Michael D. Aguirre

My research explores the relationship between industrial agriculture and maquiladoras in the eastern California borderlands during the 1960s and 1970s. Focusing on the Imperial-Mexicali valleys, I examine major economic transformations and its impact on labor unions, migration, and citizenship in this transnational space.

My previous research analyzed Seattle's El Centro de la Raza from 1972-1979. I revealed the critical role of women's volunteer labor in the establishment and longevity of the center as well as the gender dynamics of Seattle's Chicano Movement.