Joel Zapata, Assistant Professor, School of History, Philosophy, and Religion, Oregon State University, and SAR’s 2022 Mellon fellow.
Joel Zapata
2022 – 2023
Mellon Fellow
Affiliation at time of Award:
Assistant Professor
School of History, Philosophy, and Religion Oregon State University
The Erased Homeland: Mexicans’ Long Past, the Southern Great Plains, and America’s Future
The United States’ Mexican population has come to the forefront of public and academic exchanges amidst the past two presidential campaigns and ensuing political debates regarding immigration policy and border security. Yet, these discussions consistently neglect Mexicans’ long-term history in what is now the United States, along with their enduring social influence throughout the nation. Using manuscript materials from over twenty archives spread across the United States, personal papers, hundreds of archived and original oral histories, combined with art, photographs, print media, archeological studies, songs, and folklore, Dr. Zapata follows the physical, economic, cultural, and even emotional connections ethnic Mexicans have long had with the plains. His project reveals how Mexican people have made the Southern Plains into one of their homelands since the late eighteenth century.
This event is part of the 2022 fall scholar colloquia series. Each year, incoming resident scholars introduce their work to the SAR community through a presentation and Q&A. This year’s talks are hosted online and continue to be free and open to the public. Registration is required.
See the full series here.