Mayra Fortes González is from Puebla, México. She has been teaching Hispanic literatures and cultures at Grand Valley State University since 2009. Her area of expertise is contemporary Mexican literature and culture, with a special interest in the literary and cultural production of the 60s and 70s. She is particularly interested in the influence of American culture in Mexican counterculture, as well as immigration from Mexico to the U.S. She has presented her research at conferences such as the Latin American Studies Association (LASA). At Grand Valley, she teaches courses on U.S. Latino/a culture and literature as well as Latin American culture courses.