Political Science Trailblazer & Activist Christine Sierra

September 28, 2018 – Christine Sierra has blazed many trails in her life. She was among the first Mexican-American women to get a doctorate in political science and helped build the field of Latino/Latina political studies. Sierra joined the University of New Mexico in 1986 and her publications have focused on activism in the Mexican American community around immigration, Hispanic politics in New Mexico and the politics of Latina women in the United States.

Sierra directed UNM’s Southwest Hispanic Research Institute from 2011-2014. She has been a guest scholar at the Brookings Institution, the University of Arizona, and the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. Sierra was recently honored by the Midwest Political Science Association with its Distinguished Career Award. Her most recent book, an examination of racial and ethnic minorities holding elected office in the U.S., is “Contested Transformation: Race, Gender and Political Leadership in Twenty-First Century America,” which she co-authored with Carol-Hardy-Fanta, Pei-te Lien and Dianne M. Pinderhughes.

Correspondent Megan Kamerick sits down with Christine Sierra this week to discuss her career and the 2018 elections.

Additional Reading:

Still A Man’s Domain: Latinas Face Hurdles In Politics Despie Making Strides – NBC News

Interview on New Mexico in Focus about “Contested Transformation” – New Mexico PBS

Contested Transformation: The Bottom-Up Politics of Latino and Other Elected Officials of Color – The Venture