CSRC Newsletter - December 2008

Volume 7, Number 3

Director's Message

As we prepare to give thanks next week, and as we begin looking ahead to 2009, I am reminded of a saying, reputed to be Chinese in origin: “May you live in interesting times.” Considered a curse, the phrase appears to have had some currency during the Great Depression and the years leading up to World War II, and in 1966 it was included in a speech given by Robert F. Kennedy in Cape Town, South Africa. The mid-1930s and mid-1960s were interesting times indeed, times in which we met profound crises with a concerted effort to reform and rebuild our societal institutions and public infrastructure. We were told we had nothing to fear but fear itself, and we were inspired to ask not what our country could do for us, but what we could do for our country. We are again in such a moment. As Kennedy noted, “Like it or not we live in interesting times.” Given what such times can inspire, we are by no means cursed; rather, we have much for which to give thanks and even more to do in the year and years ahead. May you all live in interesting times. Happy Holidays.
 
Chon A. Noriega
Director and Professor
 

News

Busy Fall for Public Programming
This fall the CSRC sponsored or co-sponsored more than twenty well-attended and well-received on- and off-campus events. Some of November’s highlights are listed below.
 
Casa Libre/Freedom House Screenings
The CSRC documentary Casa Libre/Freedom House was screened on November 13 during the California Wellness Foundation’s 2008 conference on transition-age youth (TAY) at the Sheraton Hotel–Downtown Los Angeles. Filmmaker Roberto S. Oregel and CSRC Assistant Director Javier Iribarren introduced the film and participated in a Q&A session with working professionals from agencies that provide services for runaway and homeless youth and youth who are exiting or have recently exited foster care.
 
Casa Libre/Freedom House was screened at the seventh annual Boston Latino International Film Festival (BLIFF) on October 9. BLIFF presents the latest Latino-produced films that are relevant to the social issues that are of concern to Latino communities in the United States and Latin America. This year about 7,000 people attended the festival. The CSRC also presented an on-campus screening of the film, followed by a discussion with the filmmaker, at the CSRC Library on November 20.
 
The CSRC is offering copies of this important documentary for free through the CSRC online store (shipping costs apply). The documentary is the result of a partnership between CSRC and the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law (CHRCL), which runs the Casa Libre shelter for undocumented minors. Funding for the film was provided by the UCLA Center for Community Partnerships (CCP). The documentary is now listed on IMDB.
 
Guest Lectures
The CSRC sponsored two guest lectures on Chicano and Latino art in Professor Eric Avila’s survey course on Chicano history and culture. Nearly 350 students attended the lectures. Gronk, renowned L.A. artist (and donor to the CSRC Archive and Library), discussed his extensive and wide-ranging work on November 18. On November 20, Armando Durón, a prominent Chicano art collector and past board president of Self-Help Graphics & Art, discussed the state of art in Los Angeles and the recent history of Self-Help Graphics. He was joined by Professor Judy Baca, founder and artistic director of the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC). Colin Gunckel, CSRC arts project coordinator, organized both lectures and led a Q&A session with each speaker. The CSRC Press has published two books that are related to these lectures: Self-Help Graphics & Art: Art in the Heart of Los Angeles and Gronk.
 

Events

Winter quarter promises to be an exciting time for the CSRC. Check the CSRC website for news about upcoming events, which will include a book signing and panel related to media coverage of the immigrant experience, plus panel presentations and screenings of interest to the campus and the greater Los Angeles community. The CSRC will keep you posted via E-announcements and newsletters.
 

CSRC Library and Archive

Candelario J. Mendoza Honored
A memorial service was held at the First Baptist Church in Pomona to celebrate the life of educator, DJ, and dance hall emcee Candelario Mendoza. Lizette Guerra, CSRC archivist and acting librarian, presented Mrs. Alicia Mendoza with a letter of condolence and recognition of Mr. Mendoza’s career and his generous donation to the CSRC Archive. Mr. Mendoza gave over two thousand 78, 45, and 33 rpm records to the archive in 2007. This collection, which documents the development of Chicano music, language, and culture in greater Los Angeles following World War II, is a valuable resource for students, faculty, and independent researchers interested in exploring this pivotal period in Chicano history. The Candelario J. Mendoza Music Collection represents an important aspect of Mr. Mendoza’s influential life and career. To schedule an appointment to view the collection, contact the librarian at lguerra@chicano.ucla.edu.
 
New Resources
During December the CSRC Library will release two new videos: Mendez v. Westminster School District: Paving the Path for School Desegregation and Brown v. Board of Education; and Cyclona: Death Becomes Life +, a new CSRC-produced documentary about Robert Legorreta’s latest costume creations for Cyclona, his performance persona.
Newly published finding aids are now available through the Online Archive of California for five CSRC collections: the Richard Griswold del Castillo Papers, the Ruben Guevara Records and Papers, the Grace Montañez Davis Papers, the Francesco X. Siqueiros Papers, and the Latino Theater Initiative / Center Theatre Group Papers.
 

CSRC Press

Aztlán Anthology Now in Second Printing
I Am Aztlán: The Personal Essay in Chicano Studies explores the use of first-person narrative in essays by Chicano and Latino writers whose interests encompass literature, history, visual and performing arts, and social sciences. The authors reflect on how their lives intersect with Chicano history and how their identities shape, and are shaped by, the Chicano experience. These groundbreaking autobiographical essays first appeared in Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies between 1997 and 2003. I Am Aztlán, edited by Chon A. Noriega and Wendy Belcher, offers scholars and students historical and cultural insights into the role of personal experience and self-expression in Chicano studies. To order, visit the CSRC online store. For information about desk copies and discounts for course adoption, contact support@chicano.ucla.edu.
 

Contacts

UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center • 193 Haines Hall • Box 951544 • Los Angeles, CA 90095-1544 Campus Mail Code: 154403 • Tel: (310) 825-2363 • Fax: (310) 206-1784
 

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