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Name: George Patrick Fontes
Title: Lecturer
Department: Chicano and Latin American Studies
Academic Degree(s):

• B.A. History, Fresno State
• M.A. History, Fresno State
• Ph.D. American History, Stanford University

How long have you worked at Fresno State?
I have worked here for the last six years or so, teaching in the Chicano Studies Department.

Are you a Valley native?
I am a Valley native. On my mom’s side, my great-grandparent immigrated to Fresno from Mexico during the bloody Mexican Revolution. They crossed over in 1917 into El Paso, and there my great-grandfather was recruited to work on Theodore Kearney’s ranch.

Are you part of a Bulldog family with generations of Bulldog graduates or current students?
I am a first-generation college student. My parents both graduated high school, from Fresno High and Washington Union, but I am the first to attend and graduate college in my large extended Mexican American family.

Do you have a campus mentor or someone who has helped you in your career?
I did have a few outstanding professors who guided me along my path while receiving my B.A. and M.A. in history. Two stand out more than most, Professor William Skuban in history and Professor Honora Chapman, who at that time taught Classics, Latin and Greek. They were both encouraging and thoughtful mentors along my academic journey.

Tell us about your department and what people may not know about it.
The classes I teach dig deep into American history through an ethnic studies lens and covers episodes that are not often taught in traditional American history courses. Students are often surprised at the history my classes cover because they typically have never heard of the events, even though they are profound moments in United States history.

What is your most notable accomplishment in your field, and why was it important?
On the one hand a traditional response might be receiving my Ph.D. from Stanford, but more than that, sincerely, is when I received an email at the end of the semester from a student telling me how much of an impact my class as had on their life. Knowing that I have influenced a young mind for the better and perhaps even directed them on a path in their professional life, stands as the epitome of my accomplishments.

What are you most passionate about in your field and why?
There is not one thing that I am most passionate about, I sincerely am passionate about all aspects of my field: teaching, research, writing. I wake up thinking about history, and the projects I am working on. Ideas drive me. When I am in classroom, moreover, I am in my arena, my zone. I am passionate about knowledge and delivering that knowledge to students and the wider community.

What is a memorable moment you had at your job?
When I receive emails or visits from students who tell me that my class had a major impact on them and their academic career. I find the right words difficult to explain that deep, visceral elation and satisfaction when I am told I influenced a student’s life.

What is a memorable moment you had in class?
There are a few that stand out. The most memorable though are the one’s when students tell me how some member in their family is connected to the history we are studying. A couple years ago, while teaching about the Dust Bowl, one of my students told me that her grandma was left behind in Oklahoma at 11 years of age, since there was no room for her in the over-packed car her family was driving to California during the Dust Bowl. That young 11 year old girl walked to California barefoot.

What is your teaching style?
Socratic, question and answer, and engagement.

What is your favorite quote or saying?
“There is no try, only do or do not." — Yoda

What do you like to do for fun in your spare time?
I enjoy cooking at home, all types of cuisines. Photography is also a passion of mine. I have a gallery studio at M Street Art Studios downtown where I show my photography during Art Hop. I also write fiction in my spare time and my latest novel has been picked up by a publisher, it’s a Chicano Vampire novel set in dystopian downtown Fresno. Set for release Cinco de Mayo 2024.