Sports and Leisure
Explore the early history of Mexican Americans in baseball, African American's fight for places of leisure, and the struggle for inclusivity in Disney, as well as the importance of foreign language sources and teaching LGBTQ+ history.
About This Issue
This issue of The American Historian features three essays on the history of sports and leisure. One article discusses the early history of Mexican Americans in Major League Baseball to show how Mexican Americans experienced the fluidity of race in America, as some Mexican Americans were deemed “exceptional” and able to play in the all-white league. Another article discusses how African Americans in the twentieth century continuously fought for the right to access outdoor spaces of sports and leisure. The final essay shows how minority groups, primarily the LGBTQ+ community, influenced Disneyland theme parks to become more inclusive. The issue also contains an article on the importance of including foreign language sources in U.S. history, and an essay on how to teach LGBTQ+ history in a K-12 classroom.
OAH Members can download an e-reader version of the issue here.
