Does Junipero Serra share blame for the abuses in the California missions? Two historians debate the issue.
Jonathan Cordero, PhD
California Lutheran University
Jonathan Cordero, PhD, studies aesthetics in contemporary culture, social geography, and contemporary California Indian identity. As an ethnohistorian and Native Californian, Jonathan studies California Indians during the Spanish Colonial and Early American periods. He teaches courses in social theory, culture, religion, and racial and ethnic relations.
Ruben Mendoza, PhD
CSU-Monterey Bay
Ruben Mendoza, PhD, is an archaeologist, writer, and photographer who has explored the length and breadth of Mexico, Central America, Europe, and the U.S. Southwest, documenting both pre-Columbian and colonial-era sites and collections. A founding faculty member of the California State University, Monterey Bay, Professor Mendoza has directed major archaeological investigations and conservation projects at several missions.