Ignacio M. García

Ignacio M. García is Emeritus Professor of History at Brigham Young University who taught from 1995 to 2025. He was also the Lemuel Hardison Redd Jr. Endowed Chair in Western American History from 2005 until his retirement. García, a pioneer in Mexican-American studies, is a prolific historian of the American Southwest. His work illuminates the emergence of Latinos as a major political and cultural force in the region. His scholarly monographs have explored political power in the West, from the ways in which internal dynamics of local organizations interact with the external pressures of racialized power and privilege, to the ways in which reclaimed ethnic and racial identities influence grassroots organizations. A tireless advocate of civil rights and liberties, Professor García cares deeply about those who labor under the weight of prejudice and poverty. He seeks to expand our view of the West by exploring the global connections and implications of this region. 

Select Publications:

• Chicano While Mormon: Activism, War, and Keeping the Faith. Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press Mormon Studies Series. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2015.
• When Mexicans Could Play Ball: Basketball, Race, and Identity in San Antonio, 1928-1945. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2014.
• White But Not Equal: Mexican Americans, Jury Discrimination, and the Supreme Court. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2009
• Hector P. Garcia: In Relentless Pursuit of Justice. The Hispanic Civil Rights Series. Houston, TX: Arte Publico Press, 2003
• Viva Kennedy: Mexican Americans in Search of Camelot. Texas A&M Southwestern Studies Series, Vol 12. College Station: University of Texas A&M Press, 2000.
• United We Win: The Rise and Fall of La Raza Unida Party. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1989.