Place of the White Heron

Alejandro Morales, the son of Mexican immigrants, earned his BA from California State University, Los Angeles, and an MA and PhD from Rutgers University. Morales is a professor in the Department of Chicano/Latino Studies at the University of California, Irvine. Writing in Spanish and English over a span of fifty years, he has authored more than a dozen books, including The Brick People, The Rag Doll Plagues, and Caras viejas y vino nuevo / Old Face and New Wine, which are recognized as classics in Chicano/Latino literature. His fictional stories are based on historical personages and events, bringing together his love for both history and writing.

“Professor Morales’s fiction engages the formation of the Mexican American experience from Mexico through Southern California. He brings alive the roots of Mexican American culture and shows different paths for its evolution in the future. In all cases, this shared history and culture is presented in an engaging manner that speaks to both readers seeking an engaging read and to scholars seeking a deeper understanding.” - Louis DeSipio, University of California, Irvine