A national Chicana/Chicano association made a stop in Albuquerque 14 years ago and broke its attendance record - it came back to try and duplicate that over the weekend.
The event held at the Hyatt Regency Downtown brought those interested in Chicana and Chicano research together to mix activism and academic learning.
The National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies Executive Director Julia Curry said the event's pre-registration was higher than usual and expected the on-site registration to increase dramatically.
The association had one of its first meetings in Las Vegas, N.M after becoming an organization in 1972.
"This is home, in many respects, for this organization," Curry said. "Albuquerque is a perfect place."
To support the conference and allow UNM students to attend the event, UNM's Student Affairs Division donated $3,500.
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"I think all of us are interested in helping students have the experience they wouldn't have if it wasn't for the additional help," said Eliseo Torres, vice president for student affairs.
He said he was impressed with the UNM faculty, staff and students for their involvement in the conference and appreciated the heritage, culture and history presentations they gave.
About 70 UNM students benefited from the donation. Twenty additional registration fees for UNM students were waived for volunteering at the conference.
The first full day of events began Thursday morning and the conference ended Saturday night with a dance. Two local bands, La Distancia and Nota Fuerte, were chosen by the University community to play.
"They kept saying they were really good, so we believed them," Curry said.
Maria Dolores Gonzales, coordinator for UNM's Spanish as a heritage language program, said this is the generation that didn't have contact with great Chicano writers and didn't know what went on in the Chicano movement. She took one of her classes to the conference to explore.
"They're able to go to this conference and see all of the other students or professors that are maybe going through the same things they do," Gonzales said.
The UNM community was involved through presentations, coordination and participation. Many times, there were six or seven topics going on and participants said it was hard for them to choose which to attend.
"NACCS is a very good opportunity for Chicanos to network