Edward Escobar

Edward Escobar

Courtesy Affiliate, Emeritus Professor
  • edward.escobar@asu.edu
  • 480-965-8557
  • ‌
  • Interdisciplinary B 165B TEMPE, AZ 85287-3502
  • ‌
  • ‌
Biography Research Teaching Public Work
Previous Next
Long Bio

Edward Escobar is an associate professor in the School of Transborder Studies at Arizona State University. He is an expert in the areas of the Chicano experience and 20th century U. S. history and a founding professor of the former Department of Transborder Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies at ASU. His most recent book "Race, Police, and the Making of Political Identity," studies the relationship between the Los Angeles Police Department and Mexican Americans during the period 1900-1945. His current research project will extend this same area of study through the Rampart Scandal and is tentatively entitled "Crossing the Thin Blue Line: LAPD-Chicana/o Relations since World War II." His teaching interests in history coincide with his research, teaching courses such as race and the American criminal justice system, the 60s, Mexican American history since 1900, and introduction to Chicana/o studies. He has won the Manuel Servín award for distinguished service to the ASU Chicana/o community. 

Education

Ph.D. University of California-Riverside

Research Interests

Edward Escobar is an expert in the areas of the Chicano experience and 20th century U. S. history. His most recent book "Race, Police, and the Making of Political Identity," studies the relationship between the Los Angeles Police Department and Mexican Americans during the period 1900-1945. His current research project will extend this same area of study through the Rampart Scandal and is tentatively entitled "Crossing the Thin Blue Line: LAPD-Chicana/o Relations since World War II." His teaching interests in history coincide with his research, teaching courses such as race and the American criminal justice system, the 60s, Mexican American history since 1900, and introduction to Chicana/o studies. 

Publications
  • . . Review of: Quixote's Soldiers (2012).
  • . . Review of: Mexicans in California: Transformation and Challenges (2010).
  • Edward J. Escobar. "Drawing the Thin Blue Line: Chicana/o-Police Relation Since World War II. Provencias Internas (2007).
  • Escobar, Edward J. Carmen Bernal Escobar. Latinas in the United States: An Historical Encyclopedia (2005).
  • Escobar, Edward J. National Chicano Moratorium. Encyclopedia of Latinos And Latinas in the United States (2005).
  • Escobar, Edward J. Police. Encyclopedia of Latinos And Latinas in the United States (2005).
  • Escobar, Edward J. Zoot Suit. Encyclopedia of Latina and Latino Popular Culture(s) in the United States (2005).
  • Escobar, Edward J. Chicana/o Historiography. Encyclopedia of Latina and Latino Popular Culture(s) in the United States (2004).
  • Escobar, Edward J. Police. Encyclopedia of Latina and Latino Popular Culture(s) in the United States (2004).
  • . . Review of: Racism on Trial: The Chicano Fight for Justice (2004).
  • Edward Escobar. Bloody Christmas and the Irony of Police Professionalism: The Los Angeles Police Department, Mexican Americans, and Police Reform in the 1950s. Pacific Historical Review (2003).
  • Race, Police and the Making of a Political Identity: Mexican Americans and the Los Angeles Police Department, 1900-1945. Berkeley: University of California Press, (1999).
  • "Zoot Suiters and Cops: Mexican Americans and the Los Angeles Police Department During World War II" in The War in American Culture: Society and Consciousness during World War II edited by Lewis A. Erenberg and Susan E. Hirsch. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, (1996).
  • "The Dialectics of Repression: The Los Angeles Police Department and the Chicano Movement, 1968-1971," Journal of American History (March 1993).
  • Forging a Community: The Latino Experience in Northwest Indiana, 1919-1975, co-edited with James B. Lane. Chicago: Cattails Press, (1987).
Presentations
  • Edward J. Escobar. Global Capitalism and Memory in Film: "Made In L.A.". Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Society (Aug 2009).
  • Edward J. Escobar. The Politics of Race and Criminal Justice. Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association (Jul 2009).
  • Edward J. Escobar. "Perhaps the zoot suit conceals profound political meaning.". Annual Meeting of the Organization of American Historians (Mar 2008).
  • Escobar, Edward. Mexican American Myth and Symbol: Disrupting World War II and Post-War Historiography". pacific coast branch american historical association (Jul 2007).
  • Escobar, Edward. Sleepy Lagoon: A Catalyst for Struggle. Voices of Valor: Mexican Americans during World War II (Mar 2006).
  • Escobar, Edward. History of Chicana and Chicano Studies. Semana Cultural (Oct 2003).
  • Escobar, Edward. Latinos and the Police. Brown Bag Lecture Series (Sep 2003).
  • Escobar, Edward. Drawing the Thin Blue Line. The Provincias Internas: Continuing Frontiers Symposium (Mar 2003).
  • Escobar, Edward. The Color of Law: Race and Policing in Twentieth-Century New York. Annual Conference of the Organization of American Historians (Mar 2003).
  • Escobar, Edward. Drawing the Thin Blue Line: Chicana/o-LAPD Relations since World War II. Annual Conference of the National Association of Chicana/o Studies (Mar 2002).
  • Escobar, Edward. ASU's Department of Chicana & Chicano Studies: Retracting Academic Borders. Annual Conference of the National Association of Chicana/o Studies (Apr 2001).
  • Escobar, Edward. Chicanos and the Criminal Justice System. Annual Conference of the National Association of Chicana/o Studies (Apr 2001).
  • Escobar, Edward. Drawing the Thin Blue Line: Chicana/o-LAPD Relations since World War II. Annual Conference of the Organization of American Historians (Apr 2001).
  • Escobar, Edward. 'A Statue to the Unknown Zooter': The Impact and Consequences of the World War II Zoot Suit Hysteria. Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and the Ethnic Studies Department (May 2000).
  • Escobar, Edward. Multicultural Workshop. National Technology and Social Science Conference, National Social Science Association
  • Escobar, Edward. Post World War II Chicana/o History. Web lecture for "Teaching American History"
Professional Associations

