CSRC Newsletter - Spring Quarter 2025
Volume 23, Number 3
Director’s Message
Angelenos protesting recent immigration raids in the Los Angeles area. Photo illustration by Joe I. Perez/Valencia Marketing Inc. with photography by Veronica Terriquez/UCLA CSRC.
Across the country, residents have been rising to defend immigrant rights, resist cuts to vital federal programs, and demand the restoration of democratic norms. I am inspired by the many people who have taken to the streets in peaceful protest because registering broad public sentiment is vital for producing meaningful change. At the same time, history—including the documentation of the Chicano movement preserved in the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center archives—shows us that holding government accountable also requires sustained, strategic action. This includes applying various forms of social and political pressure on government representatives who endorse policies that cause widespread hardships and deepen inequality. Mutual aid and community care remain paramount, particularly as the services of the nonprofit sector come under question by the federal government. The road ahead will not be easy but as I wrote in a recent message, I remain hopeful.
Higher education plays a role in carving a path forward. While UCLA and the CSRC have been impacted by changes brought about by the federal government, I find it all the more important to recognize the strides we’ve made to ensure that our institution inspires a culture of excellence and belonging. For example, on June 5, UCLA celebrated the inauguration of Dr. Julio Frenk, our first chancellor to publicly identify as a proud Latino. And since 2022, the CSRC and campus partners have helped usher in the hiring of twenty-seven new faculty members and the appointment of thirty postdoctoral scholars whose research, teaching, and/or mentoring experience is relevant to Latina/o/x communities. I’m particularly proud of the growing community of outstanding scholars that the CSRC has been able to convene, including those under the leadership of Osvaldo Gutierrez, our STEM faculty director.
At a time when ethnic studies is under attack, the CSRC Library continues to play a vital role in archiving, preserving, and showcasing the histories of Latina/o/x communities while also serving as a study space for students and a convening site for events. Nationally recognized, the library remains a cornerstone for documenting the activism, scholarship, and lived experiences of our communities—despite the federal funding cuts that have impacted libraries across the nation.
During these difficult times, we benefit from a growing partnership with Athena Jackson, UCLA’s Norman and Armena Powell University Librarian, who is one of only two Latinas leading library systems at R1 universities nationwide. In addition, through the Latina Futures 2050 Lab, our library team has bolstered new archival material related to Latina leaders, artists, and scholars—all now available to the public—that includes documenting the sterilization of Latina women in the 1970s and the fight for women’s civil rights. In highlighting the work of mujeres, we are proud to partner with the Vincent Price Art Museum on the upcoming exhibition On the Side of Angels: Latina Lesbian Activism, which opens June 21 and showcases important contributions to LGBTQ+, immigrant, labor, and housing justice movements. We remain deeply grateful to the Gandara family and the Ahmanson Foundation as we pursue additional funding sources for our library and invite new donations that deepen our research and further expand public engagement.
As we look to the future, the CSRC remains committed to supporting the next generation of researchers and shedding light on youths’ experiences. As part of the Latina Futures 2050 Lab, we have funded over fifty junior scholars conducting research on Latinas, and we have published multiple research reports and hosted events highlighting the experiences of Latinas, youths, and young workers along the Central Coast. This summer, we will conduct an analysis of young people’s civic knowledge, interests, and efficacy that will focus on gender. We have invested in engaging junior scholars—from high school students to assistant professors—in research that not only contributes to academic debates but also informs community-led efforts to uphold our democracy and promote community well-being in California and across the Southwest.
In closing, the CSRC maintains its unwavering commitment to safeguarding our histories and advancing scholarship that informs a more just future. We are fortunate to stand alongside so many of you who are contributing to a greater good during these uncertain times.
Veronica Terriquez
Director and Professor
Opportunity
Call for Editor Applications: Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies
The UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center (CSRC) is seeking individual or coeditor applications for the editorship of Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies. Applicant(s) appointed to this position will succeed current Editor-in-Chief Charlene Villaseñor Black.
