Russell C. Rodríguez Awarded Américo Paredes Prize

Every year, the Cultural Diversity Committee, the Chicana/Chicano Section, and the Folklore Latino, Latinoamericano, y Caribeño Section join with the AFS Executive Board to select the Américo Paredes Prize, which recognizes excellence in integrating scholarship and engagement with the people and communities one studies, or in teaching and encouraging scholars and practitioners to work in their own cultures or communities. 

This year, the Paredes Prize committee is proud and honored to present the Américo Paredes Award to Dr. Russell C. Rodríguez of UC Santa Cruz for his stellar performance as a scholar, program manager, colleague, and mentor over the past twenty years.

Russell is both an innovative scholar and a highly skilled musician who has acquired a deep and intimate knowledge of diverse cultural practices, particularly those of marginalized communities. His scope and depth of knowledge, talent, humor, and incredible modesty makes him an exceptional teacher, scholar, and colleague. His combination of theoretical sophistication and real-world engagement is especially inspiring and refreshing. 

Born and raised in a barrio on the east side of San Jose, CA, as a child Russell joined the Mexican folklórico dance troupe started by his mother and later became a musician. His path wandered like many of ours do, and eventually Russell earned his PhD in anthropology from UC Santa Cruz, where he now teaches and continues to perform, research, and teach mariachi music. As someone who has been a program manager for the Alliance for California for Traditional Arts, a scholar and teacher, and consultant and partner with the Smithsonian, and ever a practitioner, Russell’s distinguished academic performance is deeply connected to his community service, and well-deserving of the 2023 Paredes Prize.