Luis Alonso, native of East L.A., graduates this week with a BA in history. Alonso was the first student to help resume in-person operations at the CSRC after the height of the pandemic. We share his parting words in the Spring Quarter newsletter. The CSRC congratulates Luis and the entire class of 2023! (Artwork: "Family Car with Dog" (1992) by Frank Romero; gift to the CSRC from Leonard Marks.)
Volume 21, Number 3
Director’s Message
This academic year has been one of growth for the Chicano Studies Research Center. Our Faculty Advisory Committee members have been part of twelve successful recruitments of new faculty whose work and/or experiences will contribute to Latinx life at UCLA. These new hires are in the departments of English, chemical and biomolecular engineering, Chicana/o and Central American studies, civil and environmental engineering, ecology and evolutionary biology, gender studies, integrative biology and physiology, psychology, Spanish and Portuguese, social welfare, and statistics. We are thrilled that every one of these recruits has a demonstrated commitment to mentoring Latinx and other first-generation UCLA graduate and undergraduate students. We are planning to build on this success as we prepare for nine additional faculty searches in the upcoming year, including a senior hire in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) who will play a role in further bolstering the success of young and aspiring scholars in these fields. These new faculty hires, along with the pioneering leadership of our existing faculty, move UCLA forward in preparing to become a premier Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
The CSRC has continued to support the scholarship of UCLA faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and students. This quarter the CSRC awarded over $35,000 to six IAC research grant recipients and just over $250,000 to nine Latinx Studies Seed Grant recipients for the 2023-24 academic year. In addition to spearheading the review process for the Latinx Studies Seed Grants program, CSRC associate director Carlos Santos has implemented a postdoc mentoring program that he will continue to lead next year. Thanks to support from donor Tamar Diana Wilson, undergraduate students will contribute to research projects and related media that will be shared this summer.
As part of building the pipeline to college and supporting student research, the CSRC will continue the California Freedom Summer Participatory Action Research Project in partnership with community colleges. This summer, Eder Gaona-Macedo, CSRC senior officer of community-engaged research, and a team of UCLA, community college, and concurrently enrolled high school students will be coordinating survey research in the Central Coast and Coachella Valley–Salton Sea regions. They will also contribute to smaller community-engaged research projects in different parts of the state. Involving a total of seventy-five students, California Freedom Summer will advance academic research on transitions to adulthood among the state’s diverse youth population. In partnership with the Latina Futures, 2050 Lab, we will be examining the extent to which young Latinas are disproportionately providing unpaid (or very low paid) care for extended family members, potentially at the cost of their own education and career trajectories. We anticipate that this research will inform local initiatives that are focused on young people and guide policy efforts that will help young Latinas thrive.
The CSRC library has been a hub of activity this quarter, hosting researchers and student patrons, academic talks, student-focused events, and community college and high school visitors. The library also contributed to ten museum exhibitions. Meanwhile, the CSRC has continued to sponsor and cosponsor a wide range of well-attended research and educational events on and off campus. Since resuming many in-person activities, the CSRC has had a busy academic year, and over the summer we will be deeply engaged in a range of applied research activities and community programming.
I congratulate the class of 2023, and wish you and yours some relaxation and joy this summer!
Veronica Terriquez
Director and Professor
Event
Panel: “Queer L.A.: Past & Present—An Intergenerational Community Dialogue”
Saturday, June 17, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
East Los Angeles Library, 4837 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90022
Join us for the panel “Queer LA: Past & Present” at the East Los Angeles Library. This intergenerational community dialogue will address the challenges and joys of building solidarity across LGBTQIA Latina/o/x/e groups that share similarities but also grapple with key differences. Social justice organizers and founding members of GLLU (Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos) and LU (Lesbianas Unidas) will share their historical knowledge while a younger generation will reflect on their unique contributions and hopes for the future of Latina/o/x/e LGBTQIA communities in Los Angeles. Panelists include Roland Palencia, Amado Muñoz, Elena Popp, Jocelyne Sanchez, and Vanessa Quintero. Stacy Macias, associate professor in the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at California State University, Long Beach and CSRC visiting researcher for the Latina Futures, 2050 Lab project, will moderate the discussion. A related pop-up exhibition will feature materials from the CSRC archive. This event will take place during Queer Mercado, a monthly gathering of vendors who identify as Latina/o and part of the LGBTQ community. Organized by the CSRC, Latina Futures, 2050 Lab, and Roland Palencia, and co-sponsored by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute.
