Josefina Zoraida Vazquez and Vera. She was born in Mexico City in 1932. She completed a master's degree in Universal History at the UNAM Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, where she also completed a doctorate in History. She has a doctorate in American History from the Central University of Madrid, and a post-doctorate in United States History from Harvard University. She is a researcher at El Colegio de México and has taught at UNAM, the Universidad Iberoamericana and various universities in the United States and Europe. She is Professor Emeritus of El Colegio de México and of the National System of Researchers.

Her research has focused on the history of education and the political and diplomatic history of Mexico in the 19th century. Among her works stand out Nationalism and Education in Mexico, History of Historiography, Mexico versus the United States. The Foundation of the Mexican State, A History of Mexico, The teaching of History, The North American intervention in Mexico, 1846-1848, The Establishment of Federalism in Mexico, 1812-1827. She is also the author and coordinator of various textbooks, including Social Sciences, History of Mexico, and History.

She was president of the Mexican Committee of Historical Sciences. She is a Number Member of the Mexican Academy of History; she corresponding member of the Royal Academy of History; she belongs to the American Historical Association. She was elected to the Tinker Chair at The University of Texas, Austin; She is a Full Member of the Mexican Academy of History and Philosophy of Medicine. She was director of the History course at the Universidad Iberoamericana. She director of the Center for Historical Studies of El Colegio de México. She is a member of the Editorial Board of the History of Latin America of UNESCO. She is a member of the Consultative Council of Sciences of the Presidency of the Republic.

She received the Andrés Bello Award from the OAS and the National Award for Sciences and Arts. She has received prestigious scholarships such as Rockefeller, Guggenheim, Fulbright, and the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford. Distinction from the Government of Spain with the Commendation of the Order of Civil Merit. INAH Antonio García Cubas Award. National Researcher of Excellence, SNI.

She has published 26 chapters in collective books, 139 articles in prominent publications such as Mexican History, History Yearbook, American Notebooks, Jahrbuch für Geschichte von Staat, Memoirs of the Mexican Academy of History, Magazine of the University of Mexico.