Abraham Castillo

Biography

Degrees

• B.A., University of California, Los Angeles; Spanish & History
• M.A., New York University – Madrid, Spain; Spanish Literary, Linguistic, & Cultural Studies
• M.A., Grand Canyon University; History
• Ed.D., University of Southern California; Education 

About Abraham

Dr. Abraham Castillo is a Professor of Chicana/o Studies at Bakersfield College, where he previously served as an Educational Advisor in the Counseling Department. A lifelong resident of East Bakersfield and a proud Bakersfield College alumnus, Dr. Castillo returned to his alma mater as a faculty member after more than a decade working in higher education. His teaching and scholarly interests center on the histories of Spanish-speaking communities in the United States and Latin America, with particular emphasis on Chicana/o history, the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, and the historical relationship between language, identity, and power. His research interests include the history of language and language policy, linguistic identity, bilingualism, and the ways governments, institutions, and communities have used language to define belonging and shape cultural and political identities. His courses explore the connections between Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano/a, and Latin American histories, with particular attention to migration, race, culture, nationalism, and transnationalism. Dr. Castillo is especially interested in recovering the histories and voices of Spanish-speaking communities in California and the Southwest and in situating the Central Valley within the broader history of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands.