This historic musical event marks the first time that CMAS and the Performing Arts Center (PAC) have collaborated together to feature artists who best represent the Texas Mexican orquesta music of La Onda Chicana. The “Brown Soul” sounds of Ruben Ramos, Little Joe, and Sunny Ozuna promise an exciting evening of music. These Grammy award-winning artists have long been popular within Tejano music, synthesizing the artistry and virtuosity of the orquesta with the soulful roots of the polka-ranchera.

Tickets: www.utpac.org or 512-477-6060. Also available at Bass Concert Hall, Hogg Auditorium, Erwin Center, Central Market & HEB Stores, & all Texas Box Office outlets. Hosted by Carlos Guzman in support of the Américo Paredes Endowment Fund.

After the concert the festivities wil continue with a PACHANGA, hosted by CMAS and the ArtesAméricas Program. It will take place in the PAC’s Mirror Room located directly behind the Bass Concert Hall. The cost of the Pachanga package is $100 and will include:

• One VIP ticket to the performance (front row seating) • VIP Parking • Entrance to the Post-Performance Pachanga • Meet and greet with the artists

A scholarly symposium will take place prior to the concert. For more information about these events, please contact Dolores García at 512-471-4557 or via email at doloresg@mail.utexas.edu.

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Center for Mexican American Studies • Fall 2005COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS • UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTINCMAS SCMA

Ruben Ramos

Little Joe

Sunny Ozuna

In commemoration of their 35th anniversary, The Center for Mexican American Studies at The University of Texas at Austin is throwing a party- Tejano style! CMAS and the UT Performing Arts Center’s ArtesAméricas program presents Los Grandes de la Musica Tejana at 8:00 p.m. on Satur-day, Aprill 22, 2006, featuring the legends of Tejano music: Ruben Ramos, Little Joe Hernández, and Sunny Ozuna.

La Villita in Alice, Texas; the Coliseum in Corpus; El Camaroncito in San Antonio; and Tejano Ranch in Austin. Beginning in the early ‘ sixties, did I do some dancing at these dance venues and others! Wrote a book about it. Polka dancing to a new sound. Not classical conjunto, nor the smooth music of the older orquesta tradition such as the legendary Beto Villa, both always welcome. This new music/dance with orquesta ensemble but hard driving polka music (with boleros for the amorous moments) was new and best represented by los gigantes de ese momento: Little Joe, Sunny Ozuna and Ruben Ramos. In conjunction with a Mexican-American social, cultural and political ascendancy, these musicians were not merely acompaniamiento, but a central part of this expansion.

The CMAS newsletter always offers much to learn and enjoy, but I call your attention to our forthcoming concert featuring these marvelous musicians. We offer a new venture for CMAS, the brainchild of our public programs coordinator, Dolores García. We anticipate and welcome your support. It’s is a win-win-win: an acknowledgement of these great musicians; the sup-port of CMAS students and the future of our people; and, a great evening of entertainment and community.

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CMAS Ice Cream Social Thursday, September 1, 2005

Faculty, students, and community members welcomed the new academic year, meeting each other and renewing old friendships, over a cup of their favorite ice cream sundae or fruit sorbet. CMAS books were distributed and and music was provided by Conjunto Aztlan. The CMAS Ice Cream social was sponsored by the Center for Mexican American Studies of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin.

Conjunto Aztlan. Photo by Itzel Suarez.

CMAS Bienvenida & The University Serie XII Art ExhibitionThis exhibition runs from September 12 - November 30, 2005

This exhibition is the twelfth installment of the Serie Print Project, administered by Coronado Studio and the Serie Project, Inc. a non-profit Latino arts organziation in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1993 by Sam Coronado, the project produces, promotes, and exhibits serigraph prints created by both established and emerging artists. Its mission is to make fine art available to the wider community by producing affordable serigraph prints. The reception and university exhibit was sponsored by the Center for Mexican American Studies of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Tex-as at Austin, was located in the West Mall Building (WMB) 5th Floor, and featured artwork by Cristina Cárdenas, Pilar Castrejon, Rudy Fernández, Sandra Fernández, Manuel Guerra, John Hernández, Martin Hernández, Sergio Hernández, Sandria Hu, Brian Johnson, Wil Martin, Malaquias Montoya, Alberto Jimenez Quinto, Luis Ruiz, and Carlos Toralba.

