A Ph.D. in Social Science from UC Irvine, Cantu's work centers on the intersections of Chicano/ Latino studies, gay and lesbian studies, social movements, globalization, and immigration. His dissertation, "Border Crossings: Mexican Men and the Sexuality of Migration," is representative of that project. His publications include the forthcoming article "Entre Hombres/Between Men: Latino Masculinities and Homosexualities, and other studies of Latina/o literary and cultural production.