Media Advisory: 3:30-5 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 21
The genesis, legacy, future
of Chicano Studies
Cal State L.A. panel celebrates pioneering program’s 40th anniversary
What: Cal State L.A. experts offer Chicano(a) perspectives on health, history, women’s movement, education and more.
When: Tuesday, Oct. 21, 3:30-5 p.m.
Where: University Club, on the Cal State L.A. campus.
Info: For directions, go to /univ/maps/. For details on the seminar, call 323-343-3798.
Los Angeles, CA -- The Department of Chicano Studies at California State University, Los Angeles—recognized as the nation’s first Chicano Studies department—launches its 40th anniversary celebration in a symposium titled “Chicano(a) Studies and the Chicano(a) Struggle: Where Have We Been, and Where Are We Going?” on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 3:30-5 p.m., at the University Club on the Cal State L.A. campus.
The speakers on the panel include CSULA professors Bianca Guzmán, Francisco Balderrama, Dionne Espinoza, and Valerie Talavera-Bustillos, along with the department’s chair, Michael Soldatenko. Espinoza will survey the impact of the women’s movement in Chicano studies. Guzmán specializes in health promotion and will delve into Chicano(a) psychology and mental health. Balderrama, a historian who has written about unconstitutional deportations, will explore new directions of Chicano(a) history. Talavera-Bustillos will discuss current Chicano(a) concerns with “leaks” in the educational pipeline. Soldatenko will look at the intersection of Latino(a) and Chicano(a) studies.
The Department of Chicano Studies at Cal State L.A. was founded in fall 1968, following campus protest by students in the United Mexican American Students (UMAS) organization. A few courses were offered in the beginning under the formerly named “Mexican American Studies” program. An M.A. in Mexican American Studies was later approved.
According to Soldatenko, “In addition to its academic programs, the department helped to establish a community presence early on as CSULA students were members of the East Los Angeles Chicano Movement, specifically helping to organize the high school walkouts in March 1968.”
Soldatenko adds, “Among those involved in the East L.A. ‘Blowouts of 1968’ was Carlos Muñoz Jr., a CSULA alum. An early chapter of Comisión Femenil Mexicana was also founded at Cal State L.A. in 1970. In 1969, the United Mexican American Studies became El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA) in accordance with El Plan de Santa Barbara’s call for a more unified student movement.”
Today, the Chicano Studies department at Cal State L.A. offers a major with four options, three minors, and an M.A. program. Many of its alumni often pursue graduate or doctoral degrees, while others become educators, professionals and organizers in the Los Angeles community.
The symposium is part of the Research Seminars at ORAD Café series, sponsored by the Office of Research Advancement and Development at Cal State L.A. For more information on the symposium, call (323) 343-3798.
Here are some links to reference:
Department of Chicano Studies at Cal State L.A.: /
Hispanic Outlook “Top 100”: /univ/ppa/newsrel/tophisp2008.htm
Diverse “Top 100”: /univ/ppa/newsrel/topblack2008.htm
Cal State L.A. Facts for Fall Quarter 2007: http://ir.calstatela.edu/ir/factsheets/Fact41.pdf
Office of Research Advancement and Development at Cal State L.A.: /academic/aa/orad/
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