Left: “Enjaulada” by Sandra Fernández, 2005, Serigraph

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Students, faculty, and staff. Photo by Itzel Suarez.

José E. Limón,Director, Center for Mexican American Studies, Mody C. Boatright Regents Professor of American and English Literature

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Mexico: Independence and the Futurediez y seis de septiembre celebraciónFriday, September 16, 2005

This panel discussion on Mexico’s day of independence was sponsored by the Center for Mexican American Studies, the Mexican Center of the Teresa Lozano Long institute of Latin American Studies and the Mexican Student Association of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. The panel featured: Ricardo C. Ainslie, Department of Educational Psychology; Jonathan C. Brown, Department of History; Gloria González-Lopez, Department of Sociology; José E. Limón, Mexican American Studies and Department of English; Bryan R. Roberts, LLILAS Mexican Center and Department of Sociology;Mauricio Tenorio, Department of History; and Peter Ward, Departmentof Sociology and LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Hispanic Faculty/Staff Association (HFSA) Bienvenida Luncheon Wednesday, September 14, 2005

The first meeting of the HFSA included a welcome luncheon sponsored by the Center for Mexican American Studies, College of Liberal Arts. José E. Limón, Professor of English, and CMAS Director, introduced new CMAS Faculty Associates Jason P. Casellas (Government), Anne Martinez (History), John McKiernan-González (History), CMAS Lecturer Luis Mena (Latino Financial Issues Program), and Juan C. González, the new Vice President for Student Affairs. The meeting was also highlighted by a literary reading by CMAS Faculty Associate Oscar Casares (English).

Chicanos in Journalism: 30 Years LaterFriday, September 16, 2005

The College of Communication event commemorating the 35th Anniversary of the Center for Mexican American Studies was the first college event of the year and featured guest speakers Oscar Garza, Editor-in-Chief of Tu Cuidad/Los Angeles, and Sylvia Moreno, Southwest Bureau Chief for the Washington Post.Throughout the 2005-2006 academic year, various colleges and departments across campus wil host their own forums. One goal of these events is to demonstrate how CMAS has had an impact far beyond the small offices it occupies. While much has been accomplished, much remains to be done. One continuing challenge is increasing the enrollment of Latino/Hispanic/Mexican American/Chicano graduate and undergraduate students. The other major challenge is increasing the number of Latino faculty across the campus. The College of Communication has 9 Latino Faculty members out of 144.

Members of Chicanos Interesados en Comu-nicaciones, 1976. Photo courtesy of Oscar Garza.

Gloria González-Lopez and José E. Limón. Photo by Jesse Herrera.

The reception. Photo by Jesse Herrera.

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Musical performance by Mitote. Photo by Jesse Herrera.

2nd Annual Dia de la Raza Celebration

October 12 traditionally celebrates the arrival of Columbus to the “New World;” however, for the indigenous and mestizo people of the Americas, this day, El Dia de la Raza, has become an international celebration of more than 500 years of resistance and cultural survival. To that end, The Center for Mexican American Studies at The University of Texas at Austin, in collaboration with the UT Hispanic Faculty/Staff Association, Mexican American Studies Student Organiza-tion, La Peña, Mexican American Cultural Arts Center, and Resistencia Bookstore/casa de Red Salmon Arts proudly presented the 2nd Annual Dia de la Raza Celebration featuring the legendary accordion wizardry of Esteban“Steve” Jordan, the ritmos of Maneja Beto, the poetry of raúlrsalinas, and performances by Flor y Canto. This celebration was done in the custom of floricanto, gatherings of musicians, artists, and writers in the spirit of the azteca-mexica tradition, and aimed to honor and recognize the importance of reclaiming our indigenous heritage in the U.S. As part of a series of cultural programs planned to celebrate the 35th anniversary of CMAS, the 2nd Annual Dia de la Raza celebration reinforced our commitment to promote the Mexican American and Chicana/o cultural and artistic legacy by creating a space where we celebrated together and incorporated the broader UT and Austin communities.

