Rudy Mondragón is new to LMU but not to Los Angeles. A proud native of South Gate in Southeast Los Angeles, he is excited to join the faculty as an assistant professor of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies. His research interests lie at the intersection of ethnic studies and the sociology of race and sport. “I am interested in analyzing performances of dissent and resistance in professional boxing as well as interrogating the political economy of that sport,” said Mondragón.
Mondragón’s higher education career began in student affairs. His first role was as an intercultural relations specialist for the Unity Multicultural Education Center at Gonzaga University. His experience at Gonzaga introduced him to the unique opportunities available at Jesuit institutions. “With that informed lens, what drew me to LMU was its mission of caring and educating the whole person and promoting justice. These values lend themselves to the work we do in the Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies Department,” he explained.
Another standout feature of LMU was the people. He felt an immediate sense of belonging during his interview and has continued to feel supported by his colleagues. “I felt so welcomed and at home during my interview. Now that I am here, I have already had opportunities to collaborate with my colleagues, like with Priscilla Leiva, on the very exciting new sports studies minor,” he said.
Currently, he teaches “Intro to Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies 1116.” Mondragón’s teaching philosophy centers on empowering students. “My favorite part of teaching is witnessing the growth of a student. Whether it be the way they engage with the material, taking risks in class by participating and wrestling with course concepts, or in their writing,” he said. “I always tell students my job is not to change or transform them. That is their choice and agency: to take the material I have introduced them to and run with it to make this world a better place.”
Mondragón also conducts in-depth interviews and oral histories with professional boxers and does ethnographic fieldwork at boxing matches, media events, and boxing gyms. He has had the opportunity to interview boxers like HBO True Detective co-star and world champion boxer Kali Reis. He is directing a documentary about Jacob “Stitch” Duran, who is globally recognized as the most famous cutman in the combat sports world and has an upcoming book titled “Rings of Dissent: Boxing and the Performance of Rebellion,” set to be published by the University of Illinois Press in 2025. Co-edited with Gaye Theresa Johnson and David J. Leonard, the anthology explores the complex dynamics of resistance among professional boxers and their communities. “The book draws attention to the cultural politics and performances of marginalized boxers to reveal the structures of power and practices of agency that are always at work around Black and Brown bodies.”
Outside of academia, Mondragón is an avid runner and golfer. “I love to run half-marathons. I need to find a way to balance my running and teaching schedule,” he noted. Golf, and making the sport more inclusive, is another passion. “For me, playing golf is also about making it more accessible for everyone, regardless of class, race, and gender,” he said.
Mondragón earned a BA in Chicano/Latino Studies from UC Irvine, an MA in Chicana and Chicano Studies from UC Santa Barbara, and a PhD in Chicana/o and Central American Studies from UCLA.
