Vega’s research explores the everyday lived experiences of Latina/os in the U.S. By looking to moments of belonging, she traces the way Latina/os make their own notion of home in the U.S. Using ethnography, oral history and archival analysis, Vega’s research engages immigration studies, race/ethnic studies, and intersectional feminism. Her book, Latino Heartland: Of Borders and Belonging in the Midwest (2015, NYU Press), places in dialogue Mexican Hoosiers and non-Mexican (mostly White) Hoosiers of Indiana as they come to terms with living in the same communal space. The book includes ethno-religious practices, comadrazgo (female social networks), ethnic solidarity and community organizations that helped Mexicans assert a right to belong in a Midwestern city. Vega’s current project historically locates the growth of Latina/o members in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the role the church plays in the lives of Latino Mormons.