Julian Nava: My Mexican-American Journey was released last month by Arte Publico Press.

"The book is the story of my life, focusing on the childhood experiences of a Mexican-American born into a poor family," said Nava, who taught at Northridge for 45 years. "With education and hard work, including military service at the end of World War II, I was able to take advantage of opportunities that permitted me to see new worlds."

During the Great Depression, more than 100,000 Mexican-American families on welfare were deported to Mexico. Nava¹s family was among those slated for deportation, but a severe case of appendicitis that nearly killed Nava allowed his family to remain behind.

"Our life is determined by chance and what we make of the challenge," Nava said.

Upon graduating from high school, Nava attended East Los Angeles College and then finished his bachelor¹s degree at Pomona College. He went on to get his doctorate in history from Harvard University.

Nava started his teaching career at Cal State Northridge in 1957 and retired this spring.

In addition to teaching at CSUN, Nava served as the first Mexican-American on the Los Angeles school board and was appointed by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to serve as the first Mexican-American ambassador to Mexico. In addition, he has taught at universities in Spain, Columbia, Puerto Rico and Mexico, and he assisted in establishing a university in Bogota, Columbia.

"My story is the story of public life and minority group relations within the United States," Nava said.

Nava resides in San Diego County with his wife, Patricia. He is active in publishing books for schools, lecturing and producing documentaries.

To order Julian Nava: My Mexican-American Journey, contact his publisher, Arte Público Press at (800) 633-2783 or visit www.arte.uh.edu.

California State University, Northridge has more than 31,500 full- and part-time students and offers 59 bachelors¹ and 41 master's degrees. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley and the third largest in the 23-campus CSU system. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges recently said CSUN "stands as a model to other public urban institutions of higher education."