UCSB Chican@ Studies Newsletter, Fall 2010, No. 3 News Nepantlfrom a LITERARY GREATS VISIT UCSB The 8th annual Luis Cisneros’s Leal Award for forthcoming book, Distinction in Writing in Your Chicano/Latino Pajamas. She Literature was introduced selected awarded on October readings from the 28, 2010 to Jimmy work‐in‐progress Santiago Baca. with comments on Named after her community Professor Luis Leal service work, who died in early encouraging 2010 at the age of everyone to pick up a 102 and who was pen and paper and one of the pioneers engage the art of in the study of literature. ‘Write the Chicano literature, first draft as if you the award honors a Jimmy Santiago Baca and Sandra Cisneros give talks co‐sponsored by the are talking to your writer on Chicano/ Department of Chican@ Studies. best friend. Latino subjects who Completely honest. literacy and of writing and has Her slippers shuffling across has achieved national and Like you were comfortable become one of the major the stage, Sandra Cisneros international acclaim through talking to them even wearing poets and writers in the approached the podium in a substantial body of work. pajamas.’ United States. bright blue pajamas sporting Jimmy Santiago Baca, a The audience was Baca has written more than multi‐colored polka dots. native of New Mexico, is a enthralled as Cisneros read a eleven volumes of poetry. In Hundreds of students powerful and courageous short story following the 2001 he published his accompanied by community voice as a poet, short story narrator through her gripping and powerful members (one stating in the writer, memoir writer, community in search of both a autobiography A Place to Q&A session that he traveled essayist, and novelist. His lost cat and the company of Stand. In 2009, he published from Los Angeles), staff, and subjects are his people of her recently deceased his first novel A Glass of faculty filled Campbell Hall New Mexico, the mestizos, mother. The audience was Water. Tuesday evening, November Indo‐Hispanos of that region also treated to a fictional For his outstanding work, 17, 2010 to hear “Writing in who trace their ancestry to window into the life of Frida Baca has won numerous the Time of Mexiphobia, or that land for several Kahlo and her relationship prestigious awards and Packing Your Papers.” generations but who are as with Diego Rivera. Cisneros’s honors including a National Cisneros didn’t focus heavily new as those Mexican voice was melodic and inviting Endowment for the Arts on immigration themes, immigrants who crossed the (continued on Page 5) Literary Fellowship, the polling the audience, border today. Baca writes American Book Award for identifying very young from his own experiences as a Poetry, the Wallace Stevens members, and continuing survivor amongst a people too inside: Endowed Chair at Yale with a “G‐Rated” version of long marginalized in American University, and the her thoughts (to the partial Chair’s Message society. His is a voice that we International Hispanic disappointment of some who very much need and Gloria Anzaldua Heritage Award. came to hear Cisneros on appreciate. From Devoted not only to his something related to her 199X Faculty Spotlight impoverished conditions to an writing, Baca established collection of poetry, Loose orphanage to the Graduate Corner Cedar Tree, Inc., a nonprofit Women). penitentiary, Baca survived foundation that conducts Her less‐than‐formal attire Mayan Sudoku and learned the power of (continued on Page 2) reflected the title of There are two present‐ Hispanic Achievement Council ations in particular I would in Santa Barbara, and a like to highlight. The first is representative from Santa UCSB the presentation by Jimmy Barbara 1st District Supervisor CHICANA/O STUDIES Santiago Baca, this year’s Salud Carabajal’s Office. Department Faculty recipient of the annual Luis Our goal through all of Leal Award for Distinction in these related activities is for Gerardo Aldana Chicano/Latino Literature. Chicana and Chicano Professor Mario Garcia chairs intellectual production to Ralph Armbruster- the award committee. In touch young people’s lives to Sandoval addition to Sr. Baca’s plática inspire them to become the at the department’s next generation of leaders in Edwina Barvosa colloquium, he spoke to an all fields. We want to open Dolores Inés audience of over 600 the university’s doors to invite Casillas students, faculty, staff, and those who have gone through MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR community members. It was a its halls to come back to help Mario Garcia wonderful experience to us with our mission. We María Herrera- Como decia mi papá, “pareces witness young people’s believe that the spirit of disco rayado,” whenever I inspiration fueled to use their Chicana and Chicano Studies Sobek found myself so overly excited own lives and communities to is in the blurring of Aída Hurtado about a project that I could become the next generation boundaries so that knowledge not restrain myself from of writers. The second can benefit all. It was a good