My research interest has focused on international migration and transnationalism, including historical patterns and global shifts and the study of specific contexts. Within the migration field, I am interested in the following phenomena: contexts of exit and reception; impact on sending and receiving societies; incorporation of immigrants in labor and housing markets (occupational and residential segregation and occupational mobility over the life cycle); undocumented migration; refugees, repatriation programs; reintegration of qualified Latin American nationals into their countries of origin; adaptation of return migrants; guest workers programs; economic citizenship programs; ethnic economies, women and children as migrants; second generation; immigrants’ rights; social policy for immigrants; and migration as a foreign policy instrument. My interest in transnational processes and social agency includes the phenomenon of transnationalism related to migration and other modalities traceable to other processes.

I am particularly interested on how world systemic forces shape transnationalism; the impact of transnational political involvement on national projects and identity formation; and how transnational relations challenge or reinforce power relations. I am interested in related topics as well, such as immigration to global cities, and U.S.-Latin American relations. The most recent publication The Modern/Colonial/Capitalist World System in the Twentieth First Century is a co-edited book that covers global and transnational processes, antisystemic movements, gender relations, and the issue of knowledge production by the turn of the twentieth century.