Dr. Martínez explores the intersections of language, race, and ideology in the public schooling experiences of students of color, with a particular focus on bi/multilingual Chicana/o and Latina/o children and youth. His research examines: (1) the everyday language and literacy practices of students of color, and the ways that these practices overlap with the forms of language and literacy privileged in academic settings; (2) the competing ideologies that inform language policy and classroom practice in urban schools, including the ways that students and teachers in these schools articulate, embody, and challenge such ideologies in their everyday interactions; and (3) the preparation of pre-service and in-service teachers to work with culturally and linguistically diverse learners. He has published articles in journals such as Linguistics and Education, Research in the Teaching of English, Anthropology & Education Quarterly, Teachers College Record, and Review of Research in Education.