Profiles of Roothbert: Gilbert M. Joseph
“I’ve always loved history,” shared Gilbert M. Joseph ‘74. “History is not only about what happened—which is often hard to ascertain retrospectively—but also what people say happened, which occasionally presents us with multiple ‘truths.’ Gil is now the Farnam Professor Emeritus of History and International Studies at Yale University, specializing in the history of 19th and 20th century Mexico and of US-Latin American relations..
Gil first encountered The Roothbert Fund as a Yale doctoral student completing his dissertation research in Mexico. “I was researching the Mexican Revolution and its social movements for my PhD and I was looking through a catalog in Yale’s Fellowship Office—there was no internet in those days! I was particularly struck by the Fund’s unique focus on both education and spirituality, and deeply impressed by the experience of my Roothbert interview.”
Gil’s dedication to Latin American social movements ultimately connects to his family background and sense of spirituality. Born in Boston, MA and raised in Long Island, NY, “I’m of a Jewish descent, and our Jewishness was always more cultural than liturgical. What was important to us as a family and to me personally was the notion of freedom and liberation, epitomized in the Book of Exodus and at family gatherings like the Passover Seder. These themes have been woven into the teaching and research I’ve done over the years.”
“Who controls the narrative of history as well as what actually happened? Often, these people are powerful rulers, people speaking for other people.” But everyday people and members of subordinated groups contribute their own renderings of the past, if we are sufficiently trained to find and decode them. Much of his career as a historian has been dedicated to recovering these narratives.
Exploring liberation theology and participating in interfaith groups in Nicaragua, investigating incarnations of failed social revolution in Mexico in the early 20th century, or gaining a deeper understanding of long-running struggles for land and decent working conditions in southeastern Mexico, Gil has contributed a rich repertoire of historical works that speak to the pursuit of liberation and social justice.
“I became interested in the history of Mexico that was always caught up in parallel histories of empire. Mexico’s past can be observed as a series of imperial cycles that involved Indigenous empires like the Aztecs, the Spanish empire, wars of French and American intervention, and a more recent history of informal U.S. empire that resonates in our country’s immigration and economic policies.” In high school, Gil first became interested in Mexico as an exchange student exploring both the nation’s rich cultural traditions and stark internal social inequities. Before pursuing his PhD in Latin American history at Yale, Gil received a Fulbright and other fellowships to explore Jewish diasporas in Latin America and Australia.
In his work and personal life, Gil has found that “spirituality can be very socially oriented, rooted in movements of social justice and liberation. In other moments, it’s a very personal relationship connecting one with God.” As an interviewer for the Fund over several decades, Gil comments that “I’m not always looking for a definition of spirituality. I’m looking for some validation of it in the way people talk about the work they do, the relationships they have, and the values that are important to them. I’ve found that spirituality and its manifestations have changed over the years I’ve interviewed fellows for the Fund. Spirituality does not have to be explicitly defined and understood, but rather is present in the professional and personal aspects of our lives.”
Gil’s work as a historian now centers on twentieth-century Mexico and U.S.-Latin American relations. On a more philosophical note, however, Gil aspires to “write history as it is most often experienced, as a series of interrelated, complicated, even messy processes. There are rarely clear narratives of good and evil, though we often receive such narratives in the media, on twitter, and the campaign trail—take the way politicians have often characterized the behavior and motivations of Mexican and Central American migrants. [As historians] we have a responsibility to communicate the complexity of actors and events in the present and the past, both to our students and the broader society.”
As a university professor, Gil uses a variety of methods to teach history but prioritizes analysis of historical documents and personal testimonies and accounts to facilitate discussions that put his students in the shoes of historical actors. For example, in his course on Revolution and Cold War in Latin America, “Whether I’m teaching Cuba’s Fidelista Revolution, the Sandinista Revolution, the peasant rebellion in Chiapas in the 1990s, or Hugo Chávez’s Bolivarian Socialist Revolution in the 2000s, my purpose is to air different opinions and present the perspectives of different actors. The goal is not to guide students to a predetermined conclusion. I also attempt to facilitate meaningful connections between the past and present. I am not so much interested in lecturing to my students; rather, I prefer a seminar format and my own version of the Socratic method.” Through methods such as structured debates, historical simulations, and the keeping of personal journals, Gil encourages his students to form their own ideas and continue to interrogate them, engaging with other interpretations.
“I formally retired from Yale in July of 2021, so this is my first year off of Yale’s payroll in almost 30 years.” Retirement, in Gil’s case, does not mark an end to his scholarly work or teaching, but rather the chance to use his time more as he pleases. “At long last, I don’t have to go to department meetings!” He also intends to continue his connection with Roothbert and maybe become more involved. Gil currently directs several doctoral theses, is writing a book on the Cold War from a Latin American perspective and anticipates the release this summer of a revised edition of his popular book The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics. Later this month, Gil will be attending an academic conference in his honor, sponsored by the nearly 60 scholars who completed their dissertations under his mentorship. “This is the highest honor I could receive,” he observes. “I chose the right profession, and I’m always aware of that. Being a historian and a university professor has always been a source of tremendous fulfillment, satisfaction, and service.”