California Frontier
Prof. Damian Bacich shares the history you didn't learn in school. Each episode is a deep dive into the fascinating early history of California and the West. Listen to stories and interviews with scholars, experts, and people who are passionate about a time when California was the frontier of empire and imagination.
California Frontier
045: Californios and Ethnicity with Archaeologist Jennifer Lucido
In today's interview, I am talking with archaeologist Jennifer Lucido.
Jennifer has worked at several important historical sites in the Monterey area and has recently traced the genealogies of some of California's early poblador families. Her fascinating work has shed light on how their ethnic identities shifted as they arrived in a new territory.
In our conversation, we discuss the complex ethnic classifications of New Spain, how the frontier simplified them and how today's categories of nationality and race don't always match how people thought of themselves 200 years ago.
We also delve into the role of social mobility and class consciousness in Spanish and Mexican California.
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Contact:
damian@californiafrontier.net
