Dr. Alvaro Huerta is an urban planning and Chicana/o studies scholar. Currently, he’s a Visiting Scholar at UCLA’s Chicano Studies Research Center. He’s published widely in academic journals, magazines, newspapers, book anthologies and encyclopedias. He earned advanced degrees from the University of California. This includes a B.A. (history) and M.A. (urban planning) from UCLA, including a Ph.D. (city and regional planning) from UC Berkeley.
As a social scientist, Dr. Huerta’s research interests include the following academic fields: urban planning, Chicana/o studies / history, Latina/o politics, social network analysis, immigration, social movements, and the informal economy. Completed in the fall of 2011, his dissertation focuses on Mexican immigrants and their social networks in Los Angeles’ informal economy. The title is: “Examining the Perils and Promises of an Informal Niche in a Global City: A Case Study of Mexican Immigrant Gardeners in Los Angeles.” Raised in East Los Angeles’ notorious Ramona Gardens housing project (better known as the Big Hazard projects), he’s the product of inner-city public schools. Dr. Huerta is happily married to his wonderful wife, Antonia Montes. He’s the son of Mexican immigrants, Salomón Chavez Huerta Sr. and Carmen Mejia Huerta, from a small rancho, Sajo Grande, in the beautiful state of Michoacán.
