CSRC Newsletter - April 2020

VOLUME 18,  NUMBER 7

Director’s Message

“!Felicitationes! Congratulations, Chon. I am pleased that your name and mine will be linked in this important way.” . . . I received this email from Alfredo G. de los Santos Jr. last November, shortly after learning that the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education had selected me for the leadership award that is named after him. How could he write this to me? I was the one who should be pleased—in fact, honored! His life had been a model for service to the community through higher education.

Alfredo grew up in the 1930s and early 1940s on the family ranch in rural South Texas. He served in the U.S. Army, becoming a second lieutenant, and began his education at Laredo Junior College, where he was president of the student government and co-editor of the college newspaper. He would later return to start his professional career as a faculty member in the English department and as assistant librarian. Alfredo went on to have a distinguished and multifaceted career as a professor, librarian, dean, vice chancellor, and college president. In becoming the founding president of El Paso Community College, he also became the first Chicano to be named president of a community college in the United States. After Alfredo retired in 1999, he served ten years as a research professor for the Hispanic Research Center at Arizona State University, where he also taught community college administration. Throughout his career, Alfredo made significant contributions to the larger field of higher education, serving on the board of several organizations, including the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the American Association of Community Colleges, the Educational Testing Service, and the American Association for Higher Education.

Alfredo’s kind words surprised me, but his humility did not. It was, indeed, quite familiar—it is the heart and soul of a community-based approach to education access. Learn, advance yourself, and then give back. I received the Alfredo G. de los Santos Jr. Distinguished Leadership Award on March 7. After a long battle with lung cancer, Alfredo passed away on March 8. We never met in person, but it is my honor to have his name now linked to mine as I go forward. ¡Alfredo G. de los Santos Jr., Presente!

Chon A. Noriega

Director and Professor

News

CSRC available remotely

In accordance with Chancellor Gene Block’s directive to suspend most on-campus operations, the CSRC will be closed until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. During this time, CSRC staff will remain available via email (http://www.chicano.ucla.edu/about/staff) and at csrcinfo@chicano.ucla.edu.

Noriega wins award

In March, CSRC director Chon A. Noriega received the Alfredo G. de los Santos Jr. Distinguished Leadership Award, sponsored by the Hispanic Outlook on Higher Education Magazine. He received the award at the annual conference of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE).

Menjívar co-authors op-ed on “social distancing”

Cecilia Menjívar, UCLA professor of sociology and member of the CSRC Faculty Advisory Committee, co-authored an opinion piece for CNN.com. Published March 21 and titled “Don’t Call It Social Distancing,” the piece clarifies a need for physical distancing as a protective measure against spreading COVID-19, not, as the term “social distancing” suggests, a decrease in social interaction. The authors argue that maintaining connections and finding creative and responsible ways to do so is critical for mental health during these times.

Fragosa publishes anthology

Carribean Fragoza, former editor of the UCLA student publication La Gente de Aztlán, co-edited the newly released anthology East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte (Rutgers University Press, 2020). Essays address the history of the El Monte area and community over three centuries. Romeo Guzmán, Alex Sayf Cummings, and Ryan Reft are the other editors of the volume, which includes an essay by Juan Herrera, UCLA professor of geography and CSRC Faculty Advisory Committee member.

