9/20/07 - History professor awarded fellowship to Latino Studies institute

“The fellowship is an opportunity to exchange ideas with Notre Dame scholars who study migrations, utilize the university's archives and, to have time to work on my own manuscript,” Alonzo said.

Alonzo received his Ph.D. in history from Indiana University. Before joining Texas A&M University, he taught at Southwest Texas State University and the University of Texas at San Antonio. He specializes in Mexican American, Texas, and U.S.-Mexico Borderlands history.

Alonzo is the author of Tejano Legacy: Rancheros and Settlers in South Texas, 1734-1900 (University of New Mexico Press, 1998). The current study covers the period 1700-1865 and was initially funded by the National Research Council. With the support of the College of Liberal Arts and the history department at Texas A&M, this project has expanded to examine long-term linkages between Texas, the U.S. and Mexico up to the coming of World War II.

At Notre Dame, Alonzo’s work will focus on three distinct time periods in the history of the Texas-Mexico borderland. The first period, 1700-1820, examines the Hispanic foundation and the beginnings of the Atlantic trade during the Wars of Independence. The second period, 1900-1941, analyzes internal economic development in Mexico and the U.S. and assesses the impact of international railroads, and new migrations to Texas. The third period assesses the impact of larger 20th century events such as the Great Depression, which temporarily restricted migration from Mexico and stimulated a repatriation of Mexicans.

The Institute for Latino Studies at Notre Dame plays a pivotal role in providing an academic environment that advances knowledge and understanding of the Latino experience in the United States. It was founded in 1999 by Julián Samora, the first major Mexican American sociologist who trained the first important cohort of Mexican American sociologists in the U.S. The institute is committed to maintaining a balance among research, education, and outreach. It seeks to enhance interdisciplinary study and research in Latino studies as a vital component of the University’s academic mission.