Antonio Vásquez

Antonio Vásquez serves as faculty lecturer with the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies at UT Austin. He is a former dissertation fellow and faculty lecturer in the Global Studies Program at Middle Tennessee. He holds a Ph.D. in Chicano/Latino Studies and American Studies, Graduate Certificate in Community Engagement, M.A. in International Relations, and B.A. in Political Science and International Studies.  His interdisciplinary teaching and research interests mostly revolve around Mexican American Studies, Public Scholarship, Migration, Race, Labor, and Culture.  

Antonio Vásquez's academic works have been published in the Journal of American Studies in Scandinavia, Journal of South Texas, Perspectives on Global Development and Technology, Label Me Latina/o, and (forthcoming) Tejanismo:  Readings in Tejan@ History.  He is currently revising my first book manuscript that examines the significance of Tejano agricultural labor migration and activism in the southern United States.  This project is based on his dissertation that was selected as the co-winner of the 2014 NACCS Tejas Dissertation Award.  Dr. Vásquez's second book project will describe and interpret processes of Mexican American community formation in San Antonio and South Texas.  

Antonio Vasquez's teaching in academia has been enriched by participation in public scholarship.  This interest began during his doctoral studies when he volunteered for two summers with the Austin History Center as part of their multimedia exhibit entitled “Mexican American Trailblazers in Travis County.”  While in Tennessee, he served as a public scholar and conversations facilitator with Humanities Tennessee in conjunction with a traveling exhibit on the Bracero Program.  He also co-developed a popular education-based curriculum that served as a guide to conduct similar conversations in the state around issues of contemporary migration.  More recently, with local partners and his students, he designed and coordinated a two-year community engagement project, entitled “Migration with Dignity in Middle Tennessee,” to help preserve and recognize the varied voices of experience among new Tennesseans and their families.  The results of this project were two multi-media public exhibits and one film festival showcasing five short films co-created by his students.   

Antonio Vasquez's entire approach to teaching is grounded in his prior professional experiences outside of academia, working in different capacities in the non-profit sector.  He is also a first-generation college graduate and a product of the public educational system in Southeast San Antonio.