Josefina Zoraida Vázquez (born 21 March 1932 in Mexico City) is a noted Mexican historian, considered the Mexican expert on the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

Early life

Vázquez is the daughter of Modesto Vázquez. She was raised in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, where she attended public schools. Her education was conducted entirely in Spanish; she did not study either English or French in school, as her counterparts in private schools did. As a teenager, she worked part-time for her father, clerking in his bookstore and correcting gallery proofs for books he was editing. After graduating from high school, Vázquez entered the

National Autonomous University of Mexico The National Autonomous University of Mexico (, UNAM) is a public university, public research university in Mexico. It has several campuses in Mexico City, and many others in various locations across Mexico, as well as a presence in nine countri ...

(UNAM), studying philosophy and letters.Beezley (October 2010), p. 253. She received her degree in 1955.Paul (August 2012), p. 4. Although Vázquez says she originally wanted to be a scientist, her father influenced her love of history. She was also inspired by historian

Edmundo O'Gorman Edmundo O'Gorman (24 November 1906 in Mexico City – 28 September 1995 in Mexico City) was a Mexican writer, historian and philosopher. He is considered as being among the earlier and most influential applicants of historical revisionism to c ...

and his teachings on the roles of history and historians. In 1958, Vázquez was awarded a Ph.D. in American history form the Central University of Madrid. She received a degree in history from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in 1962, and a Ph.D. in history from UNAM in 1968.

Career

Vázquez is a noted historian of Mexican history, and is considered the Mexican expert on the

.Van Wagenen, p 245. Her work has also included scholarly histories of the history of national education in Mexico, and the first few decades of Mexican independence (1821–1845). She has also written several official history textbooks used in schools throughout the country. Vázquez has served as a historical adviser to numerous documentaries, including one produced by

KERA-TV KERA-TV (channel 13) is a PBS member television station licensed to Dallas, Texas, United States, serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Owned by North Texas Public Broadcasting, Inc., it is sister to NPR member station KERA (90.1 FM), adul ...

.Van Wagenen, p. 223. A member of the Congress of Mexican Historians from Mexico, the United States, and Canada, Vázquez organized the group's convention in 1977 and served as president in 2003. She was honored by the Fondo de Cultura Economica in 2012.

Bibliography

* ''The United States and Mexico'' (1982) with Lorenzo Meyer * ''Interpretaciones del siglo XVIII mexicano: el impacto de las reformas borbónicas'' (1992) * ''México al tiempo de su guerra con Estados Unidos, 1846-1848'' (1997) * * ''México y el mundo. Historia de sus relaciones exteriores'' dos tomos (2000) * ''Tratados de México: soberanía y territorio, 1821-1910'' (2000) * ''El establecimiento del federalismo en México, 1821-1827'' (2003) * ''Juárez el republicano'' (2005)

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vazquez, Josefina Zoraida Living people 1932 births Historians of the Texas Revolution Mexican women historians National Autonomous University of Mexico alumni 20th-century Mexican historians 21st-century Mexican historians National Prize for Arts and Sciences (Mexico)