Dear Colleagues --

This update contains both very sad news as well as wonderfully exciting news about the IUPLR affiliated faculty. The response to the IUPLR monthly updates has been truly remarkable. We are delighted that so many of you have offered items of interest and announcements to share with your colleagues across the country. I encourage you to continue sending me notices both happy and sad that our community should share (rvaldez@ucla.edu).

The recent volume (vol 11 no. 20, 1997) of the CRM (Cultural Resource Management), a journal of the U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service, is entitled, "Exploring Hispanic History and Culture--A Dynamic Field." It is a wonderful effort by one of our national federal agencies to acknowledge and preserve the contributions of the Latino communities of the U.S. An electronic version of this issue of the CRM can be found through the CRM homepage at:http://www.cr.nps.gov/crm. I encourage you to take a peek at the array of brief reports.

Best wishes to you and your families for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Robert Otto Valdez, Ph.D. Professor, UCLA National Research Director, IUPLR 202-357-4328 Phone 202-786-2210 FAX

IUPLR E-MAIL UPDATE NOVEMBER 1997

IUPLR HEADQUARTERS NEWS

The IUPLR Headquarters would like to welcome the newest member of the IUPLR family, the Latino/a Research and Policy Center at the University of Colorado at Denver. The newly-created Center's mission is to develop a better understanding of the Latina/o communities in dialogue with the larger community, resulting in policy recommendations and changes which improve the quality of life for Latinos/as in Colorado and beyond. The co-directors of the Center are Dr. Estevan Flores, associate professor of Sociology, and Dr. Michael Cortes, assistant professor in CU-Denver's Graduate School of Public Affairs. The Center is composed of 30 Faculty Research Associates drawn from CU-Denver and other area universities and 20 Community Associates. Best of luck to the newest associate member of the IUPLR consortium.

IUPLR is submitting a call for papers for anyone interested in writing a letter in response to the Unz-Matta initiative, a measure designed to effectively eliminate all bilingual education programs in the California public schools system. If the initiative receives the necessary 434,000 signatures by December 1, it will be placed on a state-wide ballot in June of 1998 (e.g. Prop. 187, 209). For more information on this letter writing campaign, contact Gilberto Cárdenas, Executive Director of IUPLR, at (512) 471-7100, or e-mail h.alva@mail.utexas.edu.

Gilberto Cárdenas, the Executive Director of IUPLR, was listed in the October 1997 issue of Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the "One Hundred Most Influential Hispanics" in the United States.

IUPLR announces the publication of two papers from the Briefing Paper Series:

-- NAHJ Region 5 Convention (vol. 1, no. 2): provides an overview of a regional convention of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists that took place in Austin last April. The event drew more than 100 media-related professionals and students from throughout the state and was co-hosted by IUPLR.

-- Immigration Reform (vol. 1, no. 3): provides an overview of the one-day conference on the impacts of the 1996 federal immigration and welfare reform legislation on U.S. immigrant populations. The one-day event was held at the University of Texas at Austin campus and was hosted by IUPLR, the LBJ School of Public Affairs, the United Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Center.

Anyone interested in a copy of either briefing paper can call (512) 471-7100, or e-mail Herminia Alva at h.alva@mail.utexas.edu, or check the website at: http://iuplr.utexas.edu/.

The newest November 3 issue of POLITICO is now available. POLITICO is a weekly newsletter that provides informative accounts and news briefs on the top Latino issues of the day. To subscribe, send an e-mail to Politico1@aol.com, or call (512) 478-9341, or check the website at: http://iuplr.utexas.edu/.

