Staff Report
Chicano issues such as culture discourse, labor rights and the loss of ancestral lands are on exhibit through Nov. 1 at the Albuquerque Sunport.
The exhibit, which is made up of three panels displaying photographs, literature, artifacts and historical documents, commemorates the work of several Chicano leaders as well as the role UNM's Chicano/a Studies program in establishing Chicano Studies as a legitimate academic field. It is part of the Albuquerque International Sunport's Arts Program.
The exhibit is meant to highlight three themes the program recognizes as important components to the Chicano movement from the 1960s through today.
The first panel examines the origins of the Chicano movement during the 1960s.
It shows how the Chicano movement "arose out of more than a century of colonization following the war of conquest against Mexico."
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Photographs of Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers' union, and other Chicano activists are also included in the exhibit's first panel.
The work of labor organizers is not the only subject of the origins portion of the exhibit. It also includes a 1970 UNM alumni newsletter declaring the creation of the Chicana/o Studies program at the University.
The second portion of the exhibit explores the role of the UNM Chicana/o Studies Program at UNM.
Literature about various Hispanic cultures, a statue of La Virgen de Guadalupe and a copy of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo line the second portion of the exhibit.
The treaty awarded more than half of Mexico's territory - present-day Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of Colorado, Nevada and Utah - to the United States. Other portions of the treaty were denounced and violated by the United States shortly after it was signed.
The second portion of the exhibit also explores the cultural and racial ties between Mexicans and indigenous tribes as well as other cultural aspects familiar to many Mexicans such as cultural food and attempts at crossing the border.
The final segment of the exhibit examines community involvement, a key portion of the Chicana/o Studies program.
It featured a news article about famed Chicano activist CÇsar Chavez's travels to Albuquerque during a cross-country trek to support the rights of immigrant workers to unionize. The display also exhibits a short hoe, a farming tool that was eventually banned due in part to the humanitarian work of Chavez.
The final portion of the exhibit also displays work done by the UNM program to educate state prisoners as well as an award presented to two Vaughn, New Mexico teachers who were fired for teaching students about Chicano history.
