Rodolfo Acuña
| Rodolfo Acuña | |
|---|---|
Acuña in 2007
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| Born | May 18, 1932 Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California |
| Other names | "Rudy" Acuña |
| Occupation | Historian, Educator, Professor |
| Known for | Occupied America and Chicana/o Studies |
Rodolfo Francisco Acuña, Ph.D., (born May 18, 1932) is an American historian, professor emeritus, and one of various scholars of Chicano studies, which he teaches at California State University, Northridge. He is the author of Occupied America: A History of Chicanos, which approaches the history of the Southwestern United States that includes Mexican Americans. It has been reprinted five times since its 1972 debut. The sixth edition was published Dec. 1, 2006. He has also written for the Los Angeles Times, The Los Angeles Herald-Express, La Opinión, and numerous other newspapers. His work emphasizes the struggle of the Mexican American people. Acuña is also an activist and he has supported the numerous causes of the Chicano Movement.
His mother Alicia Elías was from Sonora, and his father from Cocula, Jalisco.
His academic counselor advised Acuña to teach "Spanish" or "Physical Education" because "Mexicans don't have a history". This infuriated him, an outrage that led him to pursue a doctorate in history. His specialty was northern Mexico and the Mexican origin of people in the United States. His study led to his participation in the movement to begin Chicano studies, giving a voice to Mexican Americans in education and history. Through research and action he evolved into a Mexican American historian.
In 1958 Acuña began teaching at San Fernando Junior High, transferring later to Cleveland High School where he taught social studies until 1965 when he received a tenured position at Los Angeles Pierce College. He also taught adult high school to pay for his doctoral studies at the University of Southern California during which time he was active with the Latin American Civic Association and the Mexican American Political Association. He was the founding chair of the California State University, Northridge's Chicano/a Studies department, and his teachings began there in 1969. The CSUN Chicana/o Studies Department at CSUN presently has 28 tenured professors and offers 166 sections of Chicana/o per semester.
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