine, and Diverse Issues in Higher Education.
Phone: 408-924-5583
Address: Mexican American Studies
One Washington Square
San Jose State University
San Jose, CA 95192-0118