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Maritza E Cardenas

  • Associate Professor, English
  • Associate Director, Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry
  • Member of the Graduate Faculty
Contact
  • (520) 621-1836
  • Modern Languages, Rm. 445
  • Tucson, AZ 85721
  • mcardena@arizona.edu
  • Bio
  • Interests
  • Courses
  • Scholarly Contributions

Degrees

  • Ph.D. American Culture
    • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
    • Third Word Subjects: The Politics and Production of Central American-Americans
  • M.A. American Culture
    • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • B.A. Comparative Literature
    • University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
  • A.A. Liberal Arts
    • Rio Hondo Community College, Whittie, California

Work Experience

  • University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (2010 - 2018)
  • Writing Program, University of Arizona (2008 - 2010)
  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (2002 - 2006)

Awards

  • University of Arizona Graduate Teaching and Mentoring Award
    • Spring 2019 (Award Nominee)
  • Delegate Member
    • Modern Languages Association, Fall 2018
  • Provost Author Support Grant
    • University of Arizona, Spring 2018
  • Nominated to be section chair of Latino Studies for the Latin American Studies Association
    • Spring 2015 (Award Finalist)
  • Center for Mexican American Studies Benson Fellowship,
    • University of Texas, Austin, Summer 2014
  • Nominated to serve as area chair in American Studies for the Southwest Popular Culture Association
    • Spring 2014 (Award Nominee)
  • Career Enhancement Fellowship for Junior Faculty
    • Woodrow Wilson, Fall 2013

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Interests

Research

US Central American studiesLatina/o studiesAmerican StudiesCultural and Critical theory

Teaching

Latin American and Latina/o cultural productions; Ethnic studies; Cultural studies; American Studies, popular culture; Literary theory

Courses

2025-26 Courses

  • Literature and Film
    ENGL 300 (Fall 2025)
  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Fall 2025)

2024-25 Courses

  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Spring 2025)
  • Dimensions of Globalization
    GLS 251 (Fall 2024)
  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Fall 2024)
  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Fall 2024)

2023-24 Courses

  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Spring 2024)
  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Spring 2024)
  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Fall 2023)

2022-23 Courses

  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Spring 2023)
  • Senior Capstone
    GLS 498 (Spring 2023)
  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Spring 2023)
  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Fall 2022)
  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Fall 2022)

2021-22 Courses

  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Spring 2022)
  • Senior Capstone
    GLS 498 (Spring 2022)
  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Spring 2022)
  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Fall 2021)
  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Fall 2021)

2020-21 Courses

  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Summer I 2021)
  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Spring 2021)
  • Independent Study
    ENGL 599 (Spring 2021)
  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Spring 2021)
  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Fall 2020)
  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Fall 2020)

2019-20 Courses

  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Summer I 2020)
  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Spring 2020)
  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Fall 2019)
  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Fall 2019)

2018-19 Courses

  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Summer I 2019)
  • U.S. Popular Culture
    ENGL 264 (Spring 2019)

2017-18 Courses

  • Critical Cultural Concepts
    ENGL 160D1 (Spring 2018)
  • Wrk in Appl Theory
    SCCT 597 (Spring 2018)
  • Critical Cultural Concepts
    ENGL 160D1 (Fall 2017)
  • Independent Study
    ENGL 599 (Fall 2017)
  • Non-Fiction Prose
    ENGL 419A (Fall 2017)

2016-17 Courses

  • Critical Cultural Concepts
    ENGL 160D1 (Spring 2017)
  • Junior Proseminar
    ENGL 396A (Spring 2017)
  • Critical Cultural Concepts
    ENGL 160D1 (Fall 2016)
  • Internship
    ENGL 593 (Fall 2016)
  • Junior Proseminar
    ENGL 396A (Fall 2016)

2015-16 Courses

  • Critical Cultural Concepts
    ENGL 160D1 (Spring 2016)
  • Junior Proseminar
    ENGL 396A (Spring 2016)

Related Links

UA Course Catalog

Scholarly Contributions

Books

  • Cardenas, M. E. (2018). Constituting Central American-Americans: Transnational Identities and the Politics of Dislocation. Rutgers University Press.
    More info
    Signed a final book manuscript contract in December 2016

Chapters

  • Cardenas, M. E. (2021). "Querying Central America(n) From the US Diaspora. In Critical Diálogos in Latina and Latino Studies(p. 23).
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2019). Central American-American Identity and Politics. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature(p. 25). doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190201098.013.429
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2017). "Performing Centroamericanismo”: Isthmian Identities at the COFECA Independence Parade.. In US Central Americans: Reconstructing Memories, Struggles and Communities of Resistance(p. 25). University of Arizona.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2016). “Is Carlos Mencia a White Wetback?: Mediating the (E)Racing of US Central Americans in the Latina/o Imaginary. In Race and Contention in 21st Century US Media(p. 26). Routledge.

