Conference

Morning Address: Brian Behnken

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Abstract

Brian Behnken is an associate professor in the Department of History and the U.S. Latino/a Studies. His research and teaching interests include comparative race relations, civil rights, ethnic history, and American social movements, among other subjects. He is the author of two books, Fighting Their Own Battles: Mexican Americans, African Americans, and the Struggle for Civil Rights in Texas (University of North Carolina Press, 2011) and with Greg Smithers, Racism in the American Popular Media: From Aunt Jemima to the Frito Bandito (Praeger Publishers, 2015). Behnken has also edited several collections of essays. His current book project is a long history of the Mexican American community’s relationship with local law enforcement across the Southwest from the 1830s to the present day, tentatively titled Brown and Blue: Mexican Americans, Law Enforcement, and Civil Rights.

Originally a native of Houston, Texas, Brian received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Houston. In 2007 he received his PhD in American History from the University of California, Davis.