Esteban “Steve” Jordan also known as “El Parche” or “the Jimi Hendrix of the accordion”is one of the most innovative accordionists of any style of music. Photo by Jesse Herrera.

raúlrsalinas is an Austin poet, human rights activist, and founder/director of Resistencia Bookstore/casa de Red Salmon Arts. Photo by Jesse Herrera.

Flor y Canto, founded in September 1975, provides awareness of the Mexican culture through dance, teatro. and educational presen-tations. Photo by Jesse Herrera.

Booksigning & ReceptionMonday, October 3, 2005

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Watercolor Women, Opaque Men

Published by Curbstone PressWillimantic, CT

www.curbstone.org

Psst...I Have Something to Tell You, Mi Amor

Published by Wings PressSan Antonio, TX

www.wingspress.com

by ANNA CASTILLO

Doctoral Portfolio Plática Series: Virginia RaymondWednesday, September 28, 2005

Virginia Raymond is a doctoral candidate in English with a Doctoral Portfolio in Mexican American Studies. She presented “Beneath the Human Rights -- Civil Rights Disconnect: Actual Brown Bodies & the Presumption of Non-Innocence in Plyler v. Doe (1982), In re: Gualt (1985), & the Killing of Danel Rocha.” Her dissertation advisor is Brian A. Bremen, Associate Professor in the Department of English.

Doctoral Portfolio Plática Series: Alejandra RincónWednesday, November 30, 2005

Alejandra Rincón is a Doctoral Candidate in the Education Policy & Plan-ning Program, College of Education, with a Doctoral Portfolio in Mexican American Studies. She presented Paying for Their Status: Undocumented Immigrant Students and College Access.

Left: Pedro Reyes, Professor, Department of Educational Administration (dissertation co-supervisor), Alejandra Rincón, and Emilio Zamora, Associate Professor, Department of History (dissertation co-supervisor). Photo by Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez.

Reading, Booksigning & ReceptionMonday, October 17, 2005

Lorna Dee Cervantes is an award-winning Chicana poet whose poetry has appeared in hundreds of liter-ary magazines, and she has been featured on the cover of Bloomsbury Review as well as other literary journals.

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DRIVE: The First Quartet Published by Wings Press

San Antonio, TXwww.wingspress.com

Includes 5 separate works:How Far’s the War?

BIRD AVEPlay

Letters to DavidHard Drive

by LORNA DEE CERVANTES

Faculty Plática Series: John McKiernan-GonzálezWednesday, October 19, 2005

John McKiernan-González is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies. Dr. McKiernan-González presented a paper titled “Indian” Runners, the El Paso Border, & The Los Angeles Olympics, 1932: on Place and Possibility.

Reading & Book Signing by Gloria González-LopezWednesday, October 19, 2005

Gloria González-Lopez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies. Dr. González-Lopez read from her book, Erotic Journeys: Mexican Immigrants and Their Sex Lives, published by University of California Press, in Berkeley, CA on July 2005.

WWII Oral History Project ReceptionFriday, November 11, 2005

The U.S. Latino & Latina WWII Oral History Project, begun in Spring 1999, has interviewed over 500 men and women with the goal of recording their life stories so that their contributions to American society will be recognized. The reception marked the beginning of the migration of matertials to the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection. The reception was co-sponsored by the College of Communication, Office of the Vice

CMAS Plática Series: Lorenzo Herrera y LozanoWednesday, November 16, 2005

Lorenzo Herrera y Lozano is a queer Xicano writer originally from California and México. He writes in order to document that which was not meant to be docu-mented and not meant to survive. Herrera y Lozano read from his collection of poetry titled, santo de la pata alzada: poems from the queer/xicano/positive pen. Excerpt about the author taken from http://www.evelynstreet.com/html/about_the_author.html

Right: Virginia Raymond, Jackie Cuevas, and Lorenzo Herrera y Lozano. Photo by Clarisa Hernández.

