Daniel came to Texas A&M University – San Antonio in 2017 from Salem State University just outside Boston, MA where he was an assistant professor since 2013. His teaching and research reflect this focus on social justice, interrogations of institutionalized and everyday White supremacy and intersections of racism, classism, homophobia, and patriarchy. This equity and social justice concentration led him to A&M – SA because of its Hispanic serving institutional status. He continues to center his teaching and research in these areas. He currently teachings courses on race and ethnicity, urban sociology, Afrx-Latinx experiences, research methods, sociological writing and research, intersectionality, and hip-hop culture.

His publication is focused in several areas racial identities, Latinx student experiences in higher education, middleclass Latinx experiences with processes of racialization, and understanding how race and city/state policy intersect in the Southwest. He is working on a book addressing the everyday racial politics experienced by middle-class Mexican ancestry Latinx people. He has published in several edited volumes and journals. He has two co-edited books published by Routledge titled, Latino Peoples in the New America: Racialization and Resistance and The Spanish Language in the United States: Rootedness, Racialization, and Resistance. Generally, his past research has investigated the role of epistemologies for Latinx knowledge of self broadly. This is reflected in his research on the Tejano Monument, race and immigration, histories of Latinx experience, police enforcement of white supremacy, and how these epistemologies impact a Latinx middleclass understanding of their relationships with poor and working class Latinx people.

He is a Co-PI on an NSF grant focused on Latinx and working class experiences with public transit in San Antonio, titled Building a Smart Mobility Network for the San Antonio Transit to Improve Transit Service and Social Impact. This is a two-year project focused on using technology to aid in the improvement of the daily lives of impoverished communities and improving the transit experiences of these communities.

He currently is also working on a multi-institutional collaborative project, titled Building Bridges Collaborative Program, designed  to implement Social Science labs across five Minority Serving Institutions. This grant is led by social scientists at four universities as a means to build capacity and impact at universities where social science research is often diminished due to systemic and institutional racism. Texas A&M University is one of the lead institutions and will house much of the data.

He is a San Antonio native tracing his roots in Aztlan back many generations prior to colonization. This knowledge of ancestral presence has led him to explore the epistemological components of white supremacy in his new research focused on gentrification processes in San Antonio. He has paid special attention to the role white supremacy and white racism play in forcible removal of Latinx and Black people from our historic neighborhoods throughout the city. These social justice and equity themes guide not only his research but also his teaching and service— Daniel focuses on facilitating equity in every aspect of his career. 

He received a BA from Baylor University (2003), an MA from University of Missouri (2006), and a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University (2013) all in sociology. He also received a graduate certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies from Texas A&M University (2008). He lives in San Antonio with his partner and two dogs. He spends much of his time being a professor but when he has free time he spends it with his family and close friends. He deeply enjoys seeing live hip-hop and rock shows as well as movies. He also enjoys cycling and especially in Texas summers.