Aztlán has been the leading journal in the field of Chicanx studies since 1970. Published twice a year, Aztlán presents original research that is relevant to or informed by the Chicanx/Latinx experience. An interdisciplinary, double-blind peer-reviewed journal, Aztlán focuses on scholarly essays in the humanities, social sciences, and arts. The essays are supplemented by thematic pieces in the Dossier section, an Artist’s Communiqué, book reviews, and a commentary by the journal’s editor. Aztlán seeks to bring Chicanx studies into critical dialogue with a full range of disciplines. In 2024, Aztlán became a copublication of CSRC Press and University of California Press (UC Press).
This appointment is for five years beginning January 1, 2026 and includes a modest stipend. Applicants should send a letter of application including their vision and goals for the journal, a description of their qualifications for the position, a current CV, and a description of any potential institutional support to Rebecca Epstein, PhD, Senior Manager of Research Communications and Special Projects, UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, repstein[at]chicano.ucla.edu.
Applicants are encouraged to submit applications by July 1, 2025, although applications may be considered on an ongoing basis. Applicants who are tenure-track faculty or have a PhD preferred. For more information, visit: https://www.chicano.ucla.edu/about/news/call-editor-applications
Event
Opening reception: On the Side of Angels: Latina Lesbian Activism
Saturday, June 21
4:00–6:00 p.m.
Vincent Price Art Museum, 1301 Avenida César Chávez, Monterey Park, CA 91754
The UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center (CSRC), in collaboration with Vincent Price Art Museum (VPAM) at East Los Angeles College (ELAC), proudly presents On the Side of Angels: Latina Lesbian Activism. This exhibition, which presents selections from the archival collections of prominent Latina lesbians, narrates their involvement in LGBTQ+, immigrant, labor, and housing justice movements from the 1980s through the late 2000s. Materials from the CSRC include photography, posters, magazines, and video footage from the collections of policy and civil rights advocate Laura Esquivel, tenant rights attorney Elena Popp, and archivist, herstorian, and former CSRC librarian Yolanda Retter Vargas. Collectively, this exhibition showcases the complexity of Latina lesbian activism and highlights the critical role of women in advocating for social justice and the broader acceptance of LGBTQ+ communities. On the Side of Angels: Latina Lesbian Activism is organized by the Latina Futures 2050 Lab, a research initiative spearheaded by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, and is on view through August 30, 2025. The exhibition is curated by Vanessa Esperanza Quintero and Jocelyne Sanchez.
All CSRC events are free to the public unless stated otherwise.
News
CSRC assists faculty and staff recruitment efforts
The CSRC continues to play an integral role in recruiting exceptional faculty who have a proven record of teaching, scholarship, and/or mentoring for positions at UCLA. New faculty have accepted appointments in academic departments across North Campus and South Campus, expanding the number of departments that are actively affiliated with the CSRC. On July 1, new faculty will be welcomed to the Departments of Spanish and Portuguese, Family Medicine, Gender Studies, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Chicana/o and Central American Studies, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics. The CSRC is also pleased to welcome the next cohort of UCLA Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellows, who will also arrive July 1: Roger Cadena (political science), Mario Gómez Zamora (anthropology), Emilio Cárdenas (chemistry and biochemistry), Nancy Molina-Rogers (communications), Diana Gamez (Chicana/o and Central American studies), and Isidro González Granados (history).
CSRC events seek to expand education pipeline
This spring the CSRC continued its efforts to expand the education pipeline for students from low-income communities and HSI community colleges by increasing access to UCLA and other institutions that grant bachelor’s degrees. On March 21, CSRC student staff members participated in the MEChA National Conference at College of the Sequoias in Visalia. They led workshop presentations on unlocking the power of youth engagement in our democracy to high school students, community college students, and teachers from across the Southwest. The next day, during the resource fair for the college’s 30th Annual César Chávez Legacy Celebration, they met young people from the Central Valley who share a strong commitment to social justice and civic engagement. On April 12, the CSRC collaborated with Future Leaders of America for the second consecutive year to host a “University Seminar” at UCLA for high school and middle school students from the Central Coast. One hundred students were welcomed by CSRC student staff and student volunteers. Participants learned about financial aid, college admissions, and student life at UCLA.
