CSUN CENTERS/INSTITUTES ANNUAL REPORT FORM
Academic Year: 2014-2015
Deadline for submission: September 15, 2015
Name of Center/Institute: Center for the Study of the Peoples of the Americas
Name of Director: Gabriel Gutierrez, Ph.D.
Mail Drop: 8246 Website Address: http://www.csun.edu/center-study-peoples-americas
College/Division/Academic Unit: College of Humanities/Chicano/a Studies
Office or Space Utilized by Center: JR 144A
Year Chartered: 1998 (Re-Chartered 2011)
Charter Expiration Date: June 30, 2016
Stated Goals of the Center:
Executive Summary
Provide a statement describing how the Center/Institute’s reported activities meet or align with
the Center’s stated goals.
Center for the Study of the Peoples of the Americas (CESPA) and Chicano/a Studies
Faculty attend Latitudes de Latinidad en América Conference at Casa de las Américas,
Universidad de la Habana, Cuba, July 4-11, 2015
Four CSUN Chicano/a Studies and Center for the Study of the Peoples of the Americas (CEPSA)
affiliated faculty, Dr. Alicia Ivonne Estrada, Dr. Martha Escobar, Dr. Francisco Tamayo, and Dr.
Gabriel Gutiérrez were invited to participate in the Latitudes de Latinidad en América conference
which was organized by Dr. Jose Prado, Professor of Sociology at California State University,
Dominguez Hills and Casa de las Américas (CDLA), an institute of the Universidad de la
Habana, Cuba from July 4-July 11, 2015.
This was a unique opportunity for several reasons. First, the focus of the conference was to
examine Latino/a Identities throughout the hemisphere with particular focus on the United States
and Cuba. More specifically the issue of identity was addressed in order to assess the points at
which various people of origin in the Americas negotiate their respective social positionalities in
regards to law, culture, economic participation, knowledge production, access to education,
access to health care, and other themes within varying national and state structures. Conference
participation from CSUN faculty involved scholarly presentations based on their respective
research.
CSUN CENTERS/INSTITUTES ANNUAL REPORT FORM The occasion also permitted the opportunity to introduce the book Latinos and Latinas at Risk:
Issues in Education, Health, Community and Justice, (Greenwood 2015) which included chapters
written by all four CSUN Chicana/o Studies - CESPA professors, 30 CSUN Chicano/a Studies
current and former Masters students, and was edited by Gutiérrez through a collaboration of the
Center for the Study of the Peoples of the Americas and the Department of Chicano/a Studies at
CSUN. Thus, it placed this book, and the work of CSUN Chicano/a Studies faculty and MA
students, in conversation with international scholars. Introducing the book to Casa de las
Américas is an important step in sharing our collective work with scholars in the Western
Hemisphere as CDLA functions as a hub for Latin American scholars, as evidenced by some of
our formal and informal interactions during the confreence.
The weeklong events allowed CSUN participants to work with Dr. Prado in proposing a
continued exchange between CSUDH and Chicana/o Studies/CESPA CSUN and Casa de las
Américas and the Centro para los estudios de Latinos en Estados Unidos (Center for the Study of
Latinos in the United States). This resulted in agreement in principle to host Cuban scholars and
students in southern California in 2017 and to publish an anthology, written by Cuban and CSU
based scholars on Latinidad through Casa de las Américas’ publishing house with Dr. Jose Prado
(CSUDH) and Dr. Francisco Tamayo (CSUN) serving as co-editors.
While at the conference in Cuba, and through the initiative of Dr. Alicia Estrada, whose
scholarship addresses the Maya diaspora in the Americas, the group of CSU scholars met with
Ambassador Juan León Alvarado, Guatemalan Ambassador to Cuba. This meeting allowed us the
opportunity to meet with him to discuss potential collaboration with Guatemalan academic
institutions regarding an international scope to questions raised by our collective scholarship.
