Chicano Studies

Black Issues in Higher Education, Sept 28, 2000 by Roberto Rodriguez

GEOGRAPHIC CHALLENGES

Dr. Antonio Rios-Bustamante, director of Chicano studies at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, says the Chicano studies field faces a geographic challenge. As the Latino population has exploded nationwide, such studies are no longer limited to certain parts of the country. Along with the demographic changes, the methods used in Chicano studies have greatly expanded, he says. In the 1960s, the study of Mexicans in terms of folklore or social problems was relegated to the past, as was the notion that Mexican Americans are not connected to Mexico. In the 1980s, there was a tremendous explosion in the field, with issues such as health, history, culture and gender added to the mix. The 1990s represented a maturation of the field.

Although the discipline has greatly expanded, research support has not necessarily kept pace, Rios-Bustamante says. Funding has to increase if it is to keep up with the discipline. Also, people of Mexican descent are now in places that people do not normally associate with Mexicans: North Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, Maine, Hawaii, Alaska and even in various Canadian provinces. If history is a predictor, there will soon be Chicano/Chicana studies in Canada, he says.

The needs of Mexican-origin or Latino people in these other regions, Rios-Bustamante says, are sometimes different than populations accustomed to Latinos. For example, the Chicano studies department at the University of Wyoming is working with the community to obtain a Spanish language license for "Radio Montanesa" from the Federal Communications Commission.

"Most of the state has no Spanish-language media," he says, adding that this is the case in many parts the country. "The existence of such media helps reinforce language and culture. Without such a medium, there is currently no information regarding health and education reaching this community."

And Latino scholars, indeed the research of the entire movement, can play a vital role in this, Rios-Bustamante says.

"As to where it evolves from here," he says, "greater equality and respect among all groups ... and peace in the world. Chicanos, Puerto Ricans and all Latinos need to play a positive role in this."

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