Matthew J. Garcia

Matthew J. Garcia is the Ralph and Richard Lazarus Professor of History, Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies, and Human Relations at Dartmouth College. He chairs the Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies Department and operates Taste for Good Farm in Vermont. His research integrates oral history with archival work to expose systemic inequalities in food labor systems. Garcia's work bridges academic and agricultural passions, examining labor movements, corporate decision-making impacts, and migrant experiences.

• Education: B.A., University of California, Berkeley; Ph.D., Claremont Graduate School

His research interests focus on Latinx History, Labor History, Immigration, and Rural-Urban Dynamics. Key works include A World of Its Own (2001), analyzing citrus labor in Los Angeles, and Eli and the Octopus (2023), a corporate history of United Fruit Co. Garcia’s scholarship addresses labor-capital conflicts across scales, from field workers to corporate executives.

• Awards: Oral History Association Book Award (2003), Taft Award (2013)

His teaching and advisory roles reflect a commitment to interdisciplinary approaches. The farm serves as both livelihood and research site, linking agrarian practices to historical analysis.