Ramón Eduardo Ruiz (September 9, 1921 – July 6, 2010) was an American historian of Mexico and Latin America. He was the author of fifteen books on

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

and Latin American history and in 1998 he was awarded the US National Humanities Medal. Ruiz was born in San Diego, California as the son of a former member of the Mexican Navy who left that country during the

Mexican revolution The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...

. He served as a Pacific

B-29 The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fly ...

pilot in the

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

during World War II. He earned his bachelor's degree from San Diego State University in 1947, his master's from

Claremont Graduate University The Claremont Graduate University (CGU) is a private, all-graduate research university in Claremont, California. Founded in 1925, CGU is a member of the Claremont Colleges which includes five undergraduate (Pomona College, Claremont McKenna Co ...

in 1948, and his doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley in 1954. Ruiz taught at the University of Oregon,

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith (Smith College ...

, and the University of California, San Diego. Born a US citizen, to a Mexican family living and working in the United States. He was very proud of his religion which made him take more interest in wanting to know about the Mexican border. He is the author of 15 books giving knowledge about Mexico and Latin America. When he released the Mexican Revolution in 1980 he caused a controversial issues standing at writing in the new republic it was the first statement by an American historian of Mexico that the real revolution was not a triumph of the people at large, but a long violent specifically bourgeois reform which crushed other populist revolts for the sake of better business. He also brought up the issue of the border such as the North American Free trade agreement and lurid accounts of Mexican drugs lords, killings, and political corruption. Ruiz argued the exchange of goods and services drove the dynamics of border economics. Ramon was a civic and community activist, he was one of the early protestors of the Vietnam war and supported the late chicano leader, Cesar Chavez, in his efforts improve the lives and welfare of migrant farm workers.

References

"Ramon Eduardo Ruiz, 88, author of 15 books on Mexico and Latin America, dies"
'' Washington Post'', July 13, 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruiz, Ramon Eduardo 1921 births 2010 deaths National Humanities Medal recipients San Diego State University alumni Claremont Graduate University alumni University of California, Berkeley alumni University of Oregon faculty Smith College faculty University of California, San Diego faculty United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II American writers of Mexican descent American male non-fiction writers Historians from California