Thriving Youth research on Central Coast presented
Findings from the Thriving Youth Study continue to be disseminated. In collaboration with the Latina Futures 2050 Lab and Future Leaders of America, the CSRC organized a research symposium in Oxnard on May 3 that focused on the state of Latinas in the Central Coast. Research presented at the event drew on data from the CSRC’s Thriving Youth Study in Oxnard and Northern Santa Barbara County, the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, and emerging research funded by Latina Futures. Local community and government leaders joined the CSRC for an afternoon of learning about issues affecting Latinas. Researchers from the UCLA Labor Center, CSU Channel Islands, and the CSRC shared findings in panel presentations, and CSRC graduate and undergraduate students participated in poster presentations. The event concluded with Monique Limón, California state senator, and Vianey Lopez, Ventura County district supervisor, who shared their reflections on the research findings. Read the press release for the event. Related research reports published by the CSRC are available here.
Yaquilina Aguirrre, left, and Linsey Rodriguez, CSRC undergraduate student researchers and California Freedom Summer alumni, present findings from the Northern Santa Barbara County Thriving Youth Study at the “State of Latinas in the Central Coast” research symposium in Oxnard on May 3.
CFS 2025 to focus on Central Valley youth
This July the CSRC, in partnership with other UCLA IAC ethnic studies research centers, will launch California Freedom Summer (CFS) in the Central Valley. The cohort of nine students participating in this year’s project will be trained to conduct participatory-action research for studies that will present data on attitudes and perspectives on civic engagement held by young people in the Central Valley. Also participating will be members of the student-run organization Central Valley Project @ UCLA. Together, these students will build the capacity of Central Valley communities to contribute to research that can lead to positive change. Further, the researchers will be placed with local grassroots and youth development organizations. These efforts align with UCLA’s strategic plan, which aims to increase and enhance the university’s engagement with the broader community. CFS is generously supported by UCLA Gold Shield Alumnae, the California Endowment, the Stuart Foundation, and individual donors.
Latinx Success Center opens
The UCLA Latinx Success Center (LSC) opened March 31 following the dedicated efforts of the UCLA Hispanic Serving Institution Committee, the UCLA Division of Undergraduate Education, UCLA Student Affairs, and the CSRC. Through cross-campus collaborations, academic resources, and programming, the LSC will enrich students’ experiences at UCLA while supporting efforts toward UCLA becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution. To connect with the Latinx Success Center, please contact the inaugural executive director, Arlene Cano Matute, at acanomatute[at]college.ucla.edu, or visit the center’s website. LSC is located in De Neve Commons, B1 Lounge, and is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
CSRC cosponsors Afro-Latinx culture show
On June 6, the CSRC cosponsored the third annual Afro-Latinx culture show hosted by Afro-Latinx Connection de UCLA, a student organization. Open to the public, over 400 people attended “Raíces y Ritmos,” this year’s celebration of the history, food, music, and dance of the Afro-Latinx community and the African diaspora. The event took place in the Covel Grand Horizon Ballroom and was cosponsored by UCLA Hispanic-Serving Institution office.
Jasmine Aner, copresident of Afro-Latinx Connection de UCLA, and Celia Lacayo, CSRC assistant director, at the third annual Afro-Latinx culture show on June 6.
Camarillo talk on CSRC YouTube
On April 30 in the CSRC Library, Albert M. Camarillo, Stanford University Leon Sloss Jr. Memorial Professor of History, emeritus, presented his memoir, Compton in My Soul: Life in Pursuit of Racial Equity (Stanford University Press, 2024). Camarillo, who received his PhD from UCLA in 1975, is regarded as one of the founding scholars of Chicano studies and the field of Mexican American history. The talk was recorded and is now available for viewing on the CSRC YouTube channel.
Reflecciones now available through UCLA Library
Fifty-six episodes of Reflecciones, a public affairs program that offered Chicana/o/x perspectives as an alternative to network news, are now available for study and research on the UCLA Library Digital Collections platform. Reflecciones was produced for the Los Angeles television station KABC and aired in 1972–74. The master videotapes were duplicated and the copies donated to the CSRC through the efforts of CSRC staff and distinguished professor and former CSRC director Chon Noriega. Support from the John H. Mitchell Television Preservation Endowment allowed the UCLA Film & Television Archive to preserve and digitize the videotapes. These episodes of Reflecciones provide the creators' record of Los Angeles’s Chicana/o/x communities during a pivotal time of social change in Los Angeles. Watch online at digital.library.ucla.edu/reflecciones.
