SDSU Chicana and Chicano Studies

SDSU Chicana and Chicano Studies For over 40 years, the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies is committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service.

In 1969, a small group of committed faculty members and students from San Diego attended the historic Santa Barbara conference where the Plan de Santa Barbara was born. This document established the blueprint for developing Chicano Studies departments. Since then almost every major public and private university or college in California has developed a Chicano Studies program or department. We are

proud to be among the first departments established, and now celebrate over 40 years. The Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies is committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service. The Chicana and Chicano Studies degree provides the student with a timely, interdisciplinary education regarding the nation's fast-growing ethnic group, the Chicano/Latino, and the interplay of culture, politics, economics and society in the dynamic U.S.-Mexican border region. The Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies also endeavors to contribute to the development of knowledge about the Chicano/Latino populations and the border region through original scholarship on the part of its faculty and students. The department recognizes women and gender based issues as integral to a Chicano studies program.

Threading Mexican Migration: A Student Exhibition of Fotobordados Join us for a one-day student exhibit featuring fotobo...
05/08/2026

Threading Mexican Migration: A Student Exhibition of Fotobordados

Join us for a one-day student exhibit featuring fotobordados (photo embroideries) created by students as their final projects for Dr. Vera-Rosas’ CCS 306: Mexican Immigration class. The exhibit will be held in the Chicana and Chicano Collection Area - Love Library on May 11th. The opening reception will be from 8:00 am - 10:00 am.

We would like to congratulate Dr. Adelaida R. Del Castillo and Dr. Norma Iglesias-Prieto on their work as editors on the...
04/23/2026

We would like to congratulate Dr. Adelaida R. Del Castillo and Dr. Norma Iglesias-Prieto on their work as editors on the book titled, “The Chicana and Chicano Movement: From Aztlán to Zapatistas.” This book provides an overview of the major trends, influences, creative, and educational accomplishments of the Chicana and Chicano Movement. Visit the link in our bio to view the publication.

Confronting the United Farm Workers’ Legacies: Cultural Memory, Activism, & Accountability After Sexual Abuse Revelation...
04/21/2026

Confronting the United Farm Workers’ Legacies: Cultural Memory, Activism, & Accountability After Sexual Abuse Revelations

Tuesday, April 28th from 4-6 pm at Love Library 430

Join us for a campus-wide conversation on how to engage with the legacies of historical figures, movements, and institutions. Prompted by recent revelations of sexual abuse, this event creates space to examine the impact of these disclosures and the broader questions they raise about accountability and r**e culture. We will explore how to accurately document the complexities of social movements without reinforcing myths or centering heroic figures.

A roundtable with Chicana/o Studies faculty, Drs. Victoria Gonzalez-Rivera, Brenda Lara, Roberto Hernández, a member of the Chicana/o Studies Student Association, and a MEChA student activist, will be followed by a small-group discussion and open conversation. Refreshments provided.

Organized by SDSU’s Departments of Spanish and Portuguese; Chicana & Chicano Studies; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; the Latinx Resource Center; the University Library; MECha; and the Chicana/o Studies Student Association.

We would like to congratulate Professor Norma Iglesias Prieto for receiving SDSU’s Division of Research and Innovation 2...
03/27/2026

We would like to congratulate Professor Norma Iglesias Prieto for receiving SDSU’s Division of Research and Innovation 2025-2026 Humanities Scholar Award in recognition of her outstanding research and scholarship. Felicidades!

Gracia Molina Enriquez De Pick Scholarship recipient, Claudia Lupita Lopez, will present her research titled, “Chula Vis...
03/26/2026

Gracia Molina Enriquez De Pick Scholarship recipient, Claudia Lupita Lopez, will present her research titled, “Chula Vista Bites Back: Working-Class Women Redefine Identity Within The Service Industry,” on Wednesday, April 29th, 2026 from 2pm-4pm at the Dean’s Office Conference Room (AL 660), College of Arts & Letters, 6th floor.
Please RSVP by scanning the QR code or visiting the link in our bio.

