CSRC Newsletter - December 2009
Volume 8, Number 4
Director’s Message
As we near the end of 2009, I would like to thank the many people who have contributed to the CSRC—our staff, students and faculty, and our many individual supporters and community partners. Your commitment makes our mission and achievements possible. In the New Year we will continue to celebrate our 40th Anniversary, largely by advancing our mission through wide-ranging research projects, archival preservation, and public programs. In the first six months of 2010 the CSRC has five books slated for publication and six major symposia planned (on hate speech, health care access, immigration, public school finance, and capacity-building in both the visual arts and film exhibition), and the first large-scale Chicano art exhibition in two decades will conclude its two-year tour of six venues in the United States and Mexico. In addition, we will present an ongoing series of public programs at UCLA and other venues in Los Angeles, and the CSRC will be featured in an exhibition on UCLA’s four ethnic studies research centers that opens at the UCLA Fowler Museum on February 28. We invite you to join the celebration: participate in our public programs, dialogue with us on our future direction, and continue helping us make a difference as we advance knowledge of the Chicano experience.
Chon A. Noriega
Director and Professor
Director and Professor
News
40th Anniversary Facebook Page
Show your support for the UCLA Ethnic Studies Research Centers—become a fan! The 40th Anniversary of Ethnic Studies at UCLA Facebook page features photos and news of recent and upcoming anniversary events. We also invite you to become a fan on the CSRC Facebook page.
Show your support for the UCLA Ethnic Studies Research Centers—become a fan! The 40th Anniversary of Ethnic Studies at UCLA Facebook page features photos and news of recent and upcoming anniversary events. We also invite you to become a fan on the CSRC Facebook page.
Alice McGrath
The CSRC notes with sadness the death of Alice McGrath on November 27; she was 92. Ms. McGrath was the executive secretary of the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee, which lobbied for the release of twelve young Mexican American men who were unjustly convicted for murder in the notorious Sleepy Lagoon trial in 1942. In May 2005 she spoke at “The Sleepy Lagoon Case, Constitutional Rights, and the Struggle for Democracy,” a CSRC conference that brought together scholars and participants in the events surrounding the trial. The conference was a collaboration with UCLA Special Collections, which holds the Alice Greenfield McGrath Papers, and the Fowler Museum; visit the CSRC website to read the press release about the conference and the conference program. Ms. McGrath’s role in the Sleepy Lagoon case was the focus of Zoot Suit, a play by Luis Valdez; the film version was the first Chicano-directed feature in Hollywood. Her obituary is available on the Los Angeles Times website.
The CSRC notes with sadness the death of Alice McGrath on November 27; she was 92. Ms. McGrath was the executive secretary of the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee, which lobbied for the release of twelve young Mexican American men who were unjustly convicted for murder in the notorious Sleepy Lagoon trial in 1942. In May 2005 she spoke at “The Sleepy Lagoon Case, Constitutional Rights, and the Struggle for Democracy,” a CSRC conference that brought together scholars and participants in the events surrounding the trial. The conference was a collaboration with UCLA Special Collections, which holds the Alice Greenfield McGrath Papers, and the Fowler Museum; visit the CSRC website to read the press release about the conference and the conference program. Ms. McGrath’s role in the Sleepy Lagoon case was the focus of Zoot Suit, a play by Luis Valdez; the film version was the first Chicano-directed feature in Hollywood. Her obituary is available on the Los Angeles Times website.
Chancellor’s Reception
On November 10, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block hosted a reception at his residence to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Ethnic Studies at UCLA. Nearly 400 people attended the event, which included remarks by Chancellor Emeritus Charles E. Young and Vice Chancellor Claudia Mitchell-Kernan. John Densmore, drummer for The Doors, closed the program with a poetry reading and a performance of drum music. Read the UCLA Newsroom article and watch the CSRC’s YouTube video.
On November 10, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block hosted a reception at his residence to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Ethnic Studies at UCLA. Nearly 400 people attended the event, which included remarks by Chancellor Emeritus Charles E. Young and Vice Chancellor Claudia Mitchell-Kernan. John Densmore, drummer for The Doors, closed the program with a poetry reading and a performance of drum music. Read the UCLA Newsroom article and watch the CSRC’s YouTube video.