Francisco Lomelí talking about it. As we end presentation was by Sandra quarter. Horacio Roque another quarter, my Chair’s Cisneros, the renowned Ramirez message continues to be the Chicana writer who also spoke In solidarity, same—this is a great to an audience of close to 800 Aída Hurtado Chela Sandoval department with urging young people to “write Chair of the Department of Tara Yosso extraordinary accomplish‐ like you are in your pajamas, Chicana/o Studies and Luis ments and every quarter we at your kitchen table, talking Leal Endowed Chair keep raking in new and to your best friend and then Department Staff exciting developments. For edit, edit, and then edit BACA, cont. from Page 1 Sonya Baker this quarter I want to highlight again.” Earlier in the day of literacy workshops in prisons the intellectual and research Ms Cisneros’ presentation, a and detention centers and at Joann Erving activities of our faculty and group of our graduate schools for at‐risk youth. Katherine Morales graduate students. students presented at the The Leal Award was co‐ First of all, I would like to department’s colloquium sponsored by various entities thank Professor Mario Garcia series exploring the at UCSB including the Office Department Office and our ace graduate significance of Ms Cisneros’ of the Chancellor, the 1713 South Hall assistants Jessica Lopez Lyman work. Associate Vice Chancellor for University of and Eddy Alvarez who worked The department is also Diversity, Equity, and California as a team to organize an linking its intellectual Academic Policy, the Office of outstanding colloquium Santa Barbara, CA activities to our local Equal Opportunity & Sexual 93106 series. The “colloquium community. On her first day Harassment, the Chicano team,” as they call on campus, Ms Cisneros Studies Institute, the Luis Leal (805) 893-3012 themselves, coordinated a attended a dinner with Endowed Chair, and the (805) 893-4076 distinguished panel of supporters of our depart‐ Department of Chicana and ucsbchstnews speakers that included ment. The event was Chicano Studies. @gmail.com historians, community organized by Professor Maria (by Mario Garcia) activists, political scientists, Herrera‐Sobek, Associate Vice www.chicst.ucsb.edu creative writers, members of Chancellor of Diversity, Equity UP‐COMING EVENTS: our faculty, and graduate and Academic Policy, and by Don’t miss our students. Every Wednesday Michael Miller, Director of we took a “Sip of Knowledge” Development. In attendance CHST COLLOQUIUM SERIES Newsletter Editors: (yo mas diria, un jarrote de were Paula Lopez, local news 3:30 – 5 pm Gerardo Aldana sabiduría) in the company of anchor and reporter, Dolores Huerta Gathering Dolores Inés faculty, graduate students Honorable Frank Ochoa Jr., Room, 1623 South Hall Casillas from across campus, staff, as Santa Barbara Superior Court Every Wednesday during Aída Hurtado well as visitors from outside Judge, Al Pizano, Chair of the Winter Quarter. the campus. 2 Representatives from the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies attended El Mundo Zurdo : An International Conference on the Life and Work of Gloria E. Anzaldúa ‐ Art & Performance, organized by the Society for the Study of Gloria Anzaldúa and the Women's Studies Institute at the University of Texas at San Antonio in collaboration with Trinity University and The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center on November 4‐6, 2010. Department Chair Aída Hurtado participated in the round table discussion titled “Bridging: How Gloria Anzaldúa’s Work Transformed us (A Conversation between Humanities and Social Sciences)” with AnaLouise Keating, Suzanne Bost, Elisa Facio, and Gloria González‐López. She moderated a panel called “Anzaldúa's Borderlands, Nepantla, and Conocimiento in Action” in which she also presented with Mrinal Sinha. The presentation was called “The Transformative Power of Anzaldúa‘s Borderlands.” Finally, Dr. Hurtado moderated a panel of our department’s graduate students called “Inner Work/Public Acts: Anzaldúa and Cultural Production.” The panelists included Amber Rose González who presented “Inner Work/Public Acts: Students on the Path of Conocimiento,” Jessica López Lyman who presented “Witnessing Performance Poetry in the Classroom,” Nicholas Centino who presented “Aang‘s Arrebato: World Traveling and Conocimiento in the World of Avatar: The Last Airbender” and Adrianna M. Santos who presented “Chicana Writers and the Mestiza Way: Steps Toward Ending Violence.” Professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies Edwina Barvosa, also participated on a panel moderated by Norma Alarcón, “Pláticas and Analysis of Gloria Anzaldúa's Thought.” The title of the presentation was “Beyond Unity to Solidarity in Gloria Anzaldúa‘s Thought: Exploring the Relationship between Mestiza Consciousness & Sustained Cohesion in Social Movements.” 3 restricting access and GRADUATE CORNER Griest's Mexican Enough: My opportunity for African Life between the borderlines American and Chicana/o We’ve turned over this space (2008) for the Spring 2011 youth.