Valle publishes article
While pursuing her doctorate in sociology at UCLA, Ariana Valle, now assistant professor of sociology at UC Davis, received support through the IAC research grant program at the CSRC to conduct data collection in Florida. Based on that research, Valle recently published “Political Bridging and Struggles in Puerto Rican/Latino Solidarity Politics” in The Florida Historical Quarterly. The article examines how a politics of solidarity was forged between Puerto Ricans and Latinos in Orlando during the 2016 election cycle.
Father Richard Estrada, ¡presente!
The CSRC mourns the passing of Father Richard Estrada—a religious figure, community leader, and champion of immigrant rights. Estrada was born Canon Richard Estrada in 1942 and was raised in Los Angeles. In 1978, Estrada was ordained to the priesthood, and César Chávez, who met Estrada during the grape boycotts and remained a close friend, was in attendance. From 1978 until 2014, Estrada served as associate pastor at La Placita (Our Lady Queen of the Angels) in downtown Los Angeles, where sanctuary was provided for Central American refugees. In 1989, he founded Jovenes, Inc., the city’s first shelter for unhoused immigrant youth. In 2014, he moved to the Church of the Epiphany in Lincoln Heights, where he continued in a faith-based leadership role. At the CSRC, the Father Richard Estrada Papers are being processed as part of “Religion, Spirituality, and Faith in Mexican American Social History, 1940–Present,” a CSRC archival project funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The collection will be available to the public this summer. Father Richard Estrada, ¡presente!
Reflections from graduating CSRC student researchers
Kennedy McIntyre
“This spring, I will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Development Studies and a minor in Community Engagement and Social Change. I have been an undergraduate research assistant at the Chicano Studies Research Center (CSRC) for the past three years. I had the joy of starting my time with the center as a California Freedom Summer participant, where I took my first steps into organizing through my work on Sacramento’s 2022 Measure L campaign, which established $10 million of funding for the city’s children and youth. After my time in California Freedom Summer, I joined the CSRC as an undergraduate research assistant. There I published, as sole author, a paper about the work it took the city of Sacramento to enact its children’s fund. I also had the pleasure of speaking at several conferences about my experiences in California Freedom Summer and working on a campaign.
One of the biggest things I have learned at the CSRC is that meaningful change is possible when research, community voices, and advocacy come together. At the center, I saw firsthand how research rooted in justice can support grassroots efforts, inform policy, and lift calls for equity. Working alongside organizers and researchers has taught me that change is not just about ideas; it is about listening to the needs of a community, supporting these needs with research and data, and staying persistent while we work to change unjust systems.
The center has given me incredible opportunities to grow as a researcher, an organizer, and a professional. In the fall, I will be starting as a California Senate Fellow, where I will work as part of the public policy staff of a California state senator in the state capitol. As I prepare to leave the center, it is with a grateful heart to all of the memories, opportunities, and amazing people that have made my journey what it has been. Thank you, Dr. Veronica Terriquez, Dr. Chantiri Abarca, and the entire CSRC team for the joy, love, and care you have poured into my UCLA journey."
Desiree Rodriguez
"As my time at the Chicano Studies Research Center comes to an end, I am saddened yet so thankful for the memories and friends I made along the way. Over the past two years I have seen the center evolve, and with it, so did I.
Joining the CSRC in September of 2023 as a student researcher marked the beginning of a significant journey for me. The experience has deepened my love and appreciation of the Chicano culture and makes me feel blessed to be a part of a mission that values our people’s success.
Here at the center I have coauthored three reports that focus on my hometown, and developed practical skills in data entry and analysis. Coming from the city of Coachella, and a largely farming and Hispanic community, has shaped me into who I am and what I want to focus on in my own research. As a graduate of Coachella Valley High School and the College of the Desert, I feel incredibly lucky to have found my place here at the CSRC.
Thank you to Dr. Terriquez, who saw the potential in this transfer student—this opportunity has been transformative and given me the skills to continue being successful as I move forward. Thank you, Dr. Lacayo, Dr. Chantiri, Victoria, Maggie, Gaby, and the rest of the CSRC team for providing a safe environment for students to learn and thrive in.
