A SMALL SAMPLING OF EMAIL RESPONSES TO THE DEBATE ON CHICANO STUDIES AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO

1) I have recently received notification that as director of the Chicana/o
Studies Department, you are contemplating on changing its name to Southwest
Hispanic Studies. In my years as an undergraduate student, I have followed
Chicanos' student political activism on your campus and I have admired
students' commitment to fight for social justice on the academia level. To
change the name of the Chicana/o Department would be a slap in the face to
what the word Chicana/o represents to many of the people across the nation.
I stand strong with my brothers and sisters in keeping the name Chicana/o
in lieu of using the word "hispanic," which was originally given by the
government to represent our people. We are not "His panic" or "Her panic"
and I am deeply offended that such a contemplation is taking place at UNM.
Please support the students who have engaged in the student political
movement, especially during a time when we find ourselves in a nation
divided by the recent elections. A time in which our communities continue
to receive political blows such as Proposition 200 here in ARIZONA, which
will legalize the use of racial profiling. We must continue to reclaim our
voice in white mainstream society and stand united as hermanas y hermanos
in the political struggle.


2) I would like to extend my gratitude to you regarding the name change of
the Chicano Studies program at UNM. I am a native New Mexican of Hispanic
descent. I have always felt that as a native from this state, there should
be some organization where I felt I belonged to. I always believed that
the Chicano Studies program seemed to target those of Mexican heritage.
The term Chicano seemed so distant from me and my family who have been here
in the state for hundreds of years. I feel that Southwest Hispanic Studies
program is a lot more inviting to others such as myself. In a state such
as New Mexico, where many of the Hispanics have no direct ties to Mexico; a
program using the term Hispanic is one where we feel welcomed. Thank you.


3) Although I now have a better understanding of what Chicano Studies is, I
never took any courses in the program, because I assumed that they had
nothing to do with me. I was born and raised here, but my family is from
Namiquipa, Chihuahua and we keep close family and cultural ties there. We
proudly consider ourselves Mexicanos. Going through the Albuquerque Public
Schools was not easy, but since I started from the first grade, I made it.
Mexicano kids in schools are put down by both Anglos and Chicanos, who try
to put us in our place. Many of my friends dropped out rather than put up
with it. There are conflicts in our schools which need to be addressed. I
think the Chicano Studies name at UNM should be changed to make the
Mexicano students more welcome.


4) With all the recent interest in the name change of Chicano Studies. I'd
like to add my input. I understand and respect your intention to bring
more students into the program. At the same time however, keeping the
program named "Chicano" is very important. My family is from NM, my
father's side is from Lemitar, Socorro and Magdalena. My mother's side is
from Ojo Caliente, El Rito and Vallecitos. Before that, they were some of
the original settlers in Santa Cruz and Santa Fe. Often times the Northern
Nuevo Mexicano is mis-representated as Hispano or Hispanic. Our Spanish
heritage is just a small part of who we are. Many Nortenos are ignorant to
the fact that we were descended from "mixed blood Indian and Spanish" long
before we settled in the Norte. As well as many of us being genizaros.
The Norte has a long history of resistance that we are the heirs to. From
the Pueblo Revolt, the killing of governor Albino Perez in 1835, the
resistance to the American occupation beginning in 1846, the Gorras
Blancas, the land grant movement of the 1960's all the way up to every
lowrider and every ranchera band singing the songs of our elders. Although
we maintain a distinct culture, we are also Raza, somos la misma gente con
Mexicanos, Chicanos and Pueblos. Using the term Chicano creates unity as
well as an opportunity for resistance. Many in the Norte use Chicano with
pride and happiness. I personally feel that it is a happy medium. Terms
like Spanish, Hispano and Hispanic are just not accurate. My grandparents
and many other elders i grew up around referred to our people as Mexicanos,
and to the Spanish language as Mexicano. Even though we may not be Mexican
nationals, we are Mexicanos. I work with young people at RIo Grande High
School as a substance abuse and mental health counselor though a
school-based clinic. I also am the MEChA club sponsor. We have many
Mexican students who have found Chicano an acceptable term because they are
often no longer identified as Mexican when they visit family in Mexico. It
is also a term that we have been able to use to help unite the Nuevo
Mexicanos and Mexicanos.
I know there are so many extremists among our gente, some are insistent on
being Spaniards while others are just as dogmatic about being Aztec. The
reality is somewhere in the middle. Calling myself Chicano or
Chicano/Mexicano allows me to recognize my Mestizo heritage and understand
it came about through colonization. It also allows me to find common ground
with other Raza throughout the Southwest and Mexico.
Chicano studies programs should represent a commitment to the Chicano
Movement, both the 1960s movimiento, but also our current issues. Obviously
things are different now than in the 60s and 70s. However, our people
continue to struggle. Maintaining programs like Chicano Studies, with the
title "Chicano" are important to our self-determination as we are using a
word that existed through struggle. Of course our people face many other
more serious issues such as poverty, lack of basic education, debt,
domestic violence, mental health issues, substance abuse issues and being
herded into the military. Another big program is that our people are losing
their identity and culture. The more we assimilate as Americans the
further we move from our antepasados and that creates problems.