Casa Libre Screening
Casa Libre/Freedom House, directed by Roberto S. Oregel and produced by Peter Schey and Chon A. Noriega, was screened on November 12 at Casa 0101. Casa 0101 is a space dedicated to providing arts, cultural, and educational programs in theater, digital filmmaking, art, and dance to the Boyle Heights community. Casa Libre/Freedom House documents Casa Libre’s efforts to help undocumented and unassisted minors in Los Angeles. The film is volume 7 of the CSRC’s Chicano Cinema and Media Art Series. Click here to view the Casa Libre trailer.
Casa Libre/Freedom House, directed by Roberto S. Oregel and produced by Peter Schey and Chon A. Noriega, was screened on November 12 at Casa 0101. Casa 0101 is a space dedicated to providing arts, cultural, and educational programs in theater, digital filmmaking, art, and dance to the Boyle Heights community. Casa Libre/Freedom House documents Casa Libre’s efforts to help undocumented and unassisted minors in Los Angeles. The film is volume 7 of the CSRC’s Chicano Cinema and Media Art Series. Click here to view the Casa Libre trailer.
PST Presentation
Chon A. Noriega, CSRC director, and Jennifer Flores Sternad, LACE research fellow and former CSRC arts project coordinator, gave a presentation at the California Institute of the Arts on November 2. The presentation, for a course taught by Tom Lawson, Clara Kim, and Stacey Allan, described Chicano art in Los Angeles since the 1960s, focusing in particular on issues related to the Getty Research Center’s Pacific Standard Time initiative. CSRC and LACE are each developing exhibitions and programs as part of the initiative, with support from the Getty Foundation.
Chon A. Noriega, CSRC director, and Jennifer Flores Sternad, LACE research fellow and former CSRC arts project coordinator, gave a presentation at the California Institute of the Arts on November 2. The presentation, for a course taught by Tom Lawson, Clara Kim, and Stacey Allan, described Chicano art in Los Angeles since the 1960s, focusing in particular on issues related to the Getty Research Center’s Pacific Standard Time initiative. CSRC and LACE are each developing exhibitions and programs as part of the initiative, with support from the Getty Foundation.
Publications in the News
Read recent media reports about the release of The State of Latino Los Angeles (CSRC Policy and Issues Brief No. 24) in La Opinión and UCLA Today. In the brief, authors Abel Valenzuela Jr., Kenya A. Covington, and Michael A. Stoll use an equality index to compare the quality of life of Latinos with that of other major racial/ethnic groups in Los Angeles. The study reveals that Latinos face disadvantages in many areas. All CSRC Policy and Issues Briefs are available on the CSRC Press’s website.
Read recent media reports about the release of The State of Latino Los Angeles (CSRC Policy and Issues Brief No. 24) in La Opinión and UCLA Today. In the brief, authors Abel Valenzuela Jr., Kenya A. Covington, and Michael A. Stoll use an equality index to compare the quality of life of Latinos with that of other major racial/ethnic groups in Los Angeles. The study reveals that Latinos face disadvantages in many areas. All CSRC Policy and Issues Briefs are available on the CSRC Press’s website.
Yolanda M. López, volume 2 of the CSRC Press’s A Ver: Revisioning Art History series, was reviewed in the July-August 2009 issue of Colorlines. Author of the book is Karen Mary Davalos, associate professor and chair of Chicana/o studies at Loyola Marymount University. The book may be ordered online from the distributor, University of Minnesota Press.
UCLA Website Features CSRC Scholar
Alvaro Huerta, CSRC visiting scholar and PhD student in city and regional planning at UC Berkeley, was featured in the “Spotlight” section of the UCLA home page in November. Click here for the complete article. Mr. Huerta has authored several publications that have recently appeared in print and online: “The Right to a Great Public Education” (The Sacramento Bee), “Brick by Brick: Ode to My Mexican Mother” (La Gente), and “A Green Immigration: Mexican Gardeners in L.A.” (Los Angeles Business Journal).
Alvaro Huerta, CSRC visiting scholar and PhD student in city and regional planning at UC Berkeley, was featured in the “Spotlight” section of the UCLA home page in November. Click here for the complete article. Mr. Huerta has authored several publications that have recently appeared in print and online: “The Right to a Great Public Education” (The Sacramento Bee), “Brick by Brick: Ode to My Mexican Mother” (La Gente), and “A Green Immigration: Mexican Gardeners in L.A.” (Los Angeles Business Journal).