This conference came at a historic time marked by changing relations between the United States
and Cuba. As such, given the future work, CESPA - CSUN is situated to continue doing
groundbreaking work as well as provide leadership in addressing international discussions
between the two countries. Conference travel and participation was supported by then Provost
Harry Hellenbrand. Panel discussions, public lectures, photo exhibits, and screening of
documentaries will be part of an ongoing result of CESPA participation at this conference.
Publication of Book: Latinos and Latinas at Risk: Issues in Education, Health, Community,
and Justice. (Greenwood, January 2015)
The book titled Latinos and Latinas at Risk: Issues in Education, Health, Community, and Justice
(Greenwood Press) was published January 2015 as a collaborative project between CESPA and
the Department of Chicano/a Studies. The book assesses quality of life issues for Latinos/as at the
turn of the 21st Century. It’s primary market and audience includes libraries that serve high
school and lower division college/university students. It critically examines multiple historical
contextualizations of Chicanos/as, Latinos/as, and indigenous communities and applies these to
contemporary themes. The essays reflect the tensions associated with the social constructs of
Latin American and US national and pan ethnic identities and how these attempts result in what
some of the contributors refer to as the attempted erasures of indigenous identities. These themes
become significant in the ways peoples of the Americas proactively assert their own humanity
where it comes to their respective responses to policy implementation in the areas of education,
health care, political participation, cultural affirmation and other areas. More importantly, the
essays reflect proactive, historical agency on the part of various communities as they work toward
positively impacting their own quality of life.
CSUN CENTERS/INSTITUTES ANNUAL REPORT FORM Latinos and Latinas at Risk contains 69 chapters, written by 42 contributors. Thirty-six
contributors are CSUN affiliated, including six CHS faculty. Twenty-eight contributors are
current or former CHS MA students and two additional contributors were CSUN CHS
undergrads. Several former student contributors have moved on to PHD programs or have
become faculty at other institutions.
A book launch event for Latinos and Latinas at Risk was organized by CESPA and held at the
Whittset room which was filled to capacity as it was attended by students, faculty, administrators,
and community members. The event included a welcome and introduction by Provost Harry
Hellenbrand, featured graduate student and faculty panels
Caravana 43: Normalistas from Ayotzinapa, March 19, 2015.
CESPA through the work of Dr. Alicia Ivonne Estrada, Dr. Martha Escobar, Dr. Francisco
Tamayo, and Dr. Gabriel Gutierrez arranged a presentation of student survivors of the attack at
Ayotzinapa, Mexico. This presentation was significant because it was the first US stop for the
caravan, making it a bench mark event for this campus.
Co-Sponsor of “Academic Freedom, Empire & the Settler Colonial State” March 2, 2015.
Panel presentation featurd Dr. StevenSalaita, Professor of Native American Studies and Dr. Piya
Chatterjee, Professor of Women’s Studies.
Presentation by Santiago M Escruceria, Mono Lake Committee Out Door Experiences
Program Manager. February 4, 2015.
Santiago M. Escruceria, Mono Lake Committee's Outdoor Experiences Program Manager, spoke
on the Mono Lake Outdoor Education Program, based in the Mono Basin Area, Eastern Sierra,
California. For 20 years, and 16000 members strong, the Mono Lake Committee’s focus has been
on Protecting, Restoring and Educating LA youth about Mono Lake. The mission of the Outdoor
Experiences program is to build understanding and appreciation for the Mono Basin/Los Angeles
watershed through education programs and muscle-powered recreational activity; to demonstrate
that balanced solutions are possible for meeting the water needs of people and the environment;
and to kindle stewardship through service projects that restore and improve the quality of the
Mono Basin watershed.
His presentation had a tremendous impact on CSUN students’ awareness of water usage during
this time of drought, as witnessed in their contributions during the discussion portion of the
presentation.
“Megaprojects, Hydroelectric Dams, Human rights, and Maya Activism in Guatemala,”
February 2, 2015.
Featured Speakers Concepcion Santay Gomez, member of Alcaldia Indigena of Cotzal and cofounder of Maya Ixil University and Giovanni Batz, Ph.D. Student in social Anthropology at
University of Texas, Austin.
List faculty associated/affiliated with Center:
Alicia Estrada, Martha Escobar, Francisco Tamayo