On Sept. 23, 2025, Winona State University hosted Professor Annette Rodriguez as the newest speaker in the “Expanding Perspectives” series to present on Hispanic Heritage Month. The office of equity and inclusive excellence, in collaboration with Latinx studies, the department of history, political science, public administration, ethnic studies and the Winona State University foundation worked hard to bring Professor Rodriguez to Winona State, as she is a sought-after speaker and highly acclaimed professor.
Rodriguez is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin, which has one of the best history departments in the nation. She is currently working on a manuscript with the University of Texas Press, titled “Inventing the Mexican: The Visual Culture of Lynching at the Turn of the Twentieth Century.”
Rodriguez’s talk centered around some of the principles her book will be about—the way that Mexicans and others from Latinx communities were often treated horribly when they came to the United States for better jobs and financial opportunity at the turn of the twentieth century. This violence is, to this day, overlooked or ignored, even though the effects of the harmful rhetoric that came out of this time period can still be seen today.
Rodriguez’s presentation largely contained images taken at the turn of the twentieth century, often depicting remains of lynched Mexicans and containing captions that displayed the racism toward them. “The bodies became naturalized parts of the landscape, the come-upon-dead that were found as dawn broke. Their bodies were left in clear view, unhidden, creating a new kind of spectacle in Texas,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez emphasized that these lynchings were so horrific but are still overlooked. “In the case of Texas, although the lynching of Mexicans and the discovery of their bodies was common for decades, only two book-length studies have concentrated specifically on the lynching of Mexicans,” Rodriguez noted. Her book will seek to give due respect to the grave maltreatment of Mexican workers during this time period.
Rodriguez’s presentation was attended by many students and community members. One student, first-year nursing major Jayda Swalve, attended the talk to “gain insight into diverse perspectives shaped by lived experiences.” She noted that it was surprising to see “the extent of violence and loss of innocent lives suffered by immigrants, stemming from prejudice and intolerance.”
Another attending student was Alex Peachey, a fourth-year Applied Professional Writing major. “I learned a lot about how Tejanos were referred to similarly to Native Americans…like the usage of the word ‘bandits’ for both groups, implying a villainhood about them,” Peachey said. “I’m just really grateful that [Dr. Rodriguez] was able to come to our campus and give this talk.”