Events
Haro at Roosevelt High School
Carlos Haro, former CSRC assistant director and a Roosevelt High School graduate, will present a lecture to the Upward Bound Academy at Roosevelt High School on Saturday, December 19, 1:30–3:00 p.m. Upward Bound is an academic college-prep program that aims to prepare high school students for the rigors of undergraduate school through college and career planning sessions. Dr. Haro’s presentation will address the program’s educational objectives.
Noriega to Participate in Museum Panel
Chon A. Noriega, CSRC director, will participate in a panel discussion titled "Museums: Not Just for Tourists” on Tuesday, January 5. The panel, which is being organized by Town Hall Los Angeles in conjunction with the American Association of Museums, will explore the challenge of engaging Los Angeles's multi-ethnic communities in cultural offerings that reflect the Angeleno lifestyle. Other panelists include Ford Bell, president and CEO of the American Association of Museums; Charmaine Jefferson, executive director of the California African American Museum; and Michael Govan, director and CEO of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. For more information, including time and venue, visit the Town Hall Los Angeles website.
CSRC Library and Archive
Finding Aid Launched
The online finding aid for The Diane Rodriguez Collection of Latino Theater Initiative Papers 1968–2005 is now available. The papers relate to Ms. Rodriguez's career with the Center Theatre Group's Latino Theater Initiative as well as her work as an actor and as a leader in the creative community.
The online finding aid for The Diane Rodriguez Collection of Latino Theater Initiative Papers 1968–2005 is now available. The papers relate to Ms. Rodriguez's career with the Center Theatre Group's Latino Theater Initiative as well as her work as an actor and as a leader in the creative community.
Collections in Process
Three archival collections are currently being processed for preservation. The Joane Moore collection contains papers, interviews, and manuscripts that Dr. Moore compiled during her research on crime, drugs, and gangs. Her two books—Homeboy: Gangs, Drugs, and Prison in the Barrios of Los Angeles (Temple University Press, 1979) and Going Down to the Barrio (Temple University Press, 1992)—are widely respected for their insights into Mexican American gangs.
Three archival collections are currently being processed for preservation. The Joane Moore collection contains papers, interviews, and manuscripts that Dr. Moore compiled during her research on crime, drugs, and gangs. Her two books—Homeboy: Gangs, Drugs, and Prison in the Barrios of Los Angeles (Temple University Press, 1979) and Going Down to the Barrio (Temple University Press, 1992)—are widely respected for their insights into Mexican American gangs.
The Vista en LA Archive traces the organizational history of this significant local magazine, which covered popular Latino culture from a Tropicalia perspective.
The Plaza de la Raza Archive contains documents from Plaza de la Raza, the only multidisciplinary cultural arts center serving Latinos in Los Angeles. Plaza provides year-round programs in arts education and fosters the enrichment of all cultures. CSRC is currently working with Yvette Doss to prepare a book on the archive, which will be published as part of the CSRC’s Chicano Archives series.
Change of Address
The CSRC Library’s archival processing facility is expanding—and moving to rooms 186 and 188 Haines Hall. The new space will include a special collections reading area and media facility.
The CSRC Library’s archival processing facility is expanding—and moving to rooms 186 and 188 Haines Hall. The new space will include a special collections reading area and media facility.
CSRC Press
On Press
María Brito, volume 4 of the CSRC’s A Ver: Revisioning Art History series, is on press. Brito, a member of the Miami Generation, is best known for her intricate mixed-media constructions that embody narratives of displacement and loss. Author Juan A. Martínez focuses on the artist’s unique interplay of the personal and the universal, highlighting her as an artist who challenges cultural, social, and artistic barriers. Books will be available for shipment next month through the distributor, University of Minnesota Press. A preview of María Brito, including the table of contents and samples of text and illustrations, is available online.
María Brito, volume 4 of the CSRC’s A Ver: Revisioning Art History series, is on press. Brito, a member of the Miami Generation, is best known for her intricate mixed-media constructions that embody narratives of displacement and loss. Author Juan A. Martínez focuses on the artist’s unique interplay of the personal and the universal, highlighting her as an artist who challenges cultural, social, and artistic barriers. Books will be available for shipment next month through the distributor, University of Minnesota Press. A preview of María Brito, including the table of contents and samples of text and illustrations, is available online.