Mario Alvarado Cifuentes “Mac” is a Ph.D. Student in Chicana/o and Central American Studies at UCLA. Mac was born in Retalhuleu, Guatemala, with coastal Maya Q’anjob’al (San Pedro Soloma-San Francisco Zapotitlán), Guatemalan, and Salvadorian roots. At the age of eight, Mac migrated with their family to the San Francisco Bay Area where they grew up. Living in the United States as an undocuqueer person sparked their interest in understanding systems of violence that impact our minds and bodies.

This interest led them to study Cancellation of Removal for Non-Legal Permanent Residents and its impact on mixed-status families for their honors thesis. They then went on to work in the legal field as an Immigration Paralegal at Centro Legal de la Raza and later as the Pro Bono Administrator at Berkeley Law. Mac’s interest in systems of violence ultimately led them to research settler colonialism. Their current research interests focus on Maya genders and sexualities.

Mac received their A.A. in Political Science with High Honors from Diablo Valley College, a B.A. in Latin American Studies with Honors from UC Berkeley, and an M.A. in Chicana/o and Central American Studies from UCLA. During their spare time, Mac enjoys creating art. Mac strongly believes higher education should be accessible to everyone and welcomes prospective Ph.D. applicants to contact them.

Mac is currently a Ph.D. Student in the Department of Chicana/o & Central American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.