Big Dreams, Rural Schools: Mexican Americans and Public Education, 1870-1950 Vicki L. Ruiz, (UC Irvine) Monday, January 26 / 4 PM / FREE McCune Conference Room, 6020 HSSB, UCSB In addition to inculcating the 3 “R’s” the Rural Schools nurtured the expectations, aspirations, and even opportunities of Mexican American children while simultaneously reminding them of their place as children of Mexican farm workers, miners, and rail hands. Drawing on an array of archival sources—newspapers, secondary literature, and oral narratives—this presentation provides a historical overview of the complex role of education in the lives of rural Mexican American youth from the late 1800’s to the mid-20th C. Ruiz’s most recent publication is Created Equal: A Social and Political History of the United States (2003). Co-sponsored by the IHC, the Women's Center, the Depts. of Black Studies, History, Latin American and Iberian Studies, Chicana/Chicano Studies, the Center for Chicano Studies, the School of Education, the Women’s Studies Program, and the IHC Labor Studies Focus Group. Top of Page <<Back