MEMBER CENTER NEWS

Stanford Center for Chicano Research, Stanford University

The Stanford Center for Chicano Research would like to announce the passing of one of their esteemed faculty members, Lora Romero. Dr. Romero, 37, was a specialist in 19th and 20th century American fiction and Chicano/a cultural studies, who also taught gender theory. Her first book, "Home Fronts: Domesticity and Its Critics in the United States, 1820-1870", will be published posthumously. Before arriving at Stanford in 1993, Dr. Romero taught at Princeton University and at the University of Texas at Austin. She was the recipient of the Forester Prize awarded by American Literature, and was a member of the Modern Language Association and the National Association of Chicano/a Scholars. The Stanford English Department has committed $50,000 to establishing the Lora Romero Memorial Fund. Inquiries for donations can be directed to Dagmar Logie, English Department administrator, at (650) 723-2636, or e-mail at dagmar.logie@forsythe.stanford.edu. She is survived by her parents, Alice and George Romero, and a sister. The staff and IUPLR Network extends its condolences to the Lora Romero Family.

Chicano Studies Research Program, University of Texas at El Paso

Calendar of Events:

-November 7-10, 1997, The Third Annual Emerging Literature Conference will be held featuring literary analysis sessions, readings by poets and writers, and a workshop for educators that provides insights, techniques, and approaches to the teaching of literature at the K-12 levels. For more information, call the UTEP Chicano Studies Department at (915) 747-5142.

-November 12 and 13, 1997, the newly-created organization, Scholars and Writers for Social Justice (SAWSJ), will hold a teach-in. UTEP Chicano Studies Faculty, Michael Topp, and Milagros Seda will make presentations, in collaboration with labor unions on both sides of the border, on a variety of contemporary labor issues. For more information, call (915) 747-5142.

-November 19, 1997, University of Texas at Austin historian, Dr. David Montejano, will speak on "Texas Responses to the Hopwood Decision". He will be discussing proposed post-Hopwood strategies to maintain diversity at the University of Texas Law School, including their legal implications and their effect on Hispanic El Pasoans applying to UT-Austin. For more information, call (915) 747-5142.

Julian Samora Research Institute, Michigan State University

The JSRI held its annual Dia De Los Muertos Commemoration on Monday, November 3, 1997. The Dia De Los Muertos Altar at the JSRI this year was intended to remember and honor the first Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the Midwest: the Betabeleros (beet workers), who came to Michigan in the 1910s and worked in the fields in the most adverse and debasing conditions imaginable. Despite discrimination and social injustice, the Betabeleros' hard work and determination planted the seeds of the first permanent Chicano communities in Michigan, and their perseverance constitutes an example for future generations.

Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños, Hunter College/CUNY

Upcoming Tertulias of the Centro: -- November 6th: Puerto Ricans and Their Languages: A Discussion with the Authors of Three New Books. Hunter College West, 6-8 p.m., Rm. 217: * "Growing up Bilingual: Puerto Rican Children in New York," by Ana Cecilia Zentella (Hunter College) * "Puerto Rican Discourse: A Sociolinguistic Study of a New York Suburb," by Lourdes Torres (University of Kentucky) * "Exposing Prejudice: Puerto Rican Experiences of Language, Race, and Class," by Bonnie Urciuoli (Hamilton College, New York) --November 13: Jesus Colon - A Puerto Rican in New York City, 1917-74: Contextualizing an Archival Collection. Presentation by Linda Delgado. Hunter College West, 6-8 p.m., 8th floor.

For further information, please call (212) 772-4197.

Center for Mexican American Studies, University of Texas at Austin

Plática Series: -- November 13th: CMAS Plática and book signing for Devon G. Peña, associate professor of Sociology at Colorado College. Dr. Peña will be discussing his most recent book entitled "The Terror of the Machine: Technology, Work, Gender, and Ecology on the U.S.-Mexico Border." For more information, call (512) 471-4557.

Center for Chicano/Boricua Studies, Wayne State University

Center Director Jose Cuello has recently begun two projects: -- Study: "The Comprehensive 'Single-Center' Model for Latino Student Services in Higher Education: Eight Years of Experimentation at Wayne State University, 1989-1997," a report on Best Practices for Hispanic Education (To be published in Spring, 1998). -- Paper: "The Status Distribution of Women in the Social Structure of Late Eighteenth-Century Saltillo," to be read at the Annual Meeting of the Southwest Council of Latin American Studies, Havana, Cuba, March 4-8, 1998.

