Elenamary

NACCS is the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies. Their annual meeting this year is in Miami, Florida. Alexi and I went in 2002 when the conference was held in Chicago.

It was inspiring and great to be around Chicano scholars. The mornings started at 8am and went until 5pm of scholars presenting their research on everything from “Chicano Studies and Community-Based Organizations: The Struggle for Raza Self-Determination” to “Gendered Bodies in Motion on the Border” to “Latinas and Latinos in the World War II Era”. I know these titles make little sense in some ways but the point I am trying to get a across is that there was research and groups for everyone. Artwork, films, music, literature, scholarly research on immigration, politics, queer studies, gender, you name it and it was there. I loved it. Even Alexi who is not into Chicano Studies as much as I am was excited to attend the presentations and events. We had planned on spending some time enjoying Chicago (and we did) but we ended up trying to go to as many presentations as possible.

This past week I submitted a grant proposal for funding to go to this years conference in Miami. My goal is to get multiple people there and one in particular who I would do anything to get there.

I want Seyd to see and experience all that is going on in Chicano Studies. I want him to see a future for himself in this realm. I think Seyd would be an awesome Ethnic Studies professor and I want him to experience all the exciting possibilities out there. I just wish I knew how to convince him. Plus, I can send Seyd to the Joto Caucus and have him tell me all the chisme (gossip).

I want my sister Cristina who is an activist in Texas to go the conference and meet with other organizers and other Chicana authors.

I want Cindy to go and see research from other Chicano grad students.

I want El Pocho Abogado to go to the Chicano Law presentations.

I want Nick to go and learn about other Chicanos who are doing research and working within the Democratic party.

I guess I want people to see others like them, and hear about new ideas. If I could only take one of these people it would be Seyd because while some people will gain from specific things from the conference I think every single presentation and event would instill a new moxie in Seyd.