Javier's research explores the formation of the Mexico-Guatemala border in the late twentieth century. His work highlights the border's impact on nation-making on both sides of the border, and seeks to demonstrate the process through which each nation harnessed and transformed its margins to assert a unifying national identity that came at the expense of exclusion and othering. In doing so, he intends to expand understandings of border violence beyond of the U.S.-Mexico border paradigm to uncover the violence global borders inflict on communities and individuals.
His project is a continuation of his master's thesis completed at UCLA in Latin American studies. He also holds a BA in Latin American studies and economics from New York University. He is a migrant from Torreon, Mexico.