Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, professor in the School of Journalism and Media and founder of the oral-history project Voces, sits among this year’s Texas 10 — an annual Texas Exes award honoring 10 professors who leave a lasting mark on students. A former staffer for The Daily Texan and one of only three UT alumni among this year’s honorees, she has spent decades championing Latino voices and helping students find their own.
The Daily Texan: What does it mean to you to be recognized with a Texas 10 award, especially as someone who studied at UT and now teaches here?
Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez: I’m in my 27th year of teaching, so it feels full circle. Being able to teach at the place (where) I got my bachelor’s degree and (teaching) journalism, which is my biggest passion, means a lot to me. Over the years, students have told me how much they’ve learned in my classes and how much it has meant to them. But to be publicly acknowledged means a lot, especially at this point in my career.
DT: When in your journalism career did you decide to become a professor?
MR: I was a real dyed-in-the-wool journalist and thought I would be in the newsroom and just die in the newsroom and be carried out (of there). In my last job, I covered the United States-Mexico border, and I was on the road half the time, sometimes more than that. I wanted to be able to be with my kids at night and tuck them in and be more present.
DT: Your project, Voces, preserves Latino history through oral storytelling, while journalism often focuses on the present. What do these two forms of storytelling share, and how do they inform each other?
MR: There’s a lot of crossover between journalism and oral history. Some of the best interviewers that I’ve worked with weren’t oral historians to begin with. … As you’re doing an interview, you’re thinking on lots of different levels and that does not come naturally. … Not all journalists are great interviewers. Some journalists are really good factual interviewers, and some are really good at getting the emotional (aspect), but oral history combines those skills. There’s so much cross-pollination between journalism and oral history.
DT: How does your work with Voces reflect UT’s role as a Hispanic-serving Institution?
MR: I didn’t appreciate how the Voces Oral History Center has been a home to many of our students. But last year, when we celebrated our 25th anniversary, I interviewed former student interns and was surprised to learn that much of what they learned about the Latino experience in the U.S. was from the research and interviews they did for our project. So, yes, absolutely, Voces has helped make our campus a more welcoming place for our Hispanic students. It demonstrates that the Latino perspective is valued and respected.
