Julian Samora and the Establishment of Latino Studies
Edited by Alberto López Pulido, Barbara Driscoll de Alvarado, and Carmen Samora
Order now from the University of Illinois Press
The lifework of a pioneering scholar and leader in Latino studies
Moving Beyond Borders examines the life and accomplishments of Julian Samora, the first Mexican American sociologist in the United States and the founding father of the discipline of Latino studies. Detailing his distinguished career at the University of Notre Dame from 1959 to 1984, the book documents the history of the Mexican American Graduate Studies program that Samora established at Notre Dame and traces his influence on the evolution of border studies, Chicano studies, and Mexican American studies.
Samora’s groundbreaking ideas opened the way for Latinos to understand and study themselves intellectually and politically, to analyze the complex relationships between Mexicans and Mexican Americans, to study Mexican immigration, and to ready the United States for the reality of Latinos as the fastest growing minority in the nation. In addition to his scholarly and pedagogical impact, his leadership in the struggle for civil rights was a testament to the power of community action and perseverance. Focusing on Samora’s teaching, mentoring, research, and institution-building strategies, Moving Beyond Borders explores the legacies, challenges, and future of ethnic studies in United States higher education.
Contributors are Teresita E. Aguilar, Jorge A. Bustamante, Gilberto Cárdenas, Miguel A. Carranza, Frank M. Castillo, Anthony J. Cortese, Lydia Espinosa Crafton, Barbara Driscoll de Alvarado, Herman Gallegos, Phillip Benitez Gallegos Jr., José R. Hinojosa, Delfina Landeros, Paul López, Sergio X. Madrigal, Ken Martínez, Vilma Martínez, Alberto Mata, Amelia M. Muñoz, Richard A. Navarro, Jesus “Chuy” Negrete, Alberto López Pulido, Julie Leininger Pycior, Olga Villa Parra, Ricardo Parra, Victor Rios Jr., Marcos Ronquillo, Rene Rosenbaum, Carmen Samora, Rudy Sandoval, Alfredo Rodriguez Santos, and Ciro Sepulveda.
“Julian Samora gave his life and work to a better and more complete understanding of the Chicano/Latino experience. This text is a wonderful and valuable introduction to the man and scholar.”–Mario Garcia, author of Memories of Chicano History: The Life and Narrative of Bert Corona
“This outstanding book provides marvelous insight not only into the life of a remarkable man but into the era that he helped to shape. I literally could not put the book down.”–David T. Abalos, author of Latinos in the United States: The Sacred and the Political
Alberto López Pulido is director and professor of ethnic studies at the University of San Diego and the author of Sacred World of the Penitentes. Barbara Driscoll de Alvarado teaches humanities at Anna Maria College and is the author of the Tracks North: The Railroad Bracero Program of World War II. Carmen Samora teaches American and Chicana/o studies at the University of New Mexico and directs the Julian Samora Legacy Project.
Books written by Dr. Samora:
- A History of the Mexican American People
- La Raza: Forgotten Americans
- Gunpowder Justice
- Mexican Americans in the Southwest
- Los Mojados: The Wetback Story
Click here for more details on these books and other publications by Dr. Samora.
La Raza: Forgotten Americans is still in print and can be purchased from Notre Dame Press.