Brandon J. Martínez

Education

• PhD Hispanic Linguistics (In Progress). University of Arizona.

• MA Linguistics. University of New Mexico. 2021.

• BA Linguistics & Languages. University of New Mexico. 2017.

About Me

I was born and raised in Grants, New Mexico, a small mining & ranching community nestled between Mt. Taylor, the malpaís lava flows, and the Zuni Mountains. La Nueva México, like other parts of Aztlán, has a rich history of cultural interaction, with long-standing inhabitance by indigenous tribes, and later waves of colonization and occupation by hispanos and Anglo-Americans. 

My love for language was sparked by a trip to Brazil in 2013, and since then I have studied Spanish, Portuguese, and Mandarin Chinese to varying levels. The process of learning languages has provided me with many amazing opportunities in my life, including the chance to travel and explore different places, cultures, and peoples. Importantly, however, the process of reclaiming Spanish as my heritage language has helped me develop my personal identity as a US Latino, to expand my understanding of our mestizo heritage, and to better appreciate the nuevomexicano culture that I grew up in.

As of Spring 2026, I am currently a PhD candidate in Hispanic Linguistics at the University of Arizona, where I study Latinos in the United States through a sociocultural linguistic lens. For my doctoral research, I am investigating the effects which social networks and socioeconomic changes have on language use in New Mexico. Alongside my own research endeavors, I also teach Spanish for heritage speakers at the UofA, with nearly six years of teaching experience at the post-secondary level.