Journals/Publications

  • Cardenas, M. E. (2017). A Central American Wound: Remapping the US Borderlands in Oscar Martinez's The Beast.. Symbolism: An International Annual of Critical Aesthetics, 25.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2017). The Limits of Liberal Recognition: The Politics and Production of Central American-American Identity. Journal of Commonwealth and Postcolonial Studies, 26.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2013). From Epicentro to Fault Lines: Re-Writing Central America from the Diaspora. Studies in 20th and 21st Century Literature, 37(2), 111-130.

Presentations

  • Cardenas, M. E. (2024, October). New Directions in Central American Studies.” . symposiumNew York University.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2023). "Migration and Disability" . Invited Talk. University of Arizona: SCCT.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2023). “Revisiting Disability, Migration and Latinx Studies from a Central American Perspective.”. Invited Speaker. California State University Northridge.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2023). “Revisiting Disability, Migration and Latinx Studies from a Central American Perspective.”. Invited speaker. California State University Los Angeles.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2019, February). Unbecoming Central American-American.”. Invited Talk. Eugene Oregon: University of Oregon.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2019, January). Impassing Subjects: Latinidad, Normativity and the Making of Central American-Americans.”. Invited Talk. Chicago Illinois: Northwestern University.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2019, November). Beyond Slaves: The Limits of using “Human Rights” frameworks in representations of Central American female migrants”.. American Studies Association. Honolulu, HI: American Studies Association.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2018, February). A Central American Wound. LAS Charla. Tucson, AZ.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2018, January). Third Country Nationals. Modern Languages Association. New York City, NY.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2018, July). Central American Transmigrations. Latino Studies Association. Washington D.C.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2018, July). Constituting Central American-Americans: New Books in Latinx Studies. Latino Studies Association. Washington DC.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2018, March). Other Than Mexican: Central American-Americans. Arizona Quarterly Institute. Tucson, Arizona.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2018, November). US Central Americans in the Era of Trump. American Studies Association. Atlanta, GA: ASA.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2017, November). “From the North/South to the South/South: La Bestia, Transmigration and Central American Collective Memory.”. Invited Talk for California State University Northridge. Northridge CA: California State University Northridge.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2017, Spring). “Constructing Centralaméricanismo: Identity and Performance at the COFECA Independence Day Parade.”. National Association of Chicana/o Studies. Irvine , CA: National Association of Chicana/o Studies.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2016, July). Other Than Mexicans: US Central Americans and the Politics of Passing. Latina/o Studies Association Conference. Los Angeles, CA: Latina/o Studies Association.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2016, November). (Disem)Body Politics: La Bestia and Central American Heteropathic Memory and Identification. American Studies Association. Denver, CO: American Studies Association.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2015, April). “Other Central Americans: The Possibilities and Limitations of a US Isthmic Identity.”. Rocky Mountain Council for Latin American Studies..
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2015, April). “Re-Cognizing the Politics and Productions of Central American-Americans.”. Invited Speaker. Duke University.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2015, March). “The Other’s Other?: Rethinking Chicano Studies as a site of Resistance.”. Conference on College Composition and Communication. Tampa, FL: Conference on College Composition and Communication.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2015, November). “The Limits of Recognition: Rethinking Strategies in Latina/o Identity Politics.”. Invited Speaker. University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2014, February). “Unfunny Politics: Latinidad and the Misreading of Carlos Mencia.”. Southwest Popular Culture Association Conference. Albuquerque, NM..
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2014, July). Central Americans in the US: Notions of Belonging and Unbelonging.. Latino Studies Conference. Chicago, IL.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2014, July). “Central Americans in the US: Notions of Belonging and Unbelonging.”. Latino Studies Association Conference.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2014, March). Unfunny Politics: Latinidad and the Misreading of Carlos Mencia.. Southwest Popular Culture Association Conference. Albuquerque, NM.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2014, March). “Borderlands Productions, Queer Migrations, and Counter Movements”.. Tucson Festival of Books. Tucson, AZ.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2014, November). EnGendering the Nation: Beauty Queens and Drag Queens at the COFECA Central American Independence Parade.. American Studies Association Conference. Los Angeles, CA.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2013, August). “Constituting Isthmian Americans.”. Woodrow Wilson Retreat. Tampa, FL.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2013, Fall). “OTM’s and the (de)Construction of Ethnic Studies in Arizona.”. Critical Ethnic Studies Conference. Chicago, IL.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2013, May). "Performing Centralamericanismo: (Re)Imagining Central America via the COFECA Independence Parade.”. Latin American Studies Association. Washington, DC.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2012, February). Alternative Latinidades: The Politics and Production of Central American-Americans. Arizona State University.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2012, March). “(Re)Writing Central America: Poetic Interventions from the US Central American Diaspora.”. American Comparative Literature Conference. Providence, RI.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2012, May). “At the Limits of Latinidad: Central American-American subjectivity and Latina/o subjectivity.”. Latin American Studies Association. San Francisco, CA.
  • Cardenas, M. E. (2012, Spring). “Is the Central American-American subject a Latina/o Subject?”. Lozano Long Conference. University of Texas, Austin.

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