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SAGE College DEI - Author The Texas Experiment
Author Spotlight
Published 7/2023. ©2023 Sage Publishing. All rights reserved. All other brand and product names are the property of their respective owners.
See what inspired William Flores, author of The Texas Experiment.
What inspired you to become a textbook author?
My parents faced discrimination as children. My dad attended segregated, “Mexican” schools in San Diego, California. You can see the school. It has a plaque describing it as the Old Town schoolhouse, with no mention that it was a “Mexican school.” Later, my dad’s family lost their homes when the freeway was built, scattering the Mexican families into other parts of town. Other family members faced similar segregation in Texas.
Growing up, I wondered why I never learned about these experiences in our history books. It made me want to do my own research, teach, and write books that included perspectives of those who have been unrepresented in the story of America. So, the book projects I have worked on all come from that viewpoint. But I am also committed to a strong, democratic, and inclusive society. That is the American Dream. It is why immigrants come to this country—to be part of a land of opportunity and a better life.
We aim to amplify diverse voices and represent diverse identities in our content. How does this come through in your book?
The Texas Experiment: Politics, Power, and Social Transformation developed after talking with students and hearing their frustrations with existing texts that cover Texas politics and government. Many expressed feeling “left out.” They also wanted to learn how they could become more involved in the political process to make a difference. Their concerns led us to write our book, which weaves the stories of underrepresented groups like Black and Latino Texans, among others, throughout each chapter. Many books focus on the political actors and structures, and we do too. But we begin each chapter with a real incident to understand the impact of political decisions and public policy on vulnerable populations—which are often poor and nonwhite. Freeways often break up Latino and Black neighborhoods. But all of us are affected by laws and policies that allow toxic pollutants in the air we breathe and the water we drink. The book tells those stories, as well as the stories of individuals working to end those practices.
It is important to study history to understand how we ended up with the laws and political structures we have today. It’s also important to understand how the average citizen can become involved in the political process to effect change. The Texas Experiment examines the state’s pro-growth policies and discusses both the good and the bad. The book also looks to the future. In 2022, Latinos became the largest single ethnic group in Texas. We ask what the future will be like in the next few decades and explore different possibilities. Our book examines the past so that students understand the present and can have a role in shaping the future.
How would you like to see your field advance conversations around DEI? In what areas is more research needed?
America is much more diverse today than when I was a student. It will be even more diverse in the coming decades. But there are many in this country who fear the changing demographics. Sadly, laws have been passed in several states, including Texas, which will end state funding of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. Several state legislatures have adopted laws banning books or curricula that discuss race and LGBTQ issues. As academics, we explore topics by researching, writing, and teaching about them. Facts and truth are important. But there are those who do not want to hear critiques of society and prefer a version of history that blurs over its past. America has a good story to tell. It is a country of great achievement, but it also has its faults. It has committed genocide against Native peoples and enslaved Black people and treated Mexicans and American Indians as threats. The Civil War was fought to preserve slavery, and Jim Crow laws were enacted to deny Black people equal rights—including the right to vote. Armed vigilante groups openly marched to terrorize minority communities. Today, we are seeing a rise in hate crimes and violence.
Our schools cannot look the other way and ignore the errors of the past. But neither should we fear telling that story. Rather, we grow stronger as a country when we learn from the past to prevent repeating it. America is a country of immigrants, and we are strengthened by its diversity. So, yes, more research is needed, but we must also find ways of coming together, forging unity, and committing to a strong democracy and inclusive society. Democracy is an experiment, and each state is a laboratory where we vote, make laws, and each of us can make a difference. That is our belief and the underlying assumption of The Texas Experiment.