President for Community and School Relations, the Center for Mexican Ameri-can Studies, and the University of Texas Libraries.

CMAS Holiday SocialFriday, December 2, 2005

The Center for Mexican American Studies hosted a holiday social for students, faculty, staff, and community members at Serrano’s Cafe & Cantina. Music was provided by Mitote.

Above: CMAS Undergraduates; top right: CMAS Administrative Staff; bottom right: Brenda Sendejo, Dolores García, Marta Cotera. Photos by Jesse Herrera.

Guadalupe is Her NameMonday, December 12, 2005

Guadalupe is her Name: A Photographic Exhibition by Jesse Herrera was presented in conjunction with a roundtable discussionentitled, Guadalupe is Her Name, 1531 - 2005. . . , on the cultural,political, as well as the religious significance of La Virgen de Guadalupe for the Mexican-origin community in the United States. Herrera’s images, taken in the state of Puebla, México, document festivities in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The photographs de-pict the people of the towns of San Miguel Tzinacapan and San Francisco de Cuetzalan. An altar representing Guadalupe was unveiled at the opening reception for this exhibition. Musical en-tertainment was provided by Mariachi Jalisco. This exhibition runs from December 8, 2005 - January 2006, in the Center for Mexican American Studies, West Mall Building (WMB), 5th Floor.

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“Virgin of Guadalupe” by Jesse Herrera, 2004.

Left: Roundtable panelists includ-ed: Anne M. Martinez, Assistant Professor, Department of History,UT Austin; Cristina Cabello de Martinez, Lecturer, CMAS and Department of Spanish & Portu-guese, UT Austin: & Jesse Herrera,Photojournalist & Photography Instructor, Austin Museum of Art - Laguna Gloria Art School. Photo by Dolores García.

“Songs of struggle, hope, and vision fueled the Chicano Movement’s quest for civil rights, economic justice, and cultural respect. Rolas de Aztlán (songs from the Chicano ancestral home-land) spotlights 19 milestone recordings made between 1966 and 1999 by key Chicano artist/activists--Daniel Valdez, Los Lobos del Este de Los Angeles, Agustín Lira, El Teatro Campesino, Los Alacranes Mojados, Conjunto Aztlan, and many more! 40-page booklet with extensive liner notes and photos, 19 tracks, and 67 minutes of music” (from the CD back cover).

Estevan Azcona, doctoral candidate in ethno-musicology and MAS instructor, co-produced and wrote the liner notes for this first of its kind project released in September 2005 by SmithsonianFolkways Recordings (CMAS friend, Russell Rodriguez, was the other co-producer). The CD compilation was a two-year effort whose release, which coincided with the 40th anniversary of the grape strike of 1965, was celebrated in Washington, D.C. with a concert featuring Daniel Valdez and Conjunto Aztlan. The compilation is available at most major record stores and on the Smithsonian Folkways website.

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Bringing Balance to the Table of Justice Iris Salinas, Environmental Chair, UT MEChA and Congresswoman, Environmental Committee, La Raza Unida

For over 40 years, Mission, Texas produced chemicals including Agent Orange, DDT, and Arsenic. The United Nations, EPA, and various government entitities have studied the case for decades due to unusually high occurrences of rare and debilitating diseasesin the local population.

Militant in appearance but professional in demeanor, MEChA and other University of Texas students quietly stormed into the halls of justice, the Texas Supreme Court, on behalf of the community of Mission, Texas on Wednesday, November 16. Although another case was in session, the noise seemed to pause as a sea of attorneys and the justices themselves took notice of the students.After the case was heard, they took to the doors and protested outside, chanting and carrying signs calling for justice. Both the defendant and plaintiff attorneys, confused and surprised, did not come near the group, and instead attempted to exit the building through another set of doors, not wanting to hear the calls for justice or give their consciences a try. But to their surprise, the students were waiting warmly with smiles and large signs at those doors as well. The people from Mission who were able to attend the hearing were touched by such peaceful protest on their behalf while attorneys scrambled away like rats and mice. They smell the cheese all right, but they also know they’re being observed by something larger than themselves, the people, the public.

