Dr. David Carrasco

Biography

David Carrasco is a Mexican American historian specializing in the study of Latin America with particular interest in Mesoamerican cities, symbols, and the Mexican-American borderlands. His academic journey began at the University of Chicago, where he was inspired to explore the question of "where sacred place" lies, presenting challenges to postcolonial ethnography theory and practices regarding the symbolic nature of ritual violence from a comparative perspective. Dr. Carrasco's work involves collaboration with Mexican archaeologists and includes research excavations and archival studies associated with significant sites such as Teotihuacan and Mexico-Tenochtitlan. His published works explore the religions of Mesoamerica and themes such as the City of Sacrifice and Quetzalcoatl. As an award-winning teacher at Harvard, he has engaged in spirited debates with prominent figures like Cornel West and Samuel Huntington on topics of race, culture, and religion in the Americas. He currently directs the Moses Mesoamerican Archive Research Project at Harvard University.

Research Interests