Manuel Apodaca-Valdez was born in Sinaloa, Mexico, in 1959. He's resided in the United States since 1998. He earned a doctorate in comparative literature from Purdue University in 2006. He also holds a master’s degree in Spanish linguistics from Purdue University (2002) and a bachelor's of arts in Hispanic Language and Literature from the University of Guanajuato, Mexico (1995). He is currently a Professor of Spanish in the USI World Languages and Cultures Department where he has taught since 2009. His research areas are Afro-Latin American studies, Spanish American literatures and Spanish teaching. He has conducted extensive field research about the African diaspora, particularly about confraternities of African descendants in Spain, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Cuba. He also has conducted archival research about the history of Latin American and Spanish diasporas in 16 archival institutions of various countries including Spain, Mexico, Peru, Santo Domingo and Cuba. His book, Cofradias Afrohispánicas, is a compendium of his extensive research on these topics and areas of study.