Dr. David Robles explores the untold stories of South Texas history

Dr. David Robles didn't always know he wanted to become a historian.

Today, as an assistant professor of history at Lamar University, Robles researches Chicana/o activism and social movements in South Texas, exploring the lives of ordinary people who organized, protested, and advocated for their communities. His work examines pivotal moments such as the 1971 Pharr Police Riot, student activism at Texas A&I University, and the Edcouch-Elsa school walkouts of 1968 which are histories that, for many years, received little attention in mainstream narratives.

But years earlier, Robles imagined a very different future.

As a teenager, he was more interested in music than history. He played in punk bands, collected guitars, and had little idea what he wanted to do after high school.

"I didn't have an idea what I wanted to do when I was younger," Robles said. "I think that's very normal for teenagers."

Robles describes himself as a rebellious high school student who struggled to find direction. While his parents believed education was the path to opportunity, college wasn't something he initially wanted to pursue.

A conversation with one of his older brothers changed that trajectory.

"He told me, 'Just go to community college and see if you like it,'" Robles said. "I liked it very much."

At first, Robles studied psychology before switching to music. Then, while attending the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, he enrolled in a Mexican American history course that reshaped his future.

Growing up as the youngest of eight children in a first-generation family, Robles had rarely encountered the histories of Mexican American communities in school. The course introduced him to stories that reflected the communities he knew and helped him see history in a new way.

"I don't know," he said. "It just clicked for me. It felt like something that had been missing."

The course, taught by historian Dr. Jennifer Mata, inspired Robles to pursue history as a career. After class, he approached Mata with a simple declaration.

"I told her, 'I want to do this,'" Robles recalled.

Her response was equally straightforward.

"'First, you need to change your major.'"

He did.

Mata, along with Texas historian Mrs. Garza, became mentors who encouraged Robles to continue his education beyond a bachelor's degree.

"They had my whole life planned out already," he said with a laugh. "But I took it very seriously."

Robles earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley before completing his doctorate at the University of Texas at El Paso in 2018. Along the way, he became the first member of his family to earn graduate degrees.

Today, his research focuses on the history of the Texas Borderlands and the activism that emerged within Mexican American communities. His scholarship examines how ordinary people organized for change and how those movements continue to shape the region's history.

His publications include the book chapter, "'It Was Us against Us': The Pharr Police Riot of 1971 and the People's Uprising against El Jefe Político," featured in Civil Rights in Black and Brown: Histories of Resistance and Struggle in Texas, which received the Oral History Association's 2022 Book Award. He has also published research on Chicano student activism at Texas A&I University and media coverage of the 1968 Edcouch-Elsa school walkouts in the Journal of South Texas.

For Robles, those projects reflect what he believes history should do.

"History isn't just about famous people," he said. "It's about everyday people and the choices they made."

That philosophy extends beyond his research and into the classroom.

As a first-generation college student, Robles remembers how overwhelming higher education could feel. Simple questions about financial aid, registration or where to find help often seemed difficult because no one in his family had navigated the college system before.

Those experiences continue to shape the way he teaches.

"I always tell my students that life happens," he said. "If something's going on, let me know."

While he maintains high expectations, Robles believes supporting students means more than delivering lectures. It means helping them understand how to navigate college, connecting them with resources, and encouraging them to ask for help when they need it.

"I try to be that little flashlight in a dark room," he said. "College can be confusing, especially if you're the first person in your family to do it."

Rather than solving every problem for students, Robles hopes to provide the same guidance his mentors once gave him.

"We need to help students navigate this process," he said. "Not give them the answers, but help guide them."

Watching students graduate has become one of the most rewarding parts of his career.

"When I see students graduate, I'm always happy for them," he said. "I remember them from class, and I think, 'Good for them.'"

Outside the classroom, music remains an important part of Robles' life. He still plays guitar in his home office and has a particular appreciation for Fender instruments, though his days of playing in punk bands have largely been replaced by archival research, writing, and teaching.

Looking back, Robles sees his own path as a reminder that careers rarely unfold exactly as planned.

"The point isn't that you know exactly where you're going," he said. "The point is the journey is figuring out who you are. When you find your niche, that's where you grow."