About
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Ricardo Romo earned a B.S. degree from the The University of Texas Austin; a M.A. degree in American History from Loyola University Los Angeles; and a Ph.D in American History from the University of California Los Angeles. A recognized urban historian, Romo has taught and published in the field of civil rights, Mexican American history, and urban history. His book, East Los Angeles: History of a Barrio, is in its 9th edition. He served as the fifth president of the University of Texas at San Antonio from 1999 to 2017. Romo currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Southwest Research Institute, Board of Directors for the Brackenridge Park Conservancy, and Board of Directors for Humanities Texas. He is a member and past Vice President for The Philosophical Society of Texas. He is also active as the cultural and political writer as well as editorial board member for La Prensa Texas, a bilingual newspaper in San Antonio. Among the awards and recognition that Romo has received are: Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies at Stanford; the Clark Kerr Award for Distinguished Leadership in Higher Education from the University of California-Berkeley; the Outstanding Civilian Service Medal from the United States Army North; the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Texas Exes.
Alumni Association; and the Isabel la Catolica award, the highest award given to non-Spanish subjects and bestowed by King Juan Carlos of Spain. Romo’s national appointments include: White House Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, to which he was appointed by President George W. Bush and re-appointed by President Barack Obama; as a U.S. representative to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization; as Vice Chair for the San Antonio Branch of Federal Reserve Bank; as Chair for Southwest Research Institute Board of Directors; and as Vice Chair for Air University (Based at Maxwell Air Force Base). Romo earned All American Honors in Track in 1966 at UT Austin and was the first Texan to run the mile under four minutes. He and his wife Harriett have been active in Latino art philanthropy for over twenty years with gifts to the Benson Latin American Collection at UT Austin; the McNay Museum of Art; The San Antonio Museum of Art; the Briscoe Western Art Museum; the University of Houston Downtown; and El Progreso Memorial Library in Uvalde.
My Book
East Los Angeles: History of a Barrio
This is the story of the largest Mexican-American community in the United States, the city within a city known as “East Los Angeles.” How did this barrio of over one million men and women—occupying an area greater than Manhattan or Washington D.C.—come to be?
Although promoted early in this century as a workers’ paradise, Los Angeles fared poorly in attracting European immigrants and American blue-collar workers. Wages were low, and these workers were understandably reluctant to come to a city which was also troubled by labor strife. Mexicans made up the difference, arriving in the city in massive numbers.
Who these Mexicans were and the conditions that caused them to leave their own country are revealed in East Los Angeles. The author examines how they adjusted to life in one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, how they fared in this country’s labor market, and the problems of segregation and prejudice they confronted.
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