News
Torres-Gil retires
Fernando Torres-Gil, professor of social welfare and public policy, director of the UCLA Center for Policy Research on Aging, and CSRC faculty associate and Faculty Advisory Committee member since 1992-93, will retire from UCLA this spring. Torres-Gil is a pioneering scholar in the areas of health and long-term care, disability, entitlement reform, and the politics of aging, and has served in multiple U.S. presidential administrations. Over the past few decades he has played an important role in advancing the success of Latinx students at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and beyond. The CSRC wishes to thank him for his unparalleled service to the CSRC, UCLA, and the Latino community locally and nationally. We wish him the very best in his retirement.
New report published
Chris Strachwitz, presente!
The CSRC mourns the passing of Chris Strachwitz, filmmaker, record collector, and founder of Arhoolie Records. Strachwitz passed away May 5 at his home in the Bay Area following a long illness. He was ninety-one. In 2001, in partnership with former CSRC director Guillermo Hernandez, Strachwitz established the
Strachwitz Frontera Collection of Mexican and Mexican American Recordings at the UCLA Digital Library, a collection now holding over 125,000 digitized recordings. The CSRC Press published a
companion book to the collection in 2012. Former CSRC director Chon Noriega noted that “Chris was truly a one-of-a-kind person. Without him the archive of American music would not reflect the amazing Spanish-language contributions made throughout the twentieth century.”
Ortiz wins artist fellowship
Raphael Montañez Ortiz, artist, CSRC collections donor, and UCLA Medal recipient, has won a Latinx Artist Fellowship from the
US Latinx Art Forum. The fellowship program recognizes fifteen Latinx visual artists working in the United States with the aim of addressing a systemic lack of support, visibility, and patronage for Latinx visual artists.
Zapata hired as museum curator
Claudia Zapata, UCLA Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow in 2022-23 and a member of the inaugural cohort of fellows selected for the UC Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) initiative at UCLA, has been hired as the first associate curator of Latino art at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas. Zapata will begin their appointment at the institution, which is part of the University of Texas at Austin, in July. The HSI initiative at UCLA is administered in part by the CSRC.
Xican-a.o.x. Body opens
The exhibition
Xican-a.o.x. Body, co-curated by former CSRC visiting researcher Cecilia Fajardo Hill with Marissa Del Toro and Gilbert Vicario, opens June 17 at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture at the Riverside Art Museum.
Xican-a.o.x. Body presents the work of seventy artists who focus on the Brown body
as a site for exploration, expansion, and challenging traditional conceptions of Mexican, Mexican American, and Xicanx experiences. The CSRC lent materials from its archive to the exhibition, which will be on view through January 7, 2024, and then travel. (See
Library, below.)
Salgado publishes article
CSRC supports Chávez Center anniversary event
New on CSRC YouTube
- Dr. Albert M. Camarillo Lecture: Carlos G. Vélez-Ibáñez presents “The Rise of the Necro/Narco Flexible Superstate Network: From Tucson to Tapachula and Their Cultural and Behavioral Consequences” (February 13, 2023) VIDEO IN FOUR PARTS
Carlos G. Vélez-Ibáñez, Regents’ Professor at the School of Transborder Studies and the School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, presented the inaugural Dr. Albert M. Camarillo Lecture at the CSRC. CSRC director Veronica Terriquez and former CSRC director Chon Noriega provided introductory remarks. Noriega also moderated the Q&A. Albert M. Camarillo is the Leon Sloss Jr. Memorial Professor, Emeritus, at the Stanford University Department of History. He continues to contribute to ethnic studies research and is highly active in promoting an ethnic studies curriculum and teacher training at the secondary school level. Camarillo received his PhD in history from UCLA.
2022-23 fellows and visiting scholars reports
Paul Joseph López Oro, associate professor of sociology at Hunter College, was the CSRC’s Institute of American Cultures visiting research scholar for 2022-23. He writes, “During my time as the CSRC IAC visiting research scholar, I was given various opportunities to share my current manuscript project, ‘Indigenous Blackness: The Queer Politics of Self-Making Garifuna New York,’ under contract with Columbia University Press. The manuscript has been submitted and is now under review. In April, I gave a keynote presentation entitled ‘Hemispheric Entanglements of Indigenous Blackness and AfroLatinidad’ at the symposium ‘Afro/Indigenous Perspectives, Race and Racism: Towards a New View of Latin American Studies’ at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. I recently reviewed Kaysha Corinealdi’s Panama in Black: Afro-Caribbean World Making in the Twentieth Century (Duke University Press, 2022) in Black Perspectives, published by the African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS).”
