Margo McBane

Margo McBane is a Lecturer in the History Department at San José State University (SJSU), part of the College of Social Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in History from UCLA (2001), an M.A. in History from UC Davis (1983), an M.A. in Education from Stanford University (1976), and a B.A. in Community Studies from UC Santa Cruz (1974). Her research focuses on labor history, race relations, gender studies, and public history, with special emphasis on California’s agricultural and Mexican American communities.

Her notable works include the award-winning radio documentary *Talkin’ Farmwork Blues* (1979–80) and her dissertation, *The House that Lemons Built: Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Citizenship, and the Creation of a Citrus Empire, 1893–1919*, honored at UCLA. She has authored/co-authored articles on topics such as racial segregation in citrus company towns, women’s labor in canning industries, and Mexican American civil rights history. Her current projects include *Before Silicon Valley: A Mexican American Path to Civil Rights* (NEH-funded).

• Grants & Awards: NEH Planning Grant (2011), Kellogg Foundation grants, California Council for the Humanities support.
• Professional Affiliations: Board Member of the Sourisseau Academy for California State and Local History, co-founder of Guerra & McBane LLC (public history consulting).

McBane teaches courses on U.S. history, race and gender intersections, and public history internships. She emphasizes community engagement, having led museum projects, oral history initiatives, and civic history workshops. Her work bridges academic scholarship with public outreach, fostering dialogue on California’s multicultural heritage.