She received her doctorate from the University of New Mexico in Hispanic Languages and Literatures. Her teaching and research are informed by the fields of feminism, gender, and ethnic studies as well as by the literary and visual arts. Her teaching interests cover topics related to Chicano/Latino literature and Chicana feminist politics as they relate to the humanities. She uses the humanities as praxis to engage in transnational/global dialogues and exchanges with the histories and cultures of U.S. women of color.