Stacy I. Macias, associate professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at California State University, Long Beach, was a CSRC visiting researcher in 2022-23. She writes, “The winter and spring quarters at the CSRC were a time of anticipation and thrill as I combed through the archival boxes of Laura Esquivel, Elena Popp, and Yolanda Retter Vargas, former CSRC librarian. All three women donated various portions of their archives to the CSRC Library. With the support of Latina Futures, 2050 Lab, I began my research on these “Latina Lesbian Luminaries,” three women who have significantly improved LGBTQ, Latina/o/x, and working-class communities at local, regional, and national levels. I had the privilege of meeting Laura, Elena, and Yolanda in the past, and thus was already aware of their extraordinary contributions. What I was less familiar with was the extent to which their lives intersected. Some of these intersections will be on display in the CSRC Library’s Lesbian Futures exhibit. Along with this exhibit, I have co-organized a culminating research event that includes an intergenerational community dialogue and pop-up exhibit at the East Los Angeles Public Library on Saturday, June 17. The exhibit will include clips from the film UNIDAD: GLLU (2022) as well as historical materials from GLLU and from Lesbianas Unidas (LU), in which Laura, Elena, and Yolanda had key roles. As I wrap this stage of the research, I look forward to accessing Yolanda’s audio-visual materials, some of which she collected in conjunction with a Latina lesbian oral history grant awarded to LU. When I move into the writing stage, I hope to address the complex, full lives of Laura, Elena, and Yolanda, shedding light on these and other Latina Lesbian Luminaries who have been under-regarded, misunderstood, or altogether absented from the annals of history.” (See Event, above.)
Brenda Lara is a doctoral candidate in the UCLA César E. Chávez Department of Chicana/o and Central American studies and a CSRC IUPLR/UIC–Mellon Dissertation Fellow for 2022-23. She writes, “I will graduate this spring. For 2023-24 I have accepted a UC President's Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC Santa Cruz in the departments of literature and critical race and ethnic studies. During the 2022-23 year, I received a UCLA Dissertation Year Fellowship, a Chicana/o and Central American Studies Department Summer Teaching Fellowship, the Point Foundation Opportunity Grant, and the Center for the Study of Women travel grant. My publications and forthcoming works include book reviews in Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies, Camino Real Journal, Monsters and Saints, and Feminist Frontier. I also presented the paper ‘Academic Shadow Beasts and Hauntings’ at the Society for the Study of Gloria Anzaldúa conference and ‘Unveiling Her Ghost, Hearing Her Voice’ at the National Women's Studies Association conference. Additional talks included ‘Ghostly Love in Academia’ at the American Studies Association conference and ‘Haunting Pedagogies’" at the National Women's Studies Association conference.”
Arón Montenegro is a doctoral candidate in the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance and a CSRC IUPLR-Mellon Dissertation Fellow for 2022-23. He writes, “With the support of the CSRC IUPLR fellowship, I was able to complete my dissertation entitled ‘Entre Flor y Fusil: Caribbean and Central American Cultural Memory in the Late and Post-Cold War Era (1968–2020).’ Through the professionalization workshops, I secured a UC President's Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC Irvine in the Department of Criminology, Law, and Society. Professors Albert Laguna (Yale University) and Macarena Gomez-Barris (Brown University) served as amazing mentors in providing a guiding path toward my career in academia. The IUPLR cohort developed from a strong support network of peers to lasting friendships as colleagues. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to learn and share with all those involved in the program.”
Alonso shares parting words
CSRC student worker Luis Alonso will graduate this spring with a bachelor's of arts degree in history. On his last day at the CSRC, he sent the following message: “As I finished my final day at the Chicano Studies Research Center at UCLA, waves of nostalgia and gratitude washed over me. I have seen the center grow and change over these past two years, and it makes me proud to have had a hand in causing such development. I joined the center in September 2021 as a student researcher and front office clerk. I embarked on a journey that deepened my understanding of Chicano culture, fueled my passion for research, and solidified my commitment to social justice. Through my work and interactions with scholars and fellow students, I gained a profound appreciation for the struggles, triumphs, and contributions of the Chicano community. The center served as a vital hub for research, education, and activism, acting as a catalyst for positive change. It provided a platform for marginalized voices, challenged dominant narratives, and shed light on the richness and complexity of Chicano culture. As I bid farewell to the Chicano Studies Research Center, I leave with a heart filled with gratitude and an unwavering commitment to continue uplifting Chicano history and identity. Thank you, director Veronica Terriquez, Rebecca Epstein, César Oyervides-Cisneros, and the entire team at the Chicano Studies Research Center for the transformative experience and for being a part of my journey.”
Library
Flores gives presentation on CSRC library history
On May 2, Xaviera Flores, CSRC librarian and archivist, presented the history of the CSRC Library and its role as an ethnic studies library at UCLA to twenty-three students enrolled in INF STD 289–Seminar: “Special Issues in Information Studies Librarianship.” The class was taught by Professor Thuy Vo Dang and focused on ethnic studies librarianship.
Library hosts prison education program course
During spring quarter the CSRC Library served as a classroom for Gender Studies 185: “Won’t Break My Soul: Trauma and Healing-Informed Advocacy.” The course was created as part of the
UCLA Prison Education Program. Rosie Rios, former student worker at the CSRC Library, is the program’s managing director.
