Cristina Mendoza
M.A. Student
LALS
Email:
About
Cristina Mendoza is a second generation chicana with roots in Jalisco and Michoacán. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Latin American and Latino Studies undergraduate program in 2022 and holds an additional bachelor's degree in Entertainment and Media Management from Columbia College Chicago. Her research interests include US census issues, the intersection of assimilation and political affiliation in Mexican-American communities, and Latinx storytelling in museums and cultural institutions. In addition to her schooling, she leads internal operations for the Obama Foundation.
Creatively, Cristina is a dedicated writer, storyteller, and book lover. In 2022 she became an inaugural nonfiction fellow for Roots Wounds Words Storytellers of Color Writing Workshop and has previously been accepted into StoryStudio's Storyboard and Essay Collection in a Year programs. Cristina's nonfiction work focuses on the intersection of politics, identity, and race within Latinx culture and art. When she's not procrastinating on writing she can usually be found thrifting, getting lost in a new museum exhibit, or singing along to Beyoncé.