Diego Lazcano Avila is a Ph.D. student in the department of Chicana and Chicano studies. He holds a B.A. in Chicana/o studies from UCSB, and A.A.s in Social Behavioral Science and Anthropology from Santa Barbara City College. His research centers around Chicana/o social and political movements, particularly in the Goleta and larger 805 region, as well as MesoAmerican studies and cultural expressions within Chicano/a communities. At the convergence of both is his emphasis on Aztec Dance and its role in both cultural and political empowerment. He is a recipient of the Racial Justice Fellowship and has participated in research with the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center focusing on “Old Spanish Days” in Santa Barbara. At the 2025 American Indian and
Indigenous Collective (AIIC) symposium on Indigenous Futures in Higher Education, Diego presented his work on Aztec Dance titled, “Mexicayotl: Ceremonial Activism and Cultural Empowerment.” His research on local resistance movements titled “From Missions to Manifest Destiny” was accepted at the 2026 National Conference for Chicana and Chicano Studies (NACCS) in San Antonio, Texas. He is also a life-long community organizer and activist, advocating for immigrant rights, Chicanas/os in higher education, and the ‘Ethnic Studies Now!’ campaign, among others.