Dr. Carmen Lugo-Lugo
Biography
Carmen R. Lugo-Lugo was born and raised in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. She spent her childhood among loving relatives and adoring parents, mostly by the beach. Carmen loves the sound of the (Atlantic) ocean and gets mesmerized by the sound of rustling trees against the wind. These days she spends her free time (beautiful oxymoron) with her partner Mary, their two kitties Zack and Thea, and their mini schnauzer Emmy.
Carmen obtained her B.A. in sociology from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez campus. Her M.A., also in sociology, is from Washington State University, and her Ph.D. is in American Studies with a focus on Latina(o) Studies and Women's Studies, from Washington State University as well. Her doctoral dissertation titled "La página, el cuerpo y la historia:" Feminism and the Literary Works of Contemporary Women Writers in the Third World Commonwealth of Puerto Rico explores the connections between women's literature in Puerto Rico, the colonial status of the island, and the women's movement.
Research Interests
- Puerto Rican Studies
- Latina Feminism in the US
- Colonialism/imperialism and Empire
- Race and popular culture
- Race relations and economic inequality
Teaching Interests
Carmen uses literature, history, sociology, political sciences, popular culture, and a little bit of luck to teach about issues of race and structural inequalities. On a broad level, she teaches about the relationship between social markers and identities (such as gender, race, class, sexuality, etc.), privilege, power, and the resulting unequal distribution of resources. She is planning on developing a course on children's popular culture and issues of race.
Selected Publications
- Lugo-Lugo. Carmen R. and Mary K. Bloodsworth-Lugo. 2009. A New Kind of Containment: “The War on Terror,” Sexuality, and Race Edited Collection. Kenilworth, NJ: Rodopi Press.
- Lugo-Lugo, Carmen R. 2006. “Carmen R. Lugo-Lugo” (Interview). Ten Conversations with Scholars of American Popular Culture. Hollywood: Press Americana. Pp. 145-155.
- Lugo-Lugo, Carmen R. and David J. Leonard. 2006. “Welfare Queens, Model Minority and Racialized Bodies: Lessons from the Third Season of American Idol.” Americana: Readings in American Popular Culture. Hollywood: Press Americana. Pp. 85-98.
- Lugo-Lugo, Carmen R. 2005. “Better than Crest: Consequences of The Selective Whitening and Mainstreaming of Latinos in the U.S. (The Case of Popular Culture).” Racial Crossroads: Comparative Ethnic Studies Reader. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Publishing. Pp. 393-404.
- Lugo-Lugo, Carmen R. and Mary K. Bloodsworth-Lugo. Forthcoming. “475° from September 11th: The Browning of Terror, Same-Sex Marriage, and Immigration.” Journal of Cultural Studies.
- Bloodsworth-Lugo, Mary K. and Carmen R. Lugo-Lugo. 2008. “Citizenship, Immigration, Same-Sex Marriage, and the Browning of Terror.” Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice. 20:3.
- Lugo-Lugo, Carmen R. and Mary K. Bloodsworth-Lugo. 2008. “‘Look Out New World, Here We Come?': Race, Racialization and Sexuality in Four Children’s Animated Films by Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks” Cultural Studiesó Critical Methodologies. 8:4.
- Lugo-Lugo, Carmen R. 2008. “‘So you are a Mestiza:’ Exploring the Consequences of Ethnic and Racial Clumping for Latinas in the US Academy.” Ethnic and Racial Studies. 31:3, Pp. 611-628.
- Lugo-Lugo, Carmen R. 2006. “U.S. Congressional Rhetoric and the Invisibility of Coloniality: The Case of Puerto Rico’s Political Status.” Centro Journal. 26:11. Pp. 124-145.
- Leonard, David J., and Carmen R. Lugo-Lugo. 2005. “Reinventing Women, Sexuality, and the Black Breast: Seeming Acts of Transgression in Popular Culture and their Consequences (The Case of the 2003 VMA and the 2004 Superbowl Half-Time Show).” Transgression and Taboo: Critical Essays. Edited by Vartan P. Messier and Nandita Batra. Pp. 95-114.
- Lugo-Lugo, Carmen R. and Bloodsworth-Lugo, Mary K. 2005. “‘The War on Terror’ and Domestic ‘Terrorism:’ Same Sex Marriage and U.S. State Discourse in the 2004 Presidential Election” International Journal of Contemporary Sociology. 42:2. Pp. 227-248
- Bloodsworth-Lugo, Mary K., and Carmen R. Lugo-Lugo. 2005. “The War on Terror and Same-Sex Marriage: Narratives of Containment and the Shaping of U.S. Public Opinion.” Peace and Change: A Journal of Peace Research. 30:4, Pp. 469-488.
