Jennifer Cook

Jennifer A. Cook is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Tower Center for Political Studies at Southern Methodist University. She received her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Connecticut in May, 2017, and specializes in the study of im/migration, il/legality, and social change in transnational Mexico. Based on multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork in Mexico and Connecticut, Cook’s dissertation examines the way Mexican lawful permanent residents engage with the family-based immigration system. Specifically, the dissertation shows that “legal” Mexicans use family legalization as a strategic tool to improve the long-term welfare of their families. Cook is currently working on revising her dissertation for publication as a book manuscript, tentatively titled Lawful Permanent Migrant: Legality and Mobility in Transnational Mexico. She also teaches courses on Latino immigration and cultural diversity in the U.S. for the Department of Anthropology at Southern Methodist University.