Presented by the IHC Catholic Studies Research Focus Group and Chicano/Latino/Mexicano Studies Research Focus Group Wed, May 28 / Noon / Free McCune Conference Room / 6020 Humanities and Social Sciences Building This talk will examine the sanctuary movement in the 1980s that focused on the sheltering and support for Central American refugees fleeing civil wars and political persecution in countries such as El Salvador and Guatemala. In Los Angeles, that effort was led by Fr. Luis Olivares who transformed La Placita Church in downtown Los Angeles into the largest and most important sanctuary effort during this time. Besides the acceptance of the Central American refugees, La Placita further extended the meaning of sanctuary to include undocumented Mexican immigrants. Based on Prof. Garcia's biography in progress on Fr. Olivares, this lecture will analyze key factors in the success of this social movement. This includes it's faith-based character, the construction of a pan-Latino identity, and the mobilization of a religious ecumenical support movement. Mario T. Garcia is Professor of History and Chicano Studies at UCSB. He is the author of several books in Chicano history. These include Desert Immigrants: The Mexicans of El Paso, 1880-1920; Mexican Americans: Leadership, Ideology & Identity, 1930-1960; Memories of Chicano History: The Life and Narrative of Bert Corona; The Making of a Mexican American Mayor: Raymond L. Telles of El Paso; co-authored Migrant Daughter: Coming of Age as a Mexican American Woman; and Luis Leal: An Auto/Biography. Several of his books have won the Southwest Book Award. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1992. He won a Faculty Teaching Award at UCSB in 2002. This event is cosponsored by the IHC Catholic Studies Research Focus Group, IHC Chicano/Latino/Mexicano Studies Research Focus Group, and the Latin American & Iberian Studies Program. Top of Page <<Back