New video on CSRC YouTube

  • Conference: Central American Migration to Mexico and the United States (January 30, 2020) This two-day conference shed light on the presence of Central Americans in Mexico and the United States while underscoring Central Americans’ contributions. Among the topics discussed by the presenters were: Central American family formations and their integration into local communities; migrants’ participation in social, economic, and political spheres; and migrants’ tireless efforts as organizers working to create change in their communities. The conference was made possible through a generous gift from Tamar Diana Wilson and was presented by the CSRC, the UCLA Center for the Study of International Migration, the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative, and the UCLA Center for Mexican Studies. It was co-sponsored by the Central American Studies Working Group at UCLA, the Central American Isthmus Graduate Association (CAIGA), and the Unión Centroamericana de UCLA (UNICA). Presentations are in Spanish and English without subtitles.
    • Welcoming Remarks (video) Cecilia Menjívar, UCLA; Leisy Abrego, UCLA; and Charlene Villaseñor Black, UCLA.
    • Panel 1: Central Americans in Mexico and the United States: An Overview (video) Leisy Abrego, UCLA; Nestor Rodriguez, University of Texas, Austin; and Amarela Varela, Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México.
    • Panel 2: Family in Mexico and the United States (video) Carmen Fernández Casanueva, Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social (CIESAS); Floridalma Boj Lopez, California State University, Los Angeles; and Martha Luz Rojas Wiesner, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur.
    • Keynote Address (video) María Dolores París Pombo, Colegio de la Frontera Norte.
    • Panel 3: Political and Economic Integration in Mexico and the United States (video) Juan Herrera, UCLA; Arely Zimmerman, Pomona College; and Rodolfo Casillas R., Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO).
    • Panel 4: Organizations (video) Martha Arévalo, Central American Resource Center (CARECEN); Jose Palma, National TPS Alliance; Representatives from Unión Centroamericana de UCLA (UNICA); and representatives from UCLA Central American Isthmus Graduate Association (CAIGA).

CSRC In the News

"'Let Your Light Shine’—Lupe Anguiano: Lifelong Activist”
CSRC collections donor Lupe Anguiano was featured in this piece in the Ventura County Reporter that celebrated her birthday and life achievements. The CSRC holds the Lupe Anguiano Papers, which contains papers, photographs, printed materials, and ephemera related to Anguiano's personal and professional life. Author Debora Wright drew extensively from this collection to write the biography Uncompromised: The Lupe Anguiano Story.

Ventura County Reporter, March 11, 2020 (URL) (PDF)

“En video: El arte latino independiente brilla en la nueva edición del LA Art Show
The Los Angeles Times highlighted the DIVERSEartLA portion of this year’s LA Art Show, which included an installation by L.A.-based artist Gronk, who was interviewed for the piece. The installation, Pyramids, was co-presented by the CSRC. A YouTube video accompanies the article.

Los Angeles Times, February 7, 2020 (URL) (PDF)

All “In the News” articles are available in PDF format on the CSRC website.

Events

CSRC Information Session: 2020 Freshman Yield
Every Wednesday and Thursday, April 1-30, 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom

Throughout April, newly admitted UCLA Latinx students are invited to participate in online information sessions introducing them to the CSRC. Xaviera Flores, CSRC librarian and archivist, and Michael Aguilar, CSRC community engagement coordinator, will host these sessions via Zoom. Flores and Aguilar will discuss CSRC resources and services and answer questions regarding how the CSRC can best support students during their academic studies. Register via Zoom here.

Online Instruction: CSRC Library 101
Every Thursday, April 9–June 11, 2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom

Join CSRC librarian and archivist Xaviera Flores as she provides instruction to the UCLA community on how to use the CSRC’s online resources. Students who will be taking classes remotely are encouraged to join. Flores will cover a range of topics including navigating the CSRC’s digital archives, accessing online resources, requesting research support, and more. Register via Zoom here.

All CSRC events are free and do not require an RSVP unless otherwise noted. Programs are subject to change. For the most current information, visit the Events page on the CSRC website.

CSRC Library

Library and archive available remotely

In accordance with Chancellor Gene Block’s directive to suspend most on-campus operations, the CSRC Library and its archive will be closed until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. During this time, CSRC library staff will remain available via email, and we look forward to engaging with our community members remotely. For online library instruction, see Events (above).

Flores participates in outreach roundtable

On March 12, CSRC librarian and archivist Xaviera Flores participated in a roundtable session for the UCLA course “Information Studies 480: Introduction to Media Archiving and Preservation,” taught by Shawn Vancour, assistant professor of media archival studies. During the session, which was presented to twenty-one students via Zoom, the roundtable panel discussed strategies and the importance of outreach for various constituencies, collections, communities served, and the archival profession itself. Also participating were Maya Montañez Smukler (manager, UCLA Film and Television Archive Research and Study Center), Matthew Vest (inquiry and research librarian and lead for outreach, UCLA Music Library), John Polito (owner and chief engineer, Audio Mechanics) and Maria Montenegro (former project coordinator for the Sustainable Heritage Network).

