My intellectual project involves space and identity’s theoretical and empirical implications for molding political and social behaviors and outcomes. The spatial component refers to the place – geographically bounded areas (counties, states, countries, etc.) – and the context of political, economic, and social phenomena. On the other hand, the identity component focuses on individuals’ choices that recognize their conceptual homogeneity with ethnic, racial, social, religious, national, economic, and political groupings that may or may not correspond to organized categories.
Both space and identity create an aggregation of a unique mix of material and immaterial attributes that make different and unique natural laboratories that enrich our understanding of political and social behaviors. Together place and identity situate political and social phenomena with neighboring places, contexts, and identities, providing a relative spatial arrangement that may be the critical component that explains certain behaviors and outcomes. Within this context, my research agenda focuses on Latinx political behavior and public opinion – their multi-dimensionality and connection to the spatial context in which it takes place.
