Product Description
In this book Professor Davis illustrates the often unexpected reach ofhistorical research intended originally to fill a knowledge gap. He found aforgotten figure from the past who as a scholar and teacher had contributedsignificantly to education. Manuel’s story warranted attention, but inreconstructing it Professor Davis discovered leads to a more complexaccount in which the key actor, his ideas, and certain precise, albeitdynamic, social conditions intersected and influenced each other. In theend the book not only fills a gap, making the history of education in Texasand the United States more complete, it also underscores the thrust ofother recent contributions to Latin American studies in casting doubt onthe reliability of previously accepted standard histories. These accountsnow seem dated and suspiciously wrong-headed. New research like that ofProfessor Davis pointedly suggests the old histories need to be reconceptualized,reorganized, and rewritten. Methodologically and substantively, hisbook advances work on this agenda. Specifically, it provokes fresh thinkingabout the now indisputably linked histories of education research, MexicanAmericans, and racism in the United States. ... Read more