Rodolfo Acuña facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rodolfo Acuña
Acuña in 2007
Born	Rodolfo Francisco Acuña (1932-05-18) May 18, 1932 (age 93) Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California
Other names	"Rudy"
Occupation	Historian, educator, and professor
Known for	Occupied America and Chicana/o Studies

Rodolfo "Rudy" Francisco Acuña (born May 18, 1932) is an American historian, professor, and expert in Chicano studies. He taught at California State University, Northridge for many years. Acuña is famous for writing the 1972 book Occupied America: A History of Chicanos, which explores the history of Mexican Americans.

Early Life and Education

Rodolfo Acuña was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1932. His mother, Alicia Elías, was from Sonora, Mexico, and his father was from Cocula, Jalisco.

Acuña studied at Los Angeles State College, which is now called California State University, Los Angeles. He earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees there. Later, he received his PhD in History from the University of Southern California (USC).

A Career in Education

Acuña started his teaching career in 1958 at San Fernando Junior High. He later moved to Cleveland High School, where he taught social studies until 1965. After that, he became a tenured professor at Los Angeles Pierce College.

While studying for his PhD, he also taught adult high school classes. He was very active in groups like the Latin American Civic Association and the Mexican American Political Association. In 1969, Acuña helped create and became the first leader of the Chicano/a Studies department at California State University, Northridge.

In 1989, Acuña helped start the Labor/Community Strategy Center. This group works to protect civil rights. A few years later, he traveled to El Salvador. He reported on their presidential elections for a newspaper called the Texas Observer. He wanted to understand history better by seeing events firsthand. His books and talks often explore these ideas.

Standing Up for Justice

In 1992, Acuña was involved in a legal case with the University of California, Santa Barbara. He believed he was treated unfairly. A jury later agreed that he had faced discrimination based on his age.

Even though the university was not forced to hire him, he was awarded $325,000. Acuña shared that he and his wife planned to use this money to help others who have faced unfair treatment in higher education. A group called the For Chicana Chicano Studies Foundation, which he helped create, gives out scholarships. They award about $7,500 in scholarships each year.

Lasting Impact

Rodolfo Acuña's important papers and writings are kept at the Library at California State University, Northridge. They are part of a special collection there.

Awards and Recognition

Rodolfo Acuña has received many awards for his work and contributions:

• CHOICE Magazine named his book Corridors of Migration: The Odyssey of Mexican Laborers, 1600–1933 an Outstanding Academic Title in 2009.
• He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Hispanic Institute in 2008.
• The Labor/Community Strategy Center honored him in 2007.
• He was given the Historian of the Lions Award by the Center for the Study of Political Graphics in 2007.
• In 2006, he received the National Hispanic Hero Award in Chicago.
• LA Weekly featured him as one of 100 influential people in Los Angeles in 2006.
• He was chosen as one of the "100 Most Influential Educators of the 20th Century" by Black Issues In Higher Education.
• Acuña won the Gustavus Myers Award for an Outstanding Book on Race Relations in North America.
• He received the Distinguished Scholar Award from the National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies.
• The University of Guadalajara honored him as an Outstanding Scholar of U.S.-Mexico Studies.
• He received the Emil Freed Award for Community Service.
• The Liberty Hill Foundation gave him the Founder's Award for Community Service.
• He was also recognized with an American Council of Learned Societies Award and a Rockefeller Humanities Fellowship.