Dr. Melinda González is a poet, socio-cultural anthropologist, and author whose work bridges creative expression, critical scholarship, and storytelling.
As a poet, Dr. González (aka La Poeta Guerrera) writes from the intersections of memory, diaspora, and survivance, drawing on NuyoRican and Black Arts traditions. Her poetry has been published in journals such as Barzakh Magazine, Defunkt Magazine, Funicular Magazine, and West Trade Review, and she has performed her work internationally.
As an anthropologist, Dr. González is an Assistant Professor in the Culture and Politics major at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. Her research explores how environmental disasters intersect with race, class, gender, and colonialism, with a focus on Puerto Rico and its diaspora. She employs decolonial and Indigenous methods to understand how communities navigate displacement and organize in the aftermath of catastrophe. Her forthcoming manuscript, tentatively titled, ¿Me Quedo o me Voy? Puerto Rican Displacements in the Wake of PROMESA and Huracán María, traces the multiple scales of Puerto Rican displacement while highlighting everyday practices of resistance and survivance.
Dr. González’s debut children’s book is scheduled for release in Summer 2026 by Free Spirit Publishing. In the text, she centers the experiences of a little Muslim Puerto Rican girl with ADHD. Melinda creates stories that center Puerto Rican culture and Caribbean Muslim experiences. She writes to nurture belonging, pride, and joy for young readers.
Melinda González, PhD | Poet • Anthropologist • Author 