NYPL Researcher Spotlight (WFH edition): Neil Hernandez

This profile is part of a series of interviews chronicling the experiences of researchers who use The New York Public Library's collections for the development of their work. The 'Working from Home' edition focuses on how researchers, through the challenges created by COVID-19, continue to use the Library’s resources remotely.

Neil Hernandez is an assistant professor at the Baruch College Marxe School of Public & International Affairs, where he teaches public and nonprofit management. He previously served as an asylum officer at U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, where he interviewed people seeking protection from persecution and adjudicated their claims.

What research are you working on?

I am examining the reorganization efforts by the president and Congress of the asylum adjudication process within the Immigration & Naturalization Service in the 1970s and 1990s. I seek to understand what, if any, impact those efforts had on the decisions by asylum officers to grant or deny asylum seekers protection from persecution.

What resources are you using for your research? 

The Schwarzman Building’s holdings of Interpreter Releases have been very helpful for my research. This periodical provides news and analysis of immigration legislation, regulations, legal opinions, etc. I consulted this periodical when the Library has permitted in-person research (by appointment). 

What tabs do you currently have open on your computer?

Presently, I have my Baruch College email system open to respond to student messages. I also have Zotero handy as I never know when I come across a good reference to download for research.

Have you discovered a great online resource you've never used before? 

I found the American Immigration Lawyers Association's “InfoNet Research Library” helpful for immigration policy research.

What's your working from home setup?

The key change to my “home office,” due to the pandemic, has been the addition of technology equipment to make it easier to work from home. This equipment includes dual monitors, which give me more flexibility to use programs and to read documents. The added technology has also helped me to use my "home office" for a new purpose: remote teaching.

What research tools could you not live without?

As part of my research project, I engage in interviewing asylum seekers and asylum practitioners. Given the need to practice social distancing, the most indispensable tool has been my telephone.

What's your favorite distraction or snack when working from home?

Undoubtedly, my favorite “distraction” is watching soccer games. Fortunately, there is never a shortage of them. I am also interested in coaching youth soccer; I earned several licenses to do so from the U.S. Soccer Federation. I look forward to the “new normal” and the chance to coach.