Dr. Steve Lewis 
Faculty, History Department, 
California State University, Chico 

Reyna Grande’s book, “The Distance Between Us,” was chosen as the 2014-2015 CSU, Chico Book in Common primarily because of the author’s compelling story and the questions it brings up about immigration issues. Sadly, Grande’s home town of Iguala, Guerrero, made news for another reason – it was the scene of a massacre of 43 students from a rural teachers’ school, or “Normal School.” On September 14, 2015, these students were handed over by a corrupt police system to a drug gang, or “narcos,” who murdered them. The search for these students led to the discovery of several mass gravesites in the Iguala region. As a specialist in Mexican history, Dr. Lewis gives background about the state of Guerrero, its tradition of popular struggle, and its Rural Normal Schools. 

Recorded: February 17, 2015