He is originally from the U.S.-Mexico border town of Nogales, AZ (raised on both sides of the border). He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1994, and afterward attended Stanford University where he received his doctorate in English literature in 2003. While finishing his dissertation, Carlos worked as an educator with at-risk middle school and high school students in central and south Tucson. His research interests include Chicano/a studies, 20th century American literature, comparative ethnic studies, philosophy and critical theory, and cultural studies. He has published work in the academic journals Biography, Aztlan, Cultural Critique and Western Humanities Review. His book, Chicana/o Subjectivity and the Politics of Identity: Between Recognition and Revolution, is forthcoming from Palgrave Macmillan in 2011.