* Over the course of his professional career, Acuña has received Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation research grants; the Distinguished Scholar Award from the National Association of Chicano Studies; the 2006 National Hispanic Hero Award from the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute; the 2007 Labor Strategy Center Award; the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Hispanic Institute; and the 2009 Lifetime Achievement award from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF).
* Black Issues in Higher Education recognized Acuña as one of the “100 Most Influential Educators in the 20th Century,” and LA Weekly once featured him as one of the top 100 “Shakers and Movers” in Los Angeles.
* Acuña has authored or co-authored the following books: