Michael studied under Oscar Lewis and Douglas Butterworth at the University of Illinois.
He did his PhD dissertation in the city of Oaxaca, one of the first three (North American) urban anthropologists. Today, Colonia Linda Vista is all built up, but in those days it was barely settled. His book, Somos Gente Humilde, takes up on the poverty analysis of Lewis and Butterworth and shows how they talk about their experience. In his first video, It’s our turn now, the quote, “los machos, esos son los pendejos” is a classic line that sums up the whole thing—class and gender and ethnicity.
Higgins and Cheleen Mehar did a radical thing: they shared a position at the University of Northern Colorado. Michael was always an active, if unaffected parent to his kids, Siobhan and Tristan, both of whom turned into great people. Michael lived frugally and travelled a lot, and because he didn’t hop from university to university, was able to retire at 55. Life is too short, right, Michael?
He wrote Beds, Patios and Streets, with Tanya Coen, a description of the ordinariness of ‘diverse’ people in Oaxaca City. That book, and meeting many of the people in it really taught me a lot about Oaxaca. And parties.
Most recently, although retired, Michael and Angeles worked on an amazing literacy project in the jails of Oaxaca City
As one of the earliest North American urban anthropologists in Oaxaca, Michael continued to produce provocative, timely, and cutting edge works throughout his career and retirement.
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