Austin Community College District (ACC) professor Dr. Gary Moreno has been named the recipient of the Muriel H. Wright Award, presented by the Oklahoma Historical Society for the outstanding article published in its scholarly journal, The Chronicles of Oklahoma.
Moreno earned the honor for his article, “Crossing Cultural Frontiers: Mexicans in the Wild West Shows,” which explores the role of Mexican performers in shaping early 20th-century Wild West shows and the spread of charro culture in the United States and Mexico.
Through these stories, Moreno examines how Mexican cultural traditions traveled across borders and influenced popular entertainment during that era. You can read more here.
“This scholarship is important because it sheds light on a small group of migrant laborers who had a tremendous impact on popular culture in the U.S. I spent my hungry years as a young historian researching the life of a vaquero with an unknown past. I was very fortunate to have been able to do that,” says Moreno. “I have a lot of love for Oklahoma. I hope that this recognition confirms my place as the leading historian of the Mexican American experience in Oklahoma.”
The Muriel H. Wright Award has been presented since 1974 to recognize exceptional historical scholarship published in the journal.
Moreno’s recognition highlights the impact of ACC faculty scholarship and the role educators play in expanding historical understanding while bringing those insights into the classroom.
Moreno currently serves as a history professor at ACC and director of El Centro, the college’s Latin American Cultural Center. Learn more about the Center here.