Raúl Romo is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures at the University of California, Irvine. His research explores contemporary Latin American and Latinx literature, film, and visual culture, with a focus on queer and trans identities, activism, and urban life. He is particularly interested in how artists, narrators, and filmmakers from Latin America and Latinx communities in the U.S. depict themselves thorugh storytelling and visual representation.
His work engages with 20th- and 21st-century literature and film, examining the intersections of history, identity politics, and artistic expression. Through a critical sexualities lens, he analyzes self-narrations of dissident subjects in fiction, documentary, and media, drawing from queer and trans theory to interrogate themes of agency and embodiment. His research also considers the role of sex work and its cultural portrayals in Latin American and Latinx narratives.
Beyond literature and film, Raúl explores visual culture through art installations, public interventions, and anti-monuments, investigating how space is reconfigured to challenge hegemonic and exclusionary historical narratives. He is also interested in curatorial practices and their impact on artistic discourse and public engagement, particularly in relation to activism and marginilized groups.
Raúl Romo 