Dr. David Dorado Romo is a historian, author, translator, musician, and lifelong fronterizo whose work has profoundly reshaped how we understand the U.S.–Mexico border. Born and raised in El Paso/Juárez, he has dedicated his career to telling the stories of the borderlands with honesty, depth, and corazón.  Beyond his scholarship, Dr. Romo is deeply engaged in community activism. He has worked to protect historic neighborhoods like Duranguito and Segundo Barrio from erasure, insisting that preserving cultural memory is inseparable from preserving physical space. His essays and public history projects continue to challenge stereotypes and reveal uncomfortable truths, such as the history of border sanitation practices that influenced Nazi Germany’s racial policies, while affirming the dignity and resilience of border communities.

Dr. Romo often reminds us that remembering is an act of healing: “If we want to heal from these wounds, we first have to learn the truth.” His life’s work embodies this conviction. By illuminating silenced histories and celebrating the richness of border culture, he offers the world a vision of the frontera not as a line of division, but as a place of encuentro, creativity, and hope.