Sofi-Nicole Barreiro

Hometown

Miami, Florida

Education

B.A. in Political Science, Minor in Latin American Studies, Cum Laude, University of Florida
  

Interests

Migration, diaspora, Latinx studies, racialization and racial identity, political underrepresentation, political history, democratization, contemporary challenges to democracy.

Experience

I’m a second-generation Latina that was born and raised in one of the United States’ most prominent ethnic enclaves. Growing up in the suburbs of Miami, Florida acquainted me with the influences of latinidad and migration as a central part of my identity. Embracing my cultural identity while attending the University of Florida led me to enroll in courses that cultivated my affinity for politics and unearthed my passion for Latin American Studies. Notably, during my undergraduate career at UF, I minored in Latin American Studies and learned Brazilian Portuguese. Through the Political Science Department’s Junior Fellows Program, I was given the great opportunity to work alongside Dr. Andrew Janusz to develop the basis of a comparative research paper focused on underrepresentation in Brazilian congressional elections. After graduating with my B.A. in Political Science in May of 2020, I continued to work with Dr. Janusz as a research assistant, and in April of 2021, I was able to present our co-authored gender and politics paper at the 78th Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference. After our paper’s final review, I was thrilled to receive the news in May that I was officially a published co-author of "Political parties and campaign resource allocation: Gender gaps in Brazilian elections" in Party Politics. Post-graduation, I also furthered my professional experience by working as a legal assistant at an immigration law firm in Gainesville. Being able to work first-hand with clients and the U.S. immigration system has led me to feel further inspired to actively study the systemic impediments to Latinos’ success in this country and the mechanisms to improve political underrepresentation.