Recent Center Publications: -- Articles on Colombian Women Writers, in Revista de Estudios Colombianos, and in Actas del XI Congreso de Colombianistas, Bogota, Caro y Cuervo, l997. -- Article on Juan Jose Saer, in Cuadernos Hispanoamericanos 561 (March l997).

FACULTY NEWS

Dr. Enrique Figueroa, a Julian Samora Research Institute Scholar, was named the new administrator of the U.S.D.A.'s Agriculture Marketing Service on October 24th, 1997. As AMS administrator, Dr. Figueroa has the responsibility for facilitating the strategic marketing of agricultural products in domestic and international markets. Dr. Figueroa has been a Scholar of the JSRI for the last two years and is a contributing author in JSRI's book, "Immigration and Ethnic Communities: A Focus on Latinos".

Dr. Richard Navarro, the founding director of the Julian Samora Research Institute, has assumed the position of Dean of the School of Education and Integrative Studies at Cal-Poly Pomona after 14 years at Michigan State University. The new position at Cal-Poly Pomona will give him the opportunity to continue the work he began at JSRI, to move Latino research, gender, and ethnic studies into the mainstream of the academy.

Dr. Diana Rio has been promoted to a tenure position as professor in Communication Sciences at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT. Dr. Rio was also appointed to a joint professorship with the Institute for Puerto Rican and Latino Studies at the University of Connecticut.

Dr. Renato Rosaldo, professor of Anthropology at Stanford University, was elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences last April. He was officially inducted on September 27, 1997.

Dr. Yvonne Maldonado has been promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in Pediatrics at Stanford University.

Jorge L. Chinea (Ph.D. in Latin American History) has joined the Center for Chicano/Boricua Studies at Wayne State University as an assistant professor with a joint appointment in the Department of History. He is presently working on a book-length study focusing on race and labor in the Hispanic Caribbean.

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS

The Chicano Studies faculty at the University of Texas at El Paso has just published a textbook for survey or introductory courses in Chicano Studies, entitled Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis. The book was written by Dennis J. Bixler-Marquez, chair of the Chicano Studies Department, with professors Carlos Ortega, Rosalia Solórzano, and Lorenzo LaFarelle. This is the only interdisciplinary text in the nation that covers both contemporary issues and the historical antecedents of the Chicano community. It also is the only text that presents national issues in an El Paso and border-region context.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

The Smithsonian Institution would like to announce its 1998 Latino Studies Fellowship Program. This program offers awards to Latino/a predoctoral students and postdoctoral or senior scholars to pursue research related to Latino history, art, and culture using Smithsonian resources, while in residence at the Institution and through extended field work. Fellowships last for up to 12 months and begin on or after June 1. For application materials and information, contact Office of Fellowships and Grants, Smithsonian Institution, 955 L' Enfant Plaza, Suite 7000, MRC 902, Washington, D.C., 20560, or call (202) 287-3271. The application must be postmarked by January 15th, 1998. Additional information can be found at the IUPLR website at: http://iuplr.utexas.edu/.

The Smithsonian Institution and IUPLR announce the Humanities Fellowships on Latino Cultural Research in a National Museum Context: Issues of Representation and Interpretation. For more information, contact the IUPLR office at (512) 471-7100, or our website at: http://iuplr.utexas.edu/.

