Chicano/Latino/Mexican Studies

Convenor: Mario T. Garcia, History and Chicano Studies,
at ext. 2471 or 4074 or e-mail garcia@ihc.ucsb.edu

This year the faculty, Fellows, and graduate students who have actively participated in our activities include the following:

Prof. Maria Herrera-Sobek, Chicano Studies
Prof. Gerardo Aldana, Chicano Studies
Prof. Kathleen Bruhn, Political Science
Prof. Carlos Morton, Dramatic Arts
Prof. Ellen McCracken, Spanish & Portuguese
Prof. Jonathan Inda, Chicano Studies
Prof. Guisela Latorre, Chicano Studies
Prof. Luis Leal, Chicano Studies
Prof. Mario Garcia, History and Chicano Studies
Antonia Garcia-Orozco, Dissertation Fellow, Dept. of Chicano Studies
Paloma Martinez-Cruz, Dissertation Fellow, Dept. of Chicano Studies
Rita Urquijo-Ruiz, Dissertation Fellow, Dept. of Chicano Studies
Prof. Victor Valle, Visiting Scholar for Research, Center for Chicano Studies
Prof. Michelle Habell-Pallan, Rockefeller Fellow, Center for Chicano Studies
Prof. Otto Santa Ana, Rockefeller Fellow, Center for Chicano Studies
Oscar Fierros, History
Melinda Gandara, Art History
Kris Donovan, Art History Socorro Castaneda, Sociology

This year we sponsored or co-sponsored the following activities:

Oct. 23-General Meeting of Focus Group to discuss the year's activities.

Oct. 31-informal seminar by Prof. Gerardo Aldana, Chicano Studies, on "Geneologies of Knowledge and Material Culture. Prof. Aldana presented aspects of his research on the Mayas in Mexico and Central America and what the archeology of material artifacts have to say about the culture and ideology of this ancient civilization.

Nov. 5-presentation by Prof. David Ayon of Loyola Marymount University on "The Fox Administration in Mexico" with a comment by Prof. Kate Bruhn, Political Science, UCSB. Prof. Ayon analyzed the two-year administration of President Vicente Fox in Mexico and pointed out the failures despite the appearances of a reform administration.

Nov. 21-informal seminar by Prof. Victor Valle, Visiting Research Scholar, Center for Chicano Studies on "Interpreting the FBI Report as a Cultural Text: A Methodological and Theoretical Discussion." This presentation was based on Prof. Valle's book project on the City of Industry in the L.A. area and how he is interpreting FBI reports on industrial fraud and corruption from a cultural and theoretical perspective.

Jan. 14-informal seminar by Prof. Guisela Latorre, Chicano Studies, on "Yemaya: Afro Indigenist Aesthetics in Maestrapeace." This presentation by art historian Prof. Latorre concerned her analysis of Latina and feminist murals in the Mission District of San Francisco.

Jan. 17--co-sponsored with LAIS the symposium "Frida: The Film-An Interdisciplinary Discussion of the Art and Life of Frida Kahlo." This panel analyzed the recent film "Frida" and its relationship to history, art, literature, and film. The Interdisciplinary panel consisted of Prof. Victor Fuentes, Spanish and Film Studies, Prof. Guisela Latorre, Chicano Studies, Prof. Luis Leal, Chicano Studies, Prof. Ellen McCracken, Spanish and LAIS. The presentations were in both English and Spanish with English translation.

Jan. 18---informal seminar by Prof. Maria Herrera-Sobek on “Deconstruction Loving Pedro Infante: Memory, Film, and Patriarchal Ideology in Denise Chavez’s Novel.” Prof. Herrera-Sobek provided her analysis of Denise Chavez’s latest novel focused on the Mexican screen idol of the 1940s and 1950s---Pedro Infante.

Jan. 28---informal seminar by Paloma Martinez-Cruz, Dissertation Fellow, Dept. of Chicano Studies on “Aluci.Netion: Spiritual Capital in the Sierra Mazateca.” Martinez-Cruz presented some of her dissertation research concerning the role of the shamans n the Mexican society.

Feb. 14---co-sponsored with LAIS the symposium “Graciela Limon: Zapatistas, Literature, and the Chicano Experience---an Interdisciplinary Panel and Book Signing.” This panel analyzed the recent novel by Graciela Limon about the Zapatista movement in Mexico especially the role of female Zapatistas. The interdisciplinary panel included Prof. Kate Bruhn, Political Science, Prof. Ellen McCracken, Spanish and LAIS, and Prof. John Foran, Sociology as well as Graciela Limon.

March 4---informal seminar by Antonia Garcia-Orozco, Dissertation Fellow, Dept. of Chicano Studies, on “El Estilo Bravo de Lucha Reyes.” This presentation focused on the particular musical style of the famous and controversial Meican singer Lucha Reyes.

May 13---informal seminar by Prof. Otto Santa Ana, Rockefeller Fellow, Center for Chicano Studies, on his recent book Brown Tide Rising: Metaphors of Latinos in Contemporary American Public Discourse. Prof. Santa Ana discussed some of the salient points of his recent book that examines the media discourse surrounding the anti-immigrant movement in California during the 1900s.

May 20---informal seminar by Rita Urquizo-Ruiz, Dissertation Fellow, Dept. of Chicano Studies, on “The Pachuco Image in Mexican and Chicano Culture.” This presentation focused on the image of the so-called “pachuco” or Chicano barrio youth culture of the 1940s and 1950s.

May21---co-sponsored with LAIS and Catholic Studies the presentation by Demetria Martinez on “Religion, Gender, and Ethnic Identity in Fiction and Poetry.” This was a discussion and reading by the noted novelist, poet, and journalist Demetria Martinez.

May 28---co-sponsored with LAIS and Catholic Studies the presentation by Prof. Mario Garcia on “Presente! Fr. Luis Olivares and the Sanctuary Movement in Los Angeles during the 1980s: A Study in Faith, Ethnic Identity, and Ecumenism.” Prof. Garcia presented some of his on-going research on his biography of Fr. Luis Olivares, a leading figure in the sanctuary movement in Los Angeles.

May 29-co-sponsored with LAIS "Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros: A Symposium." This panel addressed the new and highly praised novel by Sandra Cisneros. The interdisciplinary panel included Prof. Ellen McCracken of Spanish and LAIS and graduate students: Lisa Swanstrom of Comparative Literature and Ricardo Vivancos Perez of Spanish and Portuguese.

June 2-informal seminar by Prof. Michelle Habell-Pallan, Rockefeller Fellow, Center for Chicano Studies, on her recent co-edited book LatinaJo Popular Culture. Prof. Habell-Pallan discussed some of the key themes of her co-edited book on Latino popular culture.