Spring Quarter workshops, talks, and tours
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In partnership with the Department of Labor Studies, the California Labor Commissioner’s office and the California Department of Industrial Relations, the CSRC
hosted three career development workshops focused on application preparation, exam prep, and resume writing for opportunities listed on the
CalCareers website.
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On May 24, the library hosted a
book talk by Sylvia Zamora, professor of sociology at Loyola Marymount University, who presented her book
Racial Baggage: Mexican Immigrants and Race across the Border (Stanford University Press, 2022).
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On May 26, the library welcomed approximately fifty prospective community college transfer students. The visit was organized by the UCLA Center for Community College Partnerships, which provided the students with information on UCLA admissions and financial aid.
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On May 27, the library hosted a
celebration for the library exhibition
Raices, curated by Dulce Stein, independent curator and gallerist at El Camino College Art Gallery. The exhibition was a collaboration with the Oaxaca Cultural Center, Los Angeles.
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On June 1, the CSRC organized and hosted a
book talk by Alicia Gaspar de Alba, professor of English, gender studies, and Chicana/o and Central American studies and former CSRC associate director. Gaspar de Alba presented her new book,
Crimes of the Tongue: Essays and Stories (Arte Público Press, 2022).
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On June 5, the library hosted Samir Sonti, assistant professor at the City University of New York School of Labor and Urban Studies, who presented the
talk “Labor and the Politics of Inflation, Past and Present.”
New collections and additions
During spring quarter, the CSRC was pleased to receive the following donated materials:
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Several linear feet of materials from Mario T. Garcia, distinguished professor of Chicana/o studies and history at UC Santa Barbara, from his writings on Father Luis Olivares.
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A collection of family papers that document Latino life in Los Angeles during World War I, donated by Barbara Barajas.
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Fifteen linear feet of materials from Homeboy Industries to add to the
Homeboy Industries Records, including photographs, posters, awards, artwork, and administrative files from the organization.
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A small donation of books and pictures from Franz Antu (pen name I. A. Croesus) collected by three generations of Chicana/o family members in California and Texas
CSRC Library exhibitions
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April 11–June 6: Dulce Stein, independent curator and gallerist at El Camino College Art Gallery, guest curated the exhibition Raices. Showcasing work by contemporary Oaxacan artists, the exhibition was presented in collaboration with the Centro Cultural Oaxaca, Los Angeles.
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June–July 2023: The exhibition Lesbian Futures will showcase three CSRC archival collections that are currently being researched by scholars for the Latina Futures, 2050 Lab, a joint research project of the CSRC and the Latino Policy and Politics Institute. The highlighted collections are the Yolanda Retter Vargas Papers, the Laura Esquivel Papers, and the Elena Popp Papers.
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July–August 2023: The CSRC Library will feature an exhibition of photography by Erick Zerecero, UCLA doctoral student in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
Exhibitions currently on view with CSRC loans
- Lesbian Futures, East Los Angeles Library, Los Angeles, California, June 17, 2023
- Xican–a.o.x. Body, The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture & Industry, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, California, June 17, 2023–January 7, 2024
- The 1968 Walkouts: Selections from the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Collections, Theodore Roosevelt High School Library, Los Angeles, California, through April 1, 2029
New summer hours
Press
Catalog wins IPPY award
The exhibition catalog
Christina Fernandez: Multiple Exposures, co-published by the CSRC Press and UCR Arts, earned a Bronze Medal in the Photography category from the 2023 Independent Publishers Book Awards (IPPYs). Christina Fernandez is a Los Angeles–based artist who has spent over three decades conducting rich explorations of migration, labor, gender, her Mexican American identity, and the capacities of photography itself. Featuring essays by art historians and scholars of Latinx studies, as well as interviews with the artist, the catalog surveys the development of Fernandez’s work from the late 1980s to 2022, exploring her photography in terms of its social, historical, and art historical contexts. The catalog is available for purchase from University of Washington Press.
CSRC in the News
All “In the News” articles are available in PDF format on the CSRC website.
India Education Diary, May 30, 2023
(PDF)
UCLA Library Film and Television Archive blog,
April, 24, 2023
(PDF)
Art News, April 11, 2023 (
PDF)
UW News, March 31, 2023 (
PDF)
UCLA Newsroom, March 23, 2023 (
PDF)
The UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center acknowledges the Gabrielino/Tongva peoples as the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar (the Los Angeles basin and So. Channel Islands). As a land grant institution, we pay our respects to the Honuukvetam (Ancestors), ‘Ahiihirom (Elders) and ‘Eyoohiinkem (our relatives/relations) past, present and emerging.
