Published Works

Welcome to my Published Works page—an at-a-glance collection of my articles, essays, and other pieces across platforms and publications. If you’re looking for samples of my voice, subject areas, and storytelling style, you’ll find them all gathered in one place.

Browse the full list here: Published Work.

Topics Epilogue: Reclaiming our voices, stories and knowledge

University of Texas (2022)

In my contribution to the book, I explore how a lived deportation experience can enrich our understanding of migration. I advocate for participatory and horizontal approaches to working with migrants, and the importance of mitigating risks of extractivism in social interventions and academic projects.

Barriers and Opportunities in the Integration and Social Mobility of U.S.-Educated Deported and Returned Youth

El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (2020)

In my chapter contribution based on research and advocacy work on return migration of U.S.-undocumented youth to Mexico, I discuss the migration-education nexus by delving into U.S. immigration and Mexican education policies that contribute to their exclusion, and the importance of including their participation in policy design.

Marginalization to Insider Researcher

AERA (2016)

As a deported DREAMer turned researcher, I study how education and immigration policies shape the forced return of U.S. DREAMers to Mexico. My work examines the barriers they face in validating U.S. schooling and continuing their studies in Mexico. I also advocate for academia’s social responsibility to research participants and for participatory methods that help democratize knowledge production.

Nancy Landa. La historia de una mujer binacional...

Itchan Tecolotl (2021) [Spanish]

In this story co-produced in the form of a self-interview, I share my experience as a binational migrant, reflecting on the challenges faced by many women and their families due to deportation. My life in the U.S., deportation, my resilience in Mexico, and the processes of grief, pain, and healing are the threads that weave this story.

La exclusión de los niños que retornan a México

Nexos (2015) [Spanish]

This collaboration examines how U.S. immigration policy and economic crisis are driving the return of Mexican families. Back in Mexico, Dreamers and U.S.-born children face school barriers that disrupt learning and limit educational mobility—highlighting the need for inclusive policies that guarantee their right to education and full social integration.

The Use of "Illegal" in Academia: An Unscholarly Approach

Latina Lista (2013)

Language has the power to humanize the migrant experience, but in discussions of migration, often times it is used as a tool to criminalize migrants. Academia has not been immune to the biases that have polarized the debate on immigration. In this essay, I make the case for eliminating the use of the term "illegal" to describe migrants and highlight efforts that have advocated for this stance.