Welcome! I'm Matthew Blanton, a PhD candidate in Sociology and Demography at the University of Texas at Austin. I study migration, politics, and religion in Latin America, using both quantitative and qualitative methods.

My dissertation, Forced Migration From and Within Central America, investigates the historical and contemporary drivers of displacement through a mixed-methods study of migrants in need of protection. This work examines migrant health and well-being in the post-migration context, traces the long-term impact of historical violence on migration patterns, and analyzes the timing and drivers of unaccompanied minor migration. 

In a second line of inquiry, I examine the consequences of societal transformation in Latin America, with particular attention to religious change. This research explores the rise of religious disaffiliation and its implications for institutional trust and democratic participation.

My peer-reviewed work has been published in International Migration Review, Socius, and Society and Mental Health, and my public scholarship has appeared in outlets such as The Boston Globe and The Hill. My research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Strauss Center for International Security and Law.

Before graduate school, I completed a policy internship at the U.S. Department of State, worked on an immigration reform campaign with the National Immigration Forum, and co-led a nonprofit organization in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.

My CV is available here.