Cesar Ovando

I am a Ph.D. student in Colonial Latin American History. I focus on the social, political, and cultural dynamics between Indigenous communities, particularly Nahuas and Mayas, and Spaniards during their encounter in sixteenth-century Highland Guatemala. While commonly described as a “conquest,” these events were far more complex. Through an ethnohistorical approach, I seek to reframe this history as an invasion rather than a traditional conquest, challenging triumphalist narratives by foregrounding Indigenous perspectives that have long been marginalized. Of Indigenous heritage myself, I collaborate with highland communities and spaces and engage in projects that foster cultural pride and historical awareness. Born and raised in Los Angeles to Guatemalan immigrant parents, my transnational upbringing shapes how I situate Colonial Guatemala within the wider Atlantic world. By combining these lived experiences with a close study of Indigenous-authored sources—written, pictorial, and oral—I strive to write a New Conquest History of Guatemala, one that centers Indigenous agency, resilience, and historical memory.

Advisors:

Matthew Restall and Martha Few

Research Interests:

Colonial Latin American History, Colonial Highland Guatemala, Conquest/Invasion, Nahua(tl), K’iche’ Maya(n), Kaqchikel Maya(n), Mesoamerican History, Early Modern Global, Early Modern Spain, Just-War, Just-Conquest, Transnational History, Borderlands History, Migration History, Latinx History.