Author to present Sunday Speaker Series program at MOSTHistory on July 28, 2013 at 2 p.m.
The Museum of South Texas History welcomes historian and author Omar Valerio-Jiménez as he presents his latest borderlands book, “River of Hope: Forging Identity and Nation in the Rio Grande Borderlands.” Valerio-Jiménez’s presentation will provide audience members with an overview of the culture and geography from the mid-18th to 19th centuries that shaped the foundation for what is known today as the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). This Sunday Speaker Series program will include a question and answer session and conclude with a book signing at MOSTHistory on July 28, 2013 at 2 p.m.
“River of Hope:
Forging Identity and Nation in the Rio Grande Borderlands”
Born in Mexico and raised in the RGV, Valerio-Jiménez developed research interests in the histories of Chicana/os, the American West and borderlands. As an associate professor of history, Valerio-Jiménez not only shares his knowledge in the classroom with students but also through his many published works. In Valerio-Jiménez’s latest book, “River of Hope: Forging Identity and Nation in the Rio Grande Borderlands,” the “River of Hope” refers to the Rio Grande river that forms part of the Mexico–South Texas border. Approximately 50 distinct indigenous groups settled in this region before Spanish colonists arrived in the mid-1700s.
The arrival of the Spanish was the first of many conquests, passing the region from the hands of the Native Americans to Spain, Mexico and the United States. In “River of Hope,” Valerio-Jiménez documents how these diverse influences forever transformed the region and created the society now known as the RGV. Valerio-Jiménez conducted part of his research for “River of Hope” at MOSTHistory and at various archives in Spain, Mexico and the United States. A book signing will follow the presentation and copies of “River of Hope” will be available for purchase at the Museum Store. This Sunday Speaker Series presentation by Valerio-Jiménez is included in the fee for regular museum admission. As a participating museum in Blue Star Museums, all active duty military personnel and up to five family members receive free admission. FRIENDS of the museum are admitted free as a benefit of FRIENDship.
Omar Valerio-Jiménez
About Omar S. Valerio-Jiménez
Omar S. Valerio-Jiménez is an associate professor in the Department of History at The University of Iowa and an editor and published author of anthologies and books. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a master’s and doctorate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Prior to attending graduate school, Valerio-Jiménez worked as an engineer for five years and has since taught courses on the history of immigration, comparative borderlands, ethnic relations, the American West, Latina/os and Chicana/os at universities in California, Iowa, New York and Texas. Born in Matamoros, Tamaulipas in Mexico, Valerio-Jiménez grew up in Taft, Corpus Christi and Edinburg, Texas. Valerio-Jiménez’s published works include “New Avenues for Domestic Dispute and Divorce Lawsuits along the U.S.–Mexico Border, 1834-1893,” “Neglected Citizens and Willing Traders: The Villas del Norte (Tamaulipas) in Mexico’s Northern Borderlands, 1749-1846” and “The United States–Mexico Border as Material and Cultural Barrier.”
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