Exhibitions with CSRC loans

Off-campus exhibitions that include images and artworks from CSRC collections and publications are currently closed due to the COVID-19 crisis. Our best wishes go out to the curators, museum personnel, and the artists, and we hope the public is able to encounter these works again in the near future. In the meantime, we are reaching out to scholars, students, and curators to highlight aspects of our collections online. Stay tuned!

CSRC Press

New release!

The fourth edition of The Chicano Studies Reader: An Anthology of Aztlán, 1970-2019 has been released. This best-selling anthology of articles from Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies, has been expanded with essays that focus on Chicana/o and Latina/o youth. This section, Generations against Exclusion, joins Decolonizing the Territory, Performing Politics, (Re)Configuring Identities, Remapping the World, and Continuing to Push Boundaries. Introductions by the volume’s editors precede each section and offer analysis and contextualization. The Chicano Studies Reader, now with thirty-nine essays, documents the foundation of Chicano studies, testifies to its broad disciplinary range, and explores its continuing development. It is available from our distributor, University of Washington Press.

Opportunities

Getty Marrow Multicultural Undergraduate Internships

This year the CSRC will host two paid summer internships structured around current and ongoing CSRC projects. In addition to contributing to the CSRC’s mission to provide information resources on Chicano history and culture, the interns will gain career-relevant archival experience. To apply for either internship, please send a resume, cover letter, and one to three professional or educational references to Xaviera Flores, CSRC archivist and librarian, at xflores@chicano.ucla.edu.

Application deadline: Friday, April 24 at 5:00 p.m. For more details about the MUI program, visit the Getty website.

Eligibility
Students must:
  • Be of a group underrepresented in museums and visual arts organizations, including, but not limited to, individuals of African American, Asian, Latino/Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Islander descent;
  • Be currently enrolled undergraduates. Students must have completed at least one semester or two quarters of college by June 2020. Students graduating in May or June 2020 are also eligible. (Students who are enrolled in a second BA or BS program are not eligible.)
  • Reside or attend college in Los Angeles County; and
  • Be a United States citizen or permanent resident.

Terms
The internships are full-time (40 hours/week) positions, each with a stipend of $6,000, for a consecutive ten-week work period between June and August 2020.

Preservation and Research Internship

The internship will introduce an intern to archival principles and theory (10%), processing of art archives and cultural heritage collections (40%), digital preservation (15%), research and description for art objects (25%), and other museum activities that the CSRC staff performs daily to manage and provide access to the center’s art collections (10%). The intern will be working on a project to preserve the Gronk Papers, an extensive collection comprising the artists’ personal and professional papers, including notes and working drafts, collected research, and final products. The purpose of the project is to rehouse the materials more appropriately for their condition and format and to create item-level descriptions that will allow researchers and curators to more easily identify the materials. There will be a digital component in which the intern will contribute to providing access and better descriptions for the materials on the CSRC’s online archival management portals.

Duties may include but are not limited to:
  • Learning archival principles and theory within a museum setting and museum studies principles and theory within an archive setting.
  • Best practices for digital preservation for cultural objects (FADGI).
  • Basic preservation and conservation skills for physical and digital objects.
  • Cataloging rules for describing complex-level objects at the item-level.
  • Researching provenance and writing descriptions for art objects, plus artist statements and historical notes.
  • Learning about museum services such as the CSRC’s registry and tracking workflow for museum projects.
  • Inventorying and rehousing works, preparing artwork for museum loans and pickup; and sales acquisitions.
Curatorial and Exhibitions Internship

The internship will introduce an intern to all aspects of curating an exhibition for an art and cultural heritage organization. These include conceptualizing themes and pursuing research (25%), selecting pieces and meeting with artists (50%), and designing and installing a library-based exhibition (25%). The intern will learn about the day-to-day activities involved in developing an exhibition, including managing workflows, setting policies and procedures, and securing acquisitions and loans. There will also be opportunities to meet with CSRC staff who promote CSRC exhibitions through social media, press releases, and fliers and to learn about the CSRC’s award-winning press, which publishes exhibition catalogs (e.g., Home—So Different, So Appealing and Laura Aguilar: Show and Tell). The intern will assist with this year’s scheduled summer exhibition on the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of the CSRC and the fiftieth anniversary of the National Chicano Moratorium.