Ruth hernÁndez
lecturer of sociology

Ruth Marleen Hernández is a sociologist committed to enacting social change through scholarship and teaching. Her research and teaching interests lie in the intersection of gender, international migration, and Latinx communities. Her current research project examines how Mexican migrant families create and maintain transnational ties via social justice theater and other cultural performances.
 
In her classes, Professor Hernández draws on her experience as an activist and board member for NGOs in Mexico and the U.S. to enrich classroom dialogue about social justice issues, forging a bridge between academia and the broader community.

In the past, she has co-taught classes with social justice advocates from Mexico, documentary filmmakers, and former students immersed in social justice efforts. At Skidmore College, Professor Hernández has developed a course (SOC 251D Latinx Communities) that gives students applied sociology skills. Together with the Saratoga Immigration Coalition (SIC), her students have worked on programming to raise awareness about the inequities Latinx migrants face in the local community. She continues this relationship and plans to develop this aspect of her course further this coming spring.
 
Finally, Professor Hernández’s family history of migration – she was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and migrated to Los Angeles, California at the age of one – as well as her intersecting identities as a first-generation college graduate from a working-class background, has impacted how she mentors students, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds.