Ricardo Álvarez-Pimentel

Areas of Specialization

Mexico, Colonial and Modern Latin America, Race, Gender, Catholicism, Revolutions & Authoritarian Politics, Fascism, the Cold War, and U.S.-Latin American Relations

Education

Ph.D., Yale University
M.A., Yale University
B.A., University of Chicago

Academic Interests & Research Narrative

My research interests include the history of revolutions and upheavals, authoritarian politics, nationalism, religion, gender and race relations as they pertain to Latin America and the Caribbean region. I am currently working on my first book, which is tentatively titled “Restoring All through Christ”: Counterrevolution and the Women of Mexican Catholic Action, 1917-1946 (under contract with the University of Nebraska Press). This work examines the rise and fall of Acción Católica Mexicana, a social, political, and right-wing religious movement spearheaded by laywomen from Mexico City. It traces the evolution of their political projects from the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 to the early Cold War. 

For more than 10 years, I have worked with archival collections in Mexico, Europe, and the United States while publishing in English- and Spanish-language journals, print and digital. Since 2020, I have also been a co-founder and president of the “Historians of Catholic Mexico” (HISTCATMEX) academic network. I organize seminars, workshops, and conferences that engage U.S. and Mexican historians of all levels—from advanced graduate students to emeritus scholars.

In the classroom, I strive to create a safe and equitable learning environment that encourages dialogue and diverse perspectives. This involves intentionally crafting inclusive syllabi and facilitating student discussion to promote active listening and mutual understanding. Prior to my arrival at Baylor, I worked with talented and inquisitive students at Yale, SUNY-Albany, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I welcome inquiries about my research and academic interests.

Why I Chose Baylor

I came to Baylor to pursue historical scholarship driven by a commitment to social justice. My research takes a critical approach to Latin American Catholicism and examines the role of institutional religion in both challenging and furthering class, gender, and racial divides in the region. At the same time, my teaching emphasizes compassion and humility. I teach students to think critically, but also encourage them to strive toward mutual understanding. As higher education grows more contentious, Baylor remains a place where I can simultaneously pursue both of these goals: cutting-edge scholarship and constructive pedagogy. I strongly believe that this is possible thanks to Baylor’s unique vision and identity, and the university’s commitment to its faculty and students.

Biography

I am a Mexican immigrant who has lived in the United States for over 25 years. I was born in Mexico City and partly raised in Miami, Florida before pursuing my undergraduate education. I was the first person in my family to study college in the U.S. and the only one to pursue a doctorate. Because of these experiences, I am deeply committed to the wellbeing and academic success of Baylor’s first-generation students.

Selected Publications

Books

“Restoring All through Christ”: Counterrevolution and the Women of Mexican Catholic Action, 1917-1946 (University of Nebraska Press, manuscript under contract, out for revisions).

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

“Mexico’s ‘Real’ Good Neighbors: US Catholic and Empire during the Interwar Red Scare,” Diplomatic History (2024); currently available as an advanced article.

“Mexican Catholic Women and their Gendered Racial Politics: The Juventud Católica Femenina Mexicana (JCFM), 1926-1939.” Mexican Studies/Estudios Mexicanos (2024) 40:2, 225-253.

"Unspoken Whiteness: #Whitexicans and Religious Conservatism in Mexico," Journal of Hispanic and Lusophone Whiteness Studies (2020) 1:4, 48-69.

"Guerra Fría, Guerra Cristera, Guerreras Católicas: El conservadurismo y feminismo católico de la Juventud Católica Femenina Mexicana (JFCM), 1926-1939." (2017) Nuevo Mundo, Mundos Nuevos [Online]. 

Essays

"Adopting the American Racial Lens: A History of Mexican Migration to Chicago from the Town of Arandas, Jalisco," Chicago Journal of History (2013), 35-51.

Reviews

Review of Matthew Butler, Mexico’s Spiritual Reconquest: Indigenous Catholics and Father Pérez’s Revolutionary Church for The Catholic Historical Review (forthcoming).

Review of Alberto García, Abandoning Their Beloved Land: The Politics of Bracero Migration in Mexico for American Historical Review (2024), 129:4, 1756-57.

Review of Jaime Pensado, Love and Despair: How Catholic Activism Shaped Politics and the Counterculture in Modern Mexico for Journal of Social History (2024), 58:2, 373-75.

Review of Margaret Chowning, Catholic Women and Mexican Politics, 1750-1940 for The Catholic Historical Review (2023) 109:3, 633-35.

Selected Activities

Awards (recent)

• Theron Rockwell Field Prize for best dissertation in the humanities; Yale University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (2022).

Grants (recent)

• Alfred J. Beveridge Grant for Research in the History of the Western Hemisphere; American Historical Association (2023).
• Dorothy Mohler Research Grant; The Catholic University of America (2022-23).

Fellowships (recent)

• Hank Fellowship in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition; Loyola University Chicago, Joan and Bill Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage (2021-22).

Presentations (recent)

• April 2025: “Mujeres mexicanas y la transmisión de ideas a nivel internacional, siglo XX.” Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies (SECOLAS): 72^nd Annual Conference (Mexico City, Mexico).
• April 2025: “Eugenics and the Fear of Indigenous Women’s Sexuality among the Juventud Católica Femenina Mexicana (JCFM).” Catholic Modernity in the Americas: Land, Culture, Politics (University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN).
• Jan. 2025: “Anti-Catholic ‘Conspiracies’ and Mexico’s Catholic Women’s Union, 1922-1930.” American Historical Association: 138th Annual Meeting (New York, NY).

Regular Course Offerings

• Undergraduate:
  • HIS 1300 | US in Global Perspectives - Fascism in the Global Americas
  • HIS 3353/3355 | Pre-Columbian and Colonial Latin America/Modern Latin America

Other Courses Taught

• Undergraduate:
  • HIS 4340 | The Mexican Revolution and Its Legacies
  • HIS 4352 | Waco's Mexican American Experience
• Graduate: 
  • HIS 5350 | Topics in Latin American History

Work with Students

• Willing to advise undergraduate theses and direct undergraduate research.
• Willing to advise graduate independent study and comprehensive exam fields.

Follow Dr. Álvarez on:

Twitter: @ralvarezpi