I was born in Albuquerque, and raised in El Cerro/Los Lunas by Mexican immigrant working-class parents. Growing up in a tight-knit rural desert town of mainly Mexican-immigrants shaped my perspective on life. I approach my work in reverence of oppressed peoples around the world who speak truth to power in both grand and mundane ways.
In 2015, I graduated with honors from the University of New Mexico, and received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Chicana/o Studies and Spanish. I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California, expected to graduate in 2023.
My work has been recognized by the New Mexico History Scholars program, the Western History Association, the Southwest Popular and American Culture Association, the Voces Latino Oral History Project, USC’s Joint Educational Program, and the Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship.
Divana Olivas 