American Historical Association

Organization of American Historians

National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies

Arizona Association for Chicanos in Higher Education

Service
  • Dreamer Research Initiative Steering Committee, Chair (2012 - Present)
  • Students United for Fair Rights and Greater Equality, Faculty Sponsor (2011 - Present)
  • Ad hoc Committee to Draft STS Mission Statement, Chair (2010 - Present)
  • Comparative Borderlands Program, Executive Committee, Member (2010 - Present)
  • ASU Library, Member of Search Committee for Chicano Research Collection Curator (2010 - Present)
  • TCLS Economist Search Committee, Member (2009 - Present)
  • Ad Hoc Probationary Review Committee, ASU Polytechnic Campus, Member (2009 - Present)
  • African and African Americans Studies Symposium on John Hope Franklin, Panel member (2009 - Present)
  • Editorial Board, Latinidad Series, Rutgers University Press, Member (2008 - Present)
  • Pacific Historical Review, Reviewed a manuscript (2008 - Present)
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Building Institutional Capacity for Recruiting, Retaining, and Advancing Faculty, Member (2008 - Present)
  • City of Los Angeles Historical Records Preservation Committee, Member (2008 - Present)
  • City of Los Angeles Historical Records Preservation Committee, Member (2007 - Present)
  • CLAS Curriculum Committee, Chair (2007 - Present)
  • CLAS Curriculum Committee, member (2007 - Present)
  • Departmentof of History Search Committee for position in Chicana/o History, Member (2007 - Present)
  • City of Los Angeles, Consultant on Records Retention (2006 - Present)
  • City of Los Angeles, Office of the City Clerk, Historical Records Preservation Committee, Member (2006 - Present)
  • STS, Associate Director (2005 - Present)
  • TCLS, Associate Chair (2005 - Present)
  • Pacific Historical Review, Manuscript Reviewer (2012 - 2013)
  • Editorial Board, Latinidad Series, Rutgers University Press, Member (2008 - 2012)
  • Chicano/Latino Faculty and Staff Association, Executive Committee Member (2008 - 2011)
  • Chicano/Latino Faculty and Staff Association, Faculty Representative (2008 - 2011)
  • CLAS Curriculum Committee, member (2007 - 2010)
  • CLAS Curriculum Committee, Chair (2007 - 2010)
  • TCLS Economist Search Committee, Member (2009 - 2010)
  • ASU Academic Senate, Executive Committee Member (2008 - 2009)
  • ASU Academic Senate, Parliamentarian (2008 - 2009)
  • Chicano/Latino Faculty and Staff Association, Executive Committee Member (2008 - 2009)
  • Chicano/Latino Faculty and Staff Association, Faculty Representative (2008 - 2009)
  • Chicano/Latino Faculty and Staff Association, Historian (2008 - 2009)
  • Departmentof of History Searech Committee for position in Chicana/o History, Member (2007 - 2008)
  • Professor Espino's Political Science Class, Guest speaker (2007)
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Senate, Member (2006 - 2006)
  • Department of History, Quality of Instruction Committee, Member (2005 - 2006)
  • CCS Personnel Advisory Committee, Chair (2004 - 2006)
  • Chicano Faculty and Staff Association, Member (1993 - 2006)
  • Faculty Development Program, Mentor (2005 - 2006)
  • CCS Strategic Planning Committee, Chair (2005 - 2006)
  • Personnel Advisory Committee, Chair (2004 - 2005)
  • Ad Hoc Committeee to nominate Cordelia Candelaria for Regents' Professorship, Member (2004 - 2005)
  • Ad Hoc Committeee to nominate Cordelia Candelaria for Regents' Professorship, Member and major writer (2004 - 2005)
  • Pacific Historical Review, Manuscript referee (2004 - 2005)
  • Ad Hoc Committee to develop a core course for the U.S. history core graduate curriculum, Convener (2004 - 2005)
  • Search Committee for Chair of the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies, Member (2004 - 2005)
