Michael Aguirre, Author at

Academic Historian

Michael Damien Aguirre is a historian of the United States, Latina/o/x history, and the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is particularly interested in political economy, labor, (im)migration, race and health. Aguirre’s first book project is a study of the Western U.S.-Mexico borderlands from the 1960s to the 1980s. Focused especially on the Imperial Valley-Mexicali borderlands, it explores the development of a border regime that supported the free flow of capital, the regulation of people and the labor and health strategies exercised by working people on both sides of the border that reflected their transborder movement. In addition to archival methods, Aguirre practices oral history to capture what is left out of written records as well as public history to communicate with broader audiences.

Aguirre received his PhD in history from the University of Washington, where his dissertation won the Distinguished Dissertation Prize from the Graduate School. Aguirre was a postdoctoral fellow with the Inequality in America Initiative at Harvard University. He was also a postdoctoral fellow with the World Economic Forum’s New Equality and Inclusion Agenda.

Helvécio Martins (1930–2005)

Helvécio Martins, accountant, teacher, and the first black general authority in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 27, 1930. His father, Honório Martins, was a trader of animal hides and later an office … Read MoreHelvécio Martins (1930–2005)

Joseph W. Sitati (1952– )

Joseph Wafula Sitati, petroleum manager and the first man of black African descent to become a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was born in Bungoma, Kenya, on May 16, 1952. His parents were … Read MoreJoseph W. Sitati (1952– )

Mary Lucille Perkins Bankhead (1902–1994)

Mary Lucille Perkins Bankhead, lifelong resident of Salt Lake City and member of the Genesis Group leadership, was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on August 9, 1902. Her father, Sylvester Perkins, was a cowboy and farmer. Her mother, Martha Anne Jane Stevens Perkins Howell, … Read MoreMary Lucille Perkins Bankhead (1902–1994)

Ruffin Bridgeforth (1923–1997)

Ruffin Bridgeforth, president of the Genesis Group and priest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), was born in Melville, Louisiana, on March 18, 1923. His father, Ruffin Sr., and mother, Mary Adams Fips, had four children together. Bridgeforth moved from Louisiana … Read MoreRuffin Bridgeforth (1923–1997)

Warner McCrary (c.1810–n.d.)

Warner McCary, slave, musician, performer, self-identified prophet, and physician, was born in Natchez, Mississippi, circa 1810. His mother, Franky, was a slave, and his father, James McCary, was a slave owner and cabinetmaker who migrated to Natchez from Pennsylvania. Throughout his life, Warner went by … Read MoreWarner McCrary (c.1810–n.d.)

David W. Eka (1945– )

Image Courtesy of LDS Church News David William Eka, engineer, elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), first president of the Aba Nigeria stake, was born in Etinan, Nigeria, on May 20, 1945. His father, William Udo, was a carpenter, and … Read MoreDavid W. Eka (1945– )

Q. Walker Lewis (1798-1856)

Quack Walker Lewis, Black abolitionist, barber, AND elder (priest) in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was born in Barre, Worcester County, Massachusetts, on August 3, 1798. His father, Peter P. Lewis, was a free Black yeoman farmer in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and … Read MoreQ. Walker Lewis (1798-1856)

Gustavo Pinedo Zabala (1988– )

Image Courtesy of El Dia Gustavo Pinedo Zabala, professional soccer player, was born in Coripata, Department of La Paz, Bolivia, on February 18, 1988. His mother, Ana, and father, Augusto, were agricultural workers that specialized in the fruit and coffee harvests around Coripata. Pinedo, and … Read MoreGustavo Pinedo Zabala (1988– )

María Isabel Urrutia Ocoró (1965- )

María Isabel Urrutia Ocoró, Olympic champion weightlifter and politician, was born in Calendaria, Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia, on March 25, 1965. Her mother, Nelly, was a homemaker and her father, Pedro Juan, was an industrial mechanic. Sources differ, but Urrutia had at least … Read MoreMaría Isabel Urrutia Ocoró (1965- )