There were no police called to the scene during the protest. The guard on duty at the doors of justice had himself mixed poison by hand and had worked for one of the corporations being sued in the case. There was a flash of fear in his eyes when he spoke of his experience, saying that he had heard that it took 20 years or so before the chemicals would make your body react. Those 20 years were coming soon, he said. So there was no need to call for backup...he understood the story and the anger, loud and clear.

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All but one of the justices appeared to be impartial,but with a reputation for going the way of big corporations, a legal victory is yet to be determined. With decisions taking up to 6 months to be made, requests for prayers are being made to the publicon behalf of the affected citizens of Mission.

It was definitely a positive moment in history not only for Mission but for all people. Bringing balance back to the govern-ment, the legal system, and its bodies and members is something all citizens can be proud of. Mission accomplished.

“Untitled” Banner by Itzel Suárez, 2005.

Cristina SalinasMaster’s, History, Filed in December 2005

“A Border in the Making: The INS and Agricultural Relations in South Texas during the Mid-Twentieth Century”

Thesis Committee: Emilio Zamora, Department of History and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies (Supervisor); Laurie Green, Department of History.

Joel HuertaPh.D. American Studies, Filed in December 2005

“Red, Brown, and Blue: a History and Cultural Poetics of High School Football in Mexican America”

Dissertation Committee: José E. Limón, Department of English and Director of the Center for Mexican American Studies (Co-Supervisor); Robert Abzug, Department of History (Co-Supervisor); Ricardo C. Ainslie, Department of Educational Psychology and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies; Emilio Zamora, Department of History and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies; David Montejano, Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

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Jennifer NajeraPh.D. Anthropology, Filed in December 2005

“Troublemakers, Religiosos, or Radicals? Everyday Acts of Racial Integration in a South Texas Community”

Dissertation Committee: Martha Menchaca, Department of Anthropology and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexi-can American Studies (Supervisor); Richard Flores, Department of Anthropology and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies; José E. Limón, Department of English and Director of the Center for Mexican American Studies; Angela Valenzuela, Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies; Emilio Zamora, Department of History and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies.

Alejandra RincónPh.D. Educational Administration with a Doctoral Portfolio in Mexican American Studies, Filed in December 2005

”Paying for Their Status: Undocumented Students and College Access”

Dissertation Committee: Emilio Zamora, Department of History and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies (Co-Supervisor); Pedro Reyes, Department of Educational Administration and Faculty Associate of the Centerfor Mexican American Studies (Co-Supervisor); Norma Cantu, Department of Educational Administration and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies; Juanita Garcia Wagstaff, Department of Educational Administra-tion; Barbara Hines, School of Law.

Adriana AyalaPh.D. History, Filed in December 2005

“Negotiating Race Relations Through Activism: Women Activists and Women’s Organizations in San Antonio, Texas during the 1920s”

Dissertation Committee: Emilio Zamora, Department of History and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies (Co-Supervisor); Ricardo Romo, President, University of Texas at San Antonio (Co-Supervisor); Anne Martinez, Department of History and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies; Martha Menchaca, Department of Anthropology and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies; Juliet Walker, Department of History.

Rebecca MontesPh.D. History, Filed in August 2005

“Working for American Rights: Black, White and Mexican American Dock Workers in Texas during the Great Depression”

Dissertation Committee: Neil Foley, Department of History and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies (Supervisor); Tiffany Gill, Department of History; Gunther Peck, Department of History at Duke University; James Sidbury, Department of History; Emilio Zamora, Department of History and Faculty Associate of the Center for Mexican American Studies.

Completion of Graduate Studies