Rod Francisco Acuña, Ph.D., (born May 18, 1932) is an American historian, professor emeritus, and one of various scholars of Chicano studies, which he teaches at California State University, Northridge.
He is the author of Occupied America: A History of Chicanos, which approaches the history of the Southwestern United States that includes Mexican Americans.
It has been reprinted five times since its 1972 debut.
The sixth edition was published Dec.
1, 2006.
He has also written for the Los Angeles Times, The Los Angeles Herald-Express, La Opinión, and numerous other newspapers.
His work emphasizes the struggle of the Mexican American people.
Acuña is also an activist and he has supported the numerous causes of the Chicano Movement.His mother Alicia Elías was from Sonora, and his father from Cocula, Jalisco.