August 25, 2004

LAMADRID NAMED UNM CHICANO STUDIES DIRECTOR

Enrique Lamadrid, literary folklorist and University of New Mexico professor of Spanish, has been named director of UNM's Chicano Studies program. He served as the program's interim director for a year and succeeds Dr. Eduardo Hernandez Chavez.

Lamadrid has been on faculty at UNM since 1985.

Lamadrid's plans for Chicano Studies focus on inclusion, cultural activism, language recovery, internationalism, community involvement, regional studies and institutional articulation.

He sees a coming together of all Chicanos – urban and rural and those with all degrees of bilingualism and multiple identities – to become a part of the program.

Lamadrid wants to present a full calendar of cultural events. “It is a sure sign of vitality in Chicano Studies,” he said.

As a language professor, he sees the need to develop full bilingualism among Chicanos. “Those who professionalize their Spanish see doors open wide. Our Spanish Heritage language program gives us great access to Nuevomexicano and Mexicano students to recruit into Chicano Studies,” he said.

Through his Conexiones program, students have explored the U.S. Latino cultural homelands, including northern and central Mexico, western Spain and the Caribbean.

“Travel seminars are an integral part of Chicano Studies. There is a rich in-house legacy in this part of our curriculum,” he said.

“Chicano Studies begins with community and advocacy. Chicano Studies puts social activism into a historical perspective. A new emphasis on service learning will create actual opportunities for our students,” he said, adding that he will model the program after a successful one at University Honors.

Lamadrid wants to put New Mexico on the map regarding Chicano Studies. “Our regional focus is one of our program's greatest existing strengths and future potentials. Border studies are part of this picture,” he said. Lamadrid also said that Chicano Studies and Native American Studies need to work together in “new and significant ways.”

Lamadrid sees the need to expand course offerings with more courses cross-listed and develop a major. “We need to articulate opportunities for graduate studies with existing Southwest/Chicano programs in American Studies and Spanish,” he said.

“My research record begins with Mexicano and Chicano literature and extends into ‘cultura popular,' the culture of the people with special emphasis on the study of mestizaje and hybridity,” he said.

Lamadrid taught one of the first Chicano Studies courses at Los Angeles Valley College when he was a graduate student at the University of Southern California. He also taught the first Chicano Literature course at the University of Oregon where he was faculty advisor to MEChA.

Upon his return to New Mexico, Lamadrid taught for six years at the Northern New Mexico Community College in Española.

Peter White, dean of University College, said, “Dr. Lamadrid is a superb teacher and demonstrated his administrative leadership last year while he served as interim director of Chicano Studies.  I have the utmost respect for his wonderful scholarship and his ambitious plan for developing Chicano Studies.  I believe he will be very successful in securing the participation of all faculty on campus who teach or do research in the various areas of Chicano Studies.  We are extremely happy to have him directing this important and evolving program.”

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