  • CCS Curriculum Committee, Chair (2001 - 2005)
  • Search Committee for the Editor of the Journal of American History, Organization of American Historians, Member (2004 - 2005)
  • Department of History, History Fest, Lecturer (2005)
  • CLAS Standards Committee, Member (2002 - 2004)
  • Tri-University and Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference, Referee (2004)
  • Graduate Studies Committee, School of Justice Studies, Member (2003 - 2004)
  • CCS Academic Program Review Committee, Chair (2002 - 2004)
  • CCS Search Committee for Position in Chicana/o Literature and Culture Studies, Member (2003 - 2004)
  • Steering Committee, ASU Self-Study for Continuing Accreditation, Member (2001 - 2003)
  • Teaching Arizona's Hispanic Heritage Summer Teacher Academy, Director (1998 - 2003)
  • ASU Downtown Center, Lecture author (2003)
  • CCS Search Committee for Social Science and Information Literacy Faculty Position, Chair (2003)
  • Mission and Purpose Chapter Working Team, ASU Self-Study for Continuing Accreditation, Core Member (2003)
  • Multicultural Workshop, Particpant (2003)
  • Phoenix College, Lecture author (2003)
  • Post World War II Chicana/o History, Lecture author (2003)
  • Schools for the New Millennium project, McClintock High School, Tempe, Arizona, Workshop member and participant (2003)
  • Teaching Arizona's Hispanic Heritage Summer Teacher Academy, Director (2003)
  • Yale University, Lecture author (2003)
  • Annual Meeting of the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association, Tucson, Arizona, August 2002, Panel Chair (2002 - 2002)
  • Promotion File, Reviewer (2002 - 2002)
  • University of California Press, Reviewed book manuscript (2002 - 2002)
  • CCS Scholarship Committee, Member (2001 - 2002)
  • CCS Search Committee for Position in Culture Studies/Performance, Member (2001 - 2002)
  • CCS Search Committee for Senior Social Scientist Position, Member (2001 - 2002)
  • CLAS Interdisciplinary Studies Committee, Member (2001 - 2002)
  • Cesar Chávez, Fighter in the Fields, Capstone Curriculum Publishing, Content Consultant (2001 - 2002)
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Scholar-Citizen Program, Faculty Advisor (2001 - 2002)
  • Department of History Search Committee for position in Chicana History, Member (2001 - 2002)
  • Southwest Borderlands Initiative Social and Cultural Policy Search Committee, Chair (2001 - 2002)
  • CCS Undergraduate, Academic Student Advisor (1999 - 2002)
  • State of Arizona Historic Sites Review Committee, Member (1999 - 2002)
  • Parents Support Committee, Tempe Sister Cities Program, Member (2001 - 2001)
  • CLAS Search Committee for CCS Department Chair, Chair (2000 - 2001)
  • CCS Representative to College of Liberal Arts Sciences Senate, CCS Representative (1997 - 2001)
  • CCS Representative to the Academic Senate, Representative (1997 - 2001)
  • Zoot Suit Riots documentary film project, the American Experience, WGBH, Boston, Consultant (1999 - 2001)
  • University of California Press, Reviewer (2000 - 2000)
  • Extreme Patriots: Mexican Americans and the Military during the Vietnam War Era. Documentary film project, Consultant (1999 - 2000)
  • Tempe Unified High School District Gifted Student Committee, Member (1999 - 2000)
  • American Council of Learned Societies, Proposal reviewer (11-2011 - 1-2013)
  • Pacific Coast Branch of Amerian Historical Association, Nominated for Exective Director Position (Present)
  • National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies (Executive Committee Member, 1997-98)
Maps and Locations Jobs Directory Contact ASU My ASU
Repeatedly ranked #1 in innovation (ASU ahead of MIT and Stanford), sustainability (ASU ahead of Stanford and UC Berkeley), and global impact (ASU ahead of MIT and Penn State)
Copyright and Trademark Accessibility Privacy Terms of Use Emergency