Alejandro Portes: Scholar examines Miami’s future as emerging global city

Born in Havana, Alejandro Portes came to the US as a teenager in the 1960s like many other Cubans in opposition to the Castro regime. While Mr. Portes established his roots in Miami, he spent significant time traversing the globe for his sociology studies. He has taught at Johns Hopkins, Duke, Princeton and the University of Texas-Austin. 

Dr. Portes has authored 250 articles and chapters on national development, international migration, Latin American and Caribbean urbanization and economic sociology and has published 30 books, including several on Miami’s evolving social structures. 

His current research is on the adaptation process of the immigrant second generation, the role of institutions in national development and immigration, and the American health system.

In 2018, he accepted a position at the University of Miami, half-time in the law school and half-time in the sociology department. While Miami remains his home base, Dr. Portes commutes often, continuing his research program at Princeton and teaching courses at Miami in the spring semester. 

Mr. Portes spoke with Miami Today reporter Genevieve Bowen. 

 Miami Today publishes a Book of Leaders every year. This book is a compilation of all The Achievers profiled in every edition. 

The information in this book is available nowhere else – the stories of the women and men who are shaping the development of Greater Miami.