National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies

National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies
Name	National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies
Abbreviation	NACCS
Formation	1972
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	United States
Region served	United States, Mexico

National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies is a scholarly and activist professional association founded in 1972 to advance research, teaching, and community engagement related to Chicana and Chicano experiences across the United States and beyond. The organization connects scholars, activists, students, and community members linked to movements such as the Chicano Movement, the United Farm Workers, and broader civil rights efforts, and interacts with institutions including universities, cultural centers, and nonprofit organizations. NACCS convenes conferences, publishes research, and supports advocacy that intersects with entities like the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the National Council of La Raza, and labor, feminist, and Indigenous groups.

History

The association emerged amid the Chicano Movement alongside activism by figures such as César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, and Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales, and in relation to events like the East L.A. Walkouts, the Delano grape strike, and the Brown v. Board of Education aftermath. Founders and early organizers drew on intellectual work from scholars associated with University of California, Los Angeles, University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, and University of California, Berkeley, while connecting to cultural production from artists like Rodolfo Anaya, Luis Valdez, and institutions such as El Teatro Campesino. Over time the association engaged with debates shaped by scholarship from Gloria Anzaldúa, Cherríe Moraga, Dolores Huerta, and public intellectuals linked to organizations including Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Coalition for the Advancement of Chicano Studies. NACCS chapters and caucuses expanded during periods influenced by policy shifts like the implementation of Bilingual Education Act changes and immigration policy debates involving the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 and later legislative and judicial developments.

Mission and Goals

NACCS articulates goals that align scholarship with community priorities, drawing on constituencies connected to La Raza, United Farm Workers, MEChA, and community-based groups such as Centro de la Raza and Mujeres de la Tierra. Its mission emphasizes support for research linked to histories involving Mexican Revolution, Bracero Program, Zoot Suit Riots, and migration patterns between the United States and Mexico, and seeks to influence policy debates involving bodies like the U.S. Department of Education and courts informed by rulings such as Brown v. Board of Education. NACCS prioritizes mentorship for scholars who work on topics related to bilingualism, borderlands studies, and labor organizing tied to the legacy of activists from United Farm Workers and legal advocacy by organizations like Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Organizational Structure and Membership

NACCS is governed by an elected board and staffed through regional chapters and thematic caucuses similar to structures found in organizations like American Historical Association, Modern Language Association, and Association of American Geographers. Membership includes faculty from institutions such as University of California, Riverside, Stanford University, University of Texas at El Paso, graduate students from programs at Brown University, New York University, and independent scholars affiliated with cultural centers like National Museum of Mexican Art and archives such as the Chicano Studies Research Center. The association institutionalizes representation via committees comparable to those in the American Studies Association and collaborates with groups like NAACP and League of United Latin American Citizens on shared priorities.

Conferences and Programs

NACCS convenes biennial and annual conferences that attract presenters affiliated with universities such as University of Michigan, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Arizona State University, and cultural producers linked to National Association for the Advancement of Colored People initiatives, and features panels on topics ranging from labor history to literary studies drawing contributions from scholars inspired by Gloria Anzaldúa, Rodolfo Anaya, Sandra Cisneros, and organizers from United Farm Workers. Programs include mentorship initiatives comparable to those of the American Educational Research Association, summer institutes modeled on efforts by Ford Foundation and fellowship collaborations with foundations like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. NACCS conferences have hosted special sessions on immigration crises, border enforcement tied to agencies like U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and joint convenings with organizations such as Association of Mexican American Educators.

Publications and Research Initiatives

The association supports publication venues and research projects produced by scholars working in fields connected to writers like Cherríe Moraga, historians influenced by Vine Deloria Jr. and Ruben Martinez, and legal scholars whose work intersects with cases such as Plyler v. Doe. NACCS-affiliated research circulates through edited volumes, working paper series, and collaborations with university presses including University of California Press, University of Texas Press, and journals connected to entities like the National Council of La Raza. Initiatives have focused on archival recovery linked to collections at the Bancroft Library, oral history projects similar to those at the Library of Congress, and digital humanities projects inspired by centers such as the Latino Center for Arts and Culture.

Advocacy and Community Engagement

The association engages in advocacy that interfaces with legal and policy actors including Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, ACLU, and civic coalitions like MALDEF and League of United Latin American Citizens, and participates in community education alongside organizations such as Casa de la Cultura and Community Services Unlimited. NACCS has issued statements and organized mobilizations related to immigration reform debates involving the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, detention practices overseen by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and educational equity struggles similar to campaigns by MALDEF and Chicanos por La Causa. Partnerships include collaborative research and service projects with museums like the National Museum of Mexican Art and cultural festivals akin to Cinco de Mayo community commemorations.

Awards and Recognitions

NACCS honors scholars, artists, and activists through awards that recognize contributions comparable to honors given by the American Historical Association, Modern Language Association, and regional organizations such as the Mexican American Cultural Center. Recipients have included prominent figures in Chicana and Chicano studies, literary arts, and community leadership linked to individuals like Gloria Anzaldúa, Rodolfo Anaya, Dolores Huerta, César Chávez, and institutions such as University of California, Berkeley and University of Texas at Austin for exemplary scholarship, teaching, and activism.

Category:Chicano studies organizations Category:Mexican American culture Category:Academic organizations in the United States