#10/2022
For immediate release
Friday, December 9, 2022
Press Contact: Alberto Lozano
1-619-308-9907
Press Release
PAUL GANSTER IS AWARDED WITH THE OHTLI BY MEXICO’S GOVERNMENT
The renowned scholar of transborder history, Dr. Paul Ganster, was honored tonight with the Ohtli award, the highest recognition granted by the Government of Mexico to individuals that have opened pathways to Mexicans abroad, particularly in the United States of America.
The “Ohtli” Award, which in Nahuatl means “camino” or “path,” honors those trailblazers who have been exemplary models for Mexican nationals.
“Since 1960, when he started traveling to northwestern Mexico with his friend and mentor, the legendary Harry Crosby, Dr. Paul Ganster has tirelessly contributed as historian, scholar, academic, and researcher on the cross-border region, boosting our bilateral cooperation”, said Carlos González Gutiérrez, Consul General of Mexico in San Diego.
Only days before the commemoration of the Bicentennial of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Between Mexico and the United States, the diplomatic representative awarded the 2022 Ohtli, in the presence of California elected officials, previous Ohtli awardees, and members of the Mexican and binational community.
At the San Diego History Center in the heart of Balboa Park, the largest urban cultural park in the United States, he recalled that Dr. Ganster was appointed in 1984 as the first Director of the Institute for Regional Studies of the Californias (IRSC), and led many research projects under the umbrella of institutions such as San Diego State University (SDSU); el Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF); la Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, (UABC), as well as Universidad de las Americas (UDLA) in Cholula, among others.
Between 1985 and 1991, Dr. Ganster co-directed the International History Fair with his colleague from UABC, David Piñera Ramírez, with whom he published books on Ensenada, Baja California´s historical archives, and two editions of the photographic book Tijuana 1964 (2000, 2014).
From 1996 to the present, Dr. Ganster has served as a member and chair of the Committee of the Binational Regional Opportunities (COBRO), a working group of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), that provides input on border-related challenges and opportunities.
Regarding this distinction, Dr. Paul Ganster said: “When Amb. Carlos González Gutiérrez called to inform me about the Ohtli Award, I was both surprised and humbled. I am also delighted since to me the award represents the collective action of many colleagues and organizations on both sides of the border working to improve bilateral relations and quality of life for the residents of this transborder region”.
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