Rosina Lozano is an associate professor at Princeton University. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey, and has been a member since 2014.

Website: https://history.princeton.edu/people/rosina-lozano

Twitter: @rosinalozano

Alma maters: BA (history), Stanford University, 2000; EdM (teaching and curriculum), Harvard University, 2001; MA (history), University of Southern California, 2007; PhD (history), University of Southern California, 2011

Fields of Interest: US, Mexican American, Latino, comparative race and ethnicity, American West

Describe your career path. What led you to where you are today?

I entered Stanford as a pre-med but was always taking one history class among many science courses. I found myself saving my reading for those classes because I enjoyed them so much, so I chose to major in history. My senior thesis adviser, Al Camarillo, suggested that I teach high school history before committing to a PhD. I loved teaching but found the textbooks inadequate, especially on its coverage of histories of people of color. I knew I wanted to contribute to the original scholarship that could help change that, so I returned for my PhD program and that really launched me.

What do you like the most about where you live and work?

I love that I live in a relatively small town here at Princeton but get the benefit of being able to read the works-in-progress and scholarship of historians (and those in other fields) from all over the world. My scholarship and the ways I approach it have greatly benefited from the engaged community of colleagues here.

What projects are you currently working on?

I am finishing up an article on the extension of the Voting Rights Act in 1975 to “language minorities.” I am also working on my second book project, which traces the long relationship between Mexican Americans and Native Americans in the Southwest.

Have your interests evolved since graduation? If so, how?

Absolutely. I feel that my interests constantly evolve due to what I read, how my students interpret the material, and what I am asked to teach. 

What’s the most fascinating thing you’ve ever found at the archives or while doing research?

This is an impossible question! I love the archives. I guess I really enjoyed unrolling the over 90-inch document listing in Spanish the voters in Valencia County in the 1860s. It encapsulated so much of the argument of my first book (that Spanish was a language of politics in the Southwest) in one document.

Why is membership in the AHA important to you?

The AHA is the only organization that keeps me connected to scholars outside of my direct fields who are outside of my institution. The AHA annual meeting makes it easy for me to attend panels on topics that intersect with my interests or that can teach me something completely new.

AHA members are involved in all fields of history, with wide-ranging specializations, interests, and areas of employment. To recognize our talented and eclectic membership, Perspectives Daily features a regular AHA Member Spotlight series.