A Statement from the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies at San Diego State University:We are heart-broken and dis...
03/20/2026

A Statement from the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies at San Diego State University:

We are heart-broken and disappointed to hear the recent news regarding Cesar Chavez. Sexual abuse is always reprehensible, regardless of who perpetrates it. We stand with the victims and survivors.

As academics and activists we know that social movements are not the work of just one individual but rather the product of collective action. Engaging critically with our history is not a rejection of it, but rather the only way of assuring an accurate rendition of the past that takes everyone’s experiences into account.

As a department, we remain committed to fostering spaces of critical reflection, care, and solidarity. We will continue the work of building community with the goal of a more just future.

Moments like this one can bring up a range of emotions and questions. We encourage our comunidad to approach one another with compassion, to seek out support when needed, and to continue engaging in thoughtful dialogue.

SDSU Students can call Counseling and Psychological Services at 619-594-5220 or walk into Calpulli 4400. Urgent appointments are available during business hours (Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm). There is also 24/7 crisis support by phone.

The San Diego Access & Crisis Line: 888-724-7240 is available 24/7.

The Crisis Text Line is available 24/7. You can text HOME to 741741 to text with a live, trained volunteer crisis counselor.

SDSU Discoveries & Dialogues Colloquia!Wednesday, January 28th 2026 from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm in Love Library 430, Leon Wi...
12/11/2025

SDSU Discoveries & Dialogues Colloquia!
Wednesday, January 28th 2026 from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm in Love Library 430, Leon Williams Room
General public welcome!
Featuring presentations by:
Nita Umashankar, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Marketing
Victoria González-Rivera, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies
Katrina Pariera, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Communication

See if CCS 303 is the right class for your Spring 2026 schedule!CCS 303: Chicana/o Community StudiesTime: Thursdays, 4:0...
12/08/2025

See if CCS 303 is the right class for your Spring 2026 schedule!

CCS 303: Chicana/o Community Studies
Time: Thursdays, 4:00 pm – 6:40 pm
Location: Centro Cultural de la RazaLinks to an external site., 2004 Park Blvd, Balboa Park
Instructor: Professor Roberto D. Hernández

This course will provide students with critical analytical tools and hands on experience for the study of and engagement with Chicana/o Latina/o communities. In particular, we will address three key areas of inquiry: 1) the development of Chicana/o Studies as an academic field and its historical connection and commitment to working-class communities; 2) the grounding of a rigorous Chicana/o Studies in a commitment to social justice; and 3) the long-standing/ongoing debate and productive tension between theory and practice with regard to said communities, as well as competing conceptions of theory and practice from a comparative perspective. All three areas will be augmented by working hands-on and “in the field”, which is why we will meet at Centro Cultural de la Raza and on occasion Chicano Park in Logan Heights in addition to welcoming community leaders as guest speakers. We will examine traditional and innovative methods and issues in community studies, as well as interrogate different articulations of “community.” What is a Chicana/o Latina/o community? Is there agreement or consensus on the definition of such community? Is there more than one? How might different conceptualizations of what constitutes a Chicana/o Latina/o community affect social, political and cultural articulations and mobilizations emerging from said community? What implications might different understandings of “community” have for contemporary social, institutional, and political affairs? What are the implications for Chicana/o Studies scholarship?

CCS 350B: Chicana/o History is scheduled in Spring 2026! See the course details below:Instructor: Dr. Natalie Santizo, n...
12/08/2025

CCS 350B: Chicana/o History is scheduled in Spring 2026! See the course details below:
Instructor: Dr. Natalie Santizo, [email protected]
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Satisfies GE explorations arts and humanities [UD 3]
No prerequisites ~ Open to all majors
Active learning through primary sources, guest speakers, and documentaries

CCS 350B: Chicana/o History is scheduled in Spring 2026! See the course details below:Instructor: Dr. Natalie Santizo, n...
12/03/2025

CCS 350B: Chicana/o History is scheduled in Spring 2026! See the course details below:
Instructor: Dr. Natalie Santizo, [email protected]
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Satisfies GE explorations arts and humanities [UD 3]
No prerequisites ~ Open to all majors
Active learning through primary sources, guest speakers, and documentaries

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5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA
92182

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