Post-graduation I will be focusing on preparing graduate applications for programs offering a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs. NYU is my top choice."
The CSRC is grateful to the California Endowment, the Stuart Foundation, the San Francisco Foundation, the Diane Tamar Wilson Fund, and the Latina Futures Lab for their continued support of young researchers conducting applied research.
Library
Flores presents at WonderCon
In March, CSRC librarian and archivist Xaviera Flores participated in the panel “Hip-Hop and Comics: Cultures Combining” at the annual WonderCon convention in Anaheim. Flores discussed the history of Latinx comics and visual literature in relation to West Coast hip-hop culture and the Chicano and larger civil rights movements of the 1960s. In addition, she presented on the panel “Pop Culture on Display! Comics in Museums,” discussing her experience as an archivist stewarding comic and visual literature collections, supporting the selection and curation of materials for exhibitions, and executing the process of loaning comics to museums and galleries.
Flores presents on Homosaurus at LASA
On May 26 at the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) annual conference in San Francisco, Flores shared the CSRC’s efforts at employing the vocabulary of Homosaurus, an international language thesaurus of LGBTQ+ terms and vocabulary, for CSRC collections. Participating on the panel “Building the Spanish Homosaurus: Enabling and Enhancing Spanish-language Access to LGBTQ+ Resources in Libraries, Archives, and Museums,” Flores presented alongside colleagues at institutions partnering on the Homosaurus Project, including University of Washington, Northeastern University, and San Francisco Public Library.
Classes visit library for archival instruction
The CSRC Library welcomed two classes for archival instruction during spring quarter. On May 7, fifty students in CCAS 157: “Chicano Movement and Its Political Legacies,” taught by Virginia Espino, visited the library. On May 12, archival instruction was provided to twenty-five students in IS 281: “Historical Research Methods,” taught by Shawn VanCour.
Exhibitions on view with CSRC loans
The following exhibitions currently on view include images and artworks from CSRC collections and publications:
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On the Side of Angels: Latina Lesbian Activism, Vincent Price Art Museum, Monterey Park, CA (June 21–August 30, 2025)
CSRC Library summer hours: General library, archives, and research services are available by appointment only. To schedule a research consultation, please CLICK HERE. For all other inquiries and support, please email librarian@chicano.UCLA.edu or visit our research guide at https://guides.library.ucla.edu/csrc. UCLA Students can also seek reference assistance on the UCLA Slack Channel #csrc-library-reference-help.
Press
Press publications win IPPYs
On May 28, two publications from CSRC Press were announced as winners of 2025 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPYs). Amalia Mesa-Bains: Rituals of Memory, Migration, and Cultural Space, by Tomás Ybarra-Frausto, won a gold medal in the Biography category. In addition, “There Are No Hispanic Stars!” Collected Writings of a Latino Film Critic in Hollywood, 1921–1939, edited and translated by Colin Gunckel and Laura Isabel Serna, earned a bronze medal in the Popular Culture category. Established in 1966, the IPPYs are an international award program created to recognize exceptional publications by independent, university, and self-published authors.
New issue of Aztlán
Aztlán’s Spring 2025 issue features essays on the systematic removal of Brown people of Indigenous ancestry and heritage from the United States, gay heartbreak narratives in the HBO series Looking and the music of Omar Apollo, and the role of the robe worn by boxing champion Carlos “El Famoso” Hernández in drawing attention to the historical narratives of El Salvador and Central America. In the Dossier section, co-curators Marissa Del Toro and Cecilia Fajardo-Hill bring together essays on Latin American and Latinx artists who challenge gendered constructs and cultural expectations through their exploration of the imaginary body. The work of Chicana artist Linda Vallejo is the subject of the Editor’s Commentary, and the mixed-media work of Neo Bustamante appears on the cover and in Artist’s Communiqué.
CSRC In the News
Daily Kos, June 8, 2025
Daily Bruin, June 3, 2025
UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, May 23, 2025
UC Santa Cruz News, May 20, 2025
Glasstire, May 17, 2025
UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, April 10, 2025
Los Angeles Daily News, April 1, 2025
Amigos 805, March 31, 2025
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.