Ximena González Parada

Dr. Ximena Gonzalez-Parada holds a PhD in Hispanic Studies from The University of Georgia, specializing in Afro-Latin American and Latinx literature. In addition to her doctoral degree, she completed master's degrees in Romance Language and Literatures and International Studies at Ohio University. Her academic journey also included a semester abroad at Universidade do Porto, in Portugal.

Dr. Gonzalez-Parada's research analyzes the representation of ethnic and racial identities in 20th and 21st-century Latin American literature, performance, and film. Her ongoing work delves into the transformative impact of early 20th century Black Hispanic intellectuals on ideas of nation and national identity. She also examines how contemporary Latin American artists of color continue to redefine geographical and symbolic boundaries, with a particular focus on issues of race and ethnicity. Her article "Ecuadorian Blackness and the Poetics of Resistance and Solidarity in Juyungo by Adalberto Ortiz" received the 2022 Dolores Caguango Prize from the Latin American Studies Association.

In addition to her scholarly pursuits, Dr. Gonzalez-Parada is particularly interested in the development of innovative, multimodal strategies for teaching Afro-Hispanic cultural production in Spanish as a second language classrooms. She also has experience in curriculum development, community engagement, and the coordination of Study Abroad Programs.

Prior to her role at Columbia University, Dr. Gonzalez-Parada taught Spanish and Portuguese at Yale University and was a visiting Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina Greensboro and Berry College.