Alejandra Herrera was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada; growing up in a desert town, she has a profound love for air conditioning, cold beverages, and neon signs. She is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate at the University of Oklahoma, and the strength of working-class communities inspires most of her research interests. Alejandra’s interests and experiences in historically marginalized communities are reflected in her academic service as a graduate student. She served on the HGSA’s (History Graduate Student Association) executive board, representing graduate students in OU’s History Department, and currently serves as the DEI Coordinator for the 2026-2027 WHAGSC (Western History Association’s Graduate Student Caucus). Alejandra’s Ph.D. dissertation aims to explore the national aspects of Mexican American culture through the lens of lowrider car culture from the post-World War II era to the 1990s. Alejandra focuses on Mexican Americans, Mexican American aesthetics, culture, commodification, and urban environments.
