Association working to preserve Chicana and Chicano studies visits Denver

By MARISSA ARMAS

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    DENVER (KCNC) — Wednesday was the first day of the annual conference for the National Association for Chicana and Chicano studies. This year the conference is in Denver and is celebrating its 51st anniversary.

This is the first in-person conference the organization has held since the pandemic. Not only are there professors and students from across the country attending the conference, but local schools like Montebello High School and Littleton Public Schools are attending as well.

“A whole lot of stories haven’t been told, and your own backyard is your scholarship. It’s your community, it’s where you get the information, and your knowledge base, and with the Chicanx community coming from all over the country, we’re the scholars who keep that information going,” said Maria Gonzales, the chair of NACCS. “What we’re interested in is educating people about our diverse communities.”

Maria Gonzalez and incoming chair Deena Gonzalez, who are not related, are board members of the organization. They said it’s about telling the facts of American history like what happened during the Chicano movement in Denver.

Chicana scholar Melissa Moreno traveled from Sacramento for the conference. She understands the importance of passing down history, which is why she attended the conference with her daughter, hoping to extend her daughter’s education beyond the classroom.

“It’s just really giving back to the younger generation of scholars that are emerging,” Moreno said. “They continue not to have the adequate curriculum in our own schools, and this is a way of really demystifying some of those narratives that they’re exposed to in schools.”

Founded in 1972, the organization works to preserve and advance the interests and needs of the Chicana and Chicano community through academic programs, departments and research centers, and the work the organization does could be targeted in the future, if efforts to ban critical race theory continue, like what’s happening in states like Florida and Texas, where Chicano studies could fall under the category.

“I think there’s a remarkable kind of ignorance or lack of formal education among the politicians who are making the arguments that what we’re trying to do is create a kind of sameness or try to reduce differences in some ways,” said Deena.

Denver played a large play in the Chicano movement during the ’60s and ’70s. One of the most monumental sites includes Denver West High School. In 1969, West High was at the center of the student walkouts and protests, and it’s that type of history the organization is working to preserve.

“When we do Chicano studies, we center Chicanas, we center a community, and we work from there because it usually gets erased,” Maria said.

A conference helping people gain knowledge and history to pass down to future generations.

“This is an important conference to be aware of what’s happening in our communities, and really encourage each other and prepare,” Moreno said.

The conference is being held through April 2.

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