Our Presence Is Not Inevitable: Reflecting on Chicana/o Interventions at The University of California

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 11:45 am

Session Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

This symposium examines Chicana/o interventions to increase access in higher education. As the largest and youngest Latina/o subgroup in the U.S., and a majority in K-12 schools in California since the 1990s, a Chicana/o presence in the state’s premiere university system has never been inevitable. Drawing on oral histories and archival sources, we recover three under-recognized efforts to disrupt the historical neglect shown to Chicana/o students by the University of California. By unearthing these hidden histories, we challenge dominant narratives that marginalize Communities of Color and highlight the labor that enabled greater Chicana/o representation. This dialogue invites reflection about how Chicana/o educators and activists have enacted change, and how we might carry forward their actions toward a more just educational future.

Sub Unit

• Division F - Historical Inquiry in Education

Chair

• Tara J. Yosso, University of California - Riverside

Papers

• Pedagogies of the Movement: Chicano Public Art as Educational Praxis - Gloria E. Poveda, California Northstate University

• From El Plan De Santa Barbara to an HSI, What it Means to Serve Chicano/Latino Students Across Time and Place - Arlene Cano Matute, University of California - Riverside

• The Latino Eligibility Taskforce: A Strategic Intervention to Expand the Latina/Latino Educational Pipeline into the University of California - Fernando Peña, University of California - Riverside

Session Organizer

• Fernando Peña, University of California - Riverside

Discussant

• Tara J. Yosso, University of California - Riverside