Andreﾌ《 Reseﾌ］dez is a scholar of the world, informed by his own roots. Born and raised in Mexico City, Reseﾌ］dez studied international relations at El Colegio de Mﾃｩxico. After completing his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago, he returned to Mexico, where he worked in everything from politics to historical consulting for soap operas. 窶廬 was living the semi-nomadic life of the struggling academic until I arrived at ｺﾙｺﾙﾊﾓﾆｵ [in 1998],窶 said Reseﾌ］dez, professor of history at ｺﾙｺﾙﾊﾓﾆｵ.
Reseﾌ］dez specializes in early European exploration and colonization of the Americas, the U.S.-Mexico border region, and the early history of the Pacific, with an emphasis on the pioneering voyages and biological exchanges across the largest ocean on Earth 窶 a large and multifaceted swath of history.
窶廬t窶冱 all rooted in my own history,窶 Reseﾌ］dez explained, as he initially planned to study American history, but was drawn back to his roots. That instinct led Reseﾌ］dez to write many lauded books and articles, ranging from a failed 16th-century colonization attempt of Florida, in A Land So Strange, to the history of enslaved Indigenous peoples in the Americas, in The Other Slavery. 窶廬窶冦 a firm believer that if you窶决e going to write a book, you better be very invested in it because it窶冱 a lot of work. It takes a lot of time. And if you are not fully invested, it窶冱 not going to go well.窶
Reseﾌ］dez is currently exploring the historical significance of expeditions connecting the American and Asian continents. These expeditions led to an ongoing exchange of goods between them. The introduction of American crops, like corn and sweet potatoes, to Asian countries, namely China, by early voyages had profound effects on China窶冱 population growth. In 1500, China represented 25% of the world窶冱 population. By 1800, China had grown to 36% of the total world population.
Reseﾌ］dez credited his exploration of the world to the United World College of the American West, an international high school he attended in New Mexico. It was there that Reseﾌ］dez was immersed in an international peer community. 窶廬t was interesting to meet cultures in northern New Mexico, part of the United States, that still had a very strong Hispanic and Mexican presence, going back generations,窶 he explained. 窶廣s someone who grew up in Mexico City, I was quite fascinated to see other Mexicans who lived outside of Mexico and who, to me, felt both very similar and very different. That prompted my interest in identity.窶
That interest has now come full circle. Reseﾌ］dez teaches a number of courses at ｺﾙｺﾙﾊﾓﾆｵ, some of which focus on Mexican culture and others on food and history.