Grant opportunities are now available from the Department of Education. The following opportunities have been published in the Federal Register as "Notices Inviting Applications": -- Visiting Scholars Fellowship Program at the Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Purpose: allows individuals engaged in educational research to work at one of five national research institutes in Washington, D.C., for up to 18 months. Deadline: January 5, 1998. Additional information is available on-line at: http://ocfo.ed.gov/gophroot/4fedreg/1grantann/101097a.txt

--Bilingual Education Grant Fellowship Program. Purpose: provides fellowships, through institutions of higher education, to individuals who are engaged in masters and doctoral studies related to the instruction of Limited English Proficient (LEP) children and youth. Deadline: October 24, 1997. Additional information is available on-line at: http://ocfo.ed.gov/gophroot/4fedreg/1grantann/101597a.txt

--Bilingual Education: Comprehensive School Grants for New Awards. Purpose: provides grants to implement school-wide bilingual education programs for reforming, restructuring, and upgrading all relevant programs and operations, within an individual school, that serve virtually all limited English proficient (LEP) students and youth, in one or more schools with significant concentrations of these children and youth. Deadline: January 26, 1998. Additional information is available on-line at: http://ocfo.ed.gov/gophroot/4fedreg/1grantann/101097a.txt

JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Smithsonian Institution is currently accepting applications for Director of the Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives. The Center is the focal point at the Smithsonian for U.S. Latino studies and cultural programs, and will develop educational and public programs, sponsor research, collaborate with Smithsonian museums to organize exhibitions, and support training and professional development. Major responsibilities will include shaping the Center's relationship with the Smithsonian, with U.S. Latino communities, and with educational, research, cultural organizations, and the general public, as well as fund-raising to support the Center's activities. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume by December 1, 1997 to: Search Committee/Latino Center, Office of the Provost, Smithsonian Institution, 1000 Jefferson Drive, SW, MRC 009, Washington, D.C., 20560. Additional information can be found at the IUPLR website at: http://iuplr.utexas.edu/.

Associate Vice President for Research and Sponsored Projects. The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) seeks applications and nominations for the position of Associate Vice President for Research and Sponsored projects. The successful applicant will report to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. He/she will be responsible for overall leadership and administrative support of UTEP's research, and externally sponsored educational, research, and public service activities, and will work with the university community on conceptualizing, organizing and developing major efforts to secure external support. Screening of applications will begin on November 30, 1997, and applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The position is available as early as January 1998. To apply, forward curriculum vita, letter of application highlighting professional accomplishments and interests, and a list of four current references to: Provost's Office, Administration Building Room 310, The University of Texas at El Paso, TX, 79968-0587. For more information, please contact Alma R. Armendariz Administrative Secretary Chicano Studies Program University of Texas at El Paso Graham Hall, #104 (915) 747-5462, (915) 747-6501 FAX

or review the UTEP website at: http://www.utep.edu, or the IUPLR website at: http://iuplr.utexas.edu/.

Letters of nomination should be sent to the same address. The University of Texas at El Paso does not discriminate on the basis of race, color national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee invites nominations and applications for the position of Director of the Roberto Hernández Center for Latino Studies. Among the Center's missions will be fostering interdisciplinary inquiry, sponsoring conferences and symposia, strengthening student recruitment and retention, fostering cooperative enterprises with community organizations, and seeking funding from public and private sources. Candidates for the position of Director should be scholar-teachers in the area of U.S. Latino Studies, with substantial records of publication and professional service, and a commitment to community involvement. The application deadline is January 9, 1998. Direct inquiries, nominations, and applications should be sent to: Professor Gregory Jay, Chair Search Committee, Roberto Hernandez Center, College of Letters and Science, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, or call (602) 543-6044.

The University of California at Santa Barbara has an opening for a Lectureship in Hispanic Literature and Linguistics. The position is one of Lecturer with Potential Security of Employment, which, although not a ladder faculty position with research obligations, is a potentially permanent position, equivalent to tenure track. Requirements include a Ph.D. in an area of Hispanic Studies, Applied Linguistics, or Teaching Methodology as well as native or near-native fluency in Spanish. To apply, submit a letter of application and current curriculum vitae, and arrange to have three letters of recommendation sent to: Professor Giorgio Perissinotto, Chair, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, Phelps Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-4150. The appointment becomes effective on July 1, 1998. Call (805) 893-2865, or visit the department website at: http://humanitas.ucsb.edu/depts/span_port/departm/html for more information.

The University of California at Santa Cruz is soliciting applicants for an assistant professor position in Chicana/o Latina/o Studies with a social science emphasis. Responsibilities include teaching four courses per year, including a core course which trains juniors and seniors in social science methods and debates, and to contribute to the development of an M.A. program focused on community development in both Latin American and U.S. Latina/o Communities. Minimum qualifications include a disciplinary or inter-disciplinary social science Ph.D. or equivalent. The appointment is effective on July 1, 1998. Interested persons should forward a letter of application, curriculum vitae, a statement of research and teaching interests, samples of written or other work, course syllabi, and at least three confidential letters of recommendation to Chair, Search Committee, Latin American and Latino Studies Program, Merrill College, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064. Applications must be postmarked by December 10, 1997. Call (408) 459-4284 for more information.

The California State University at Dominguez Hills seeks candidates for an Assistant Professor tenure-track position, with a specialization in the Chicana/o experience. Candidates will be considered from the fields of Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, Gender Studies, and Economics. Qualifications include a doctorate in a Social Science, Ethnic, or Gender Studies discipline, ability to teach effectively in a culturally diverse university, proven understanding of the Chicana/o community, fluency in Spanish and English, and a demonstration of scholarly activities and published research is essential. Applicants should send a letter of interest, current curriculum vitae, graduate transcripts, three letters of recommendation and samples of published scholarly materials to: Dr. David R. Maciel, Department of Chicana/o Studies, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson, CA, 90747. All application materials must be postmarked by December 12, 1997.

CONFERENCES / EVENTS

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists, NAHJ, will hold its 16th Annual Conference in Miami on June 24-27, 1998. NAHJ is expecting over 1500 media professionals and journalism students. Themes will include the future of the media, computer-assisted reporting, and networking. For more information, call 1-888-346-NAHJ.

The Social and Public Art Resource Center, SPARC, in collaboration with the UCLA César Chávez Center, and the Center for the Study of Latino Health present the exhibit: Borders, Barriers and Beaners: Attacking the Myths. The exhibit hopes to expose the prejudices and misinformation of federal and state immigration policies that have emerged in recent years, and will offer an opportunity for Chicano artists and scholars to give life to the sentiments of our community in response to Proposition 187, and to open dialogue within the Latino community on the issues raised. This exhibit will be running from September 19, 1997 through January 31, 1998. The SPARC Public Art Gallery is open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 9 am-5 p.m., and is located at 685 Venice Blvd., Venice, CA. For more information, call (310) 822-9560, ext. 12.

The Plática Series events at SPARC: November 20, View Point Lounge at UCLA - "The Immigrant Workforce: Latino Contributions to California's Economy"; January 22, Santa Monica College - "The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo-150 Years Later"; January 31, "Son Pero No Son," premiere L.A. performance by María Elena Gaitán with Rita Baca Rochín.

OTHER

Important opportunity for Latino Leadership Opportunity Program (LLOP) students: Sarita Brown, the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, is searching for qualified young Latinos who might be interested in participating in the White House Internship Program this coming summer. For more information, call Maria Westfried, Intern Program Director, at (202) 456-2742, or Suzanne Dale at (202) 456-7060.

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists' 1998 scholarship applications are now available for students pursuing a career in Journalism. Since the inception of the scholarship fund in 1986, NAHJ has awarded more than $270,000 in scholarships to more than 200 Latino journalism students. Application deadline: February 27, 1998. For more information and to request an application, call (202) 662-7178, or e-mail, annanahj@tmn.com

Check out the "A Day Without A Mexican" webpage at: http://www.primenet.com/~artnaco/adaywithout.html. "A Day Without A Mexican" is a mockumentary about a fictitious day where all Mexicans in Los Angeles have mysteriously disappeared. Check it out!



INFORMATION COMPILED BY: VICTOR SAENZ Graduate Research Assistant IUPLR University of Texas at Austin