The National Association for Chicano and Chicana Studies held its 50th annual conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in April. This four-day event in the high-altitude city provided scholars the opportunity to connect with colleagues from various regions.
They included academics from the Midwest, Texas, the East Coast, Colorado, the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Northwest, Northern California, Southern California, and Mexico.
A notable session featured a leading scholar who focused on cultivating intergenerational leadership and sustaining the field for future generations.
Scholars at the conference represented diverse fields, including K-12 education, Indigenous studies, community studies, Chicana studies, labor studies, and graduate studies.
The event included a caucus meeting, a welcome reception, an invocation, and several roundtables covering topics such as:
In addition to roundtables, various seminars, workshops, presentations, and podcasts addressed topics like helping students with reading, writing, and comprehension; improving student outcomes through the college essay; high school curriculum development and peer mentoring; and the research experiences of graduate students in the Chicana(o) Latina(o) Studies Department.
A unique exhibit, “Pop-Up Botánica: Enduring Indigenous Medicine,” introduced participants to digital humanities and field schools as sources of sacred knowledge.
The exhibit, led by Mujeres de Maiz, emphasized wellness, ancestral medicine, and community care.
According to conference materials, Mujeres de Maiz members strive to reconnect with ancestral ways of knowing and make these accessible to the community through workshops, wellness clinics, herbalism support, and talking circles.
The roundtable discussion highlighted key Xicana and Indigenous-based projects of Mujeres de Maiz, including the full moon-based Coyolxauhqui Circle and the Curanderx Toolkit, along with other aspects of Mexican traditional medicine and the herbal, plant-focused nature of their wellness programs.
A virtual memorial event honored Dr. Mario Barrera, Professor Emeritus of Chicana/o Studies (1939-2024).
According to San Diego State University, students from the Imperial Valley are part of the organization that played a crucial role in founding Chicana/o Studies programs across universities nationwide.
Participation in the April 2025 event represented the culmination of a year-long effort involving abstract submissions, mentorship, and intensive preparation, allowing students to present research that benefits their communities.
Students were organized into small collaborative groups and received mentorship tailored to their chosen topics, often linked to their community development goals and personal experiences.
One second-year student expressed that the experience enabled her to connect with professors and students nationwide, forming lasting academic networks.
Despite their diverse perspectives, she noted that all students shared the common goal of improving their communities.
A fourth-year student, working alongside two peers, focused her efforts on teaching literacy. She found strength and healing through sharing her personal stories during their presentations.
In 1973, after building gradually, the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies, was formally created.
Originally named the National Association of Chicano Social Scientists, it was renamed in 1995 to acknowledge the contributions of Chicanas in the association.
NACCS was created by Chicana/o faculty and students from various academic associations who understood the benefits of and need for an association of Chicana/o scholar activists.
NACCS has provided the opportunity for communication among Chicana/o scholars and encourages and supports research focused on inequitable structures.
Dr. Felipe Ortego de Gasca was the founding director of The University of Texas at El Paso’s Chicano Studies program and is considered the founder of Chicano literary history.
Dr. Ortego served as the Scholar-in-Residence at Western New Mexico University, where he focused on cultural studies, critical theory and public policy.
In 2018, the journalist, author and professor was recognized with an award presented at the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies Texas Conference at Texas Lutheran University.
The child of a field worker in Chicago, Dr. Ortego served during World War II as a Marine then spent as an Air Force officer during the Korean Conflict and the early Vietnam Era.
After majoring in comparative studies at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Ortego earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s in English from Texas Western College. He received his doctorate in English from the University of New Mexico in 1971.
In addition to being a driving force behind The University of Texas at El Paso’s Chicano Studies program, Dr. Ortego also chaired and helped found New Mexico’s first Chicano Studies Department, the Department of Chicano/a and Hemispheric Studies.
Dr. Ortego was recognized as a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English and Comparative Literature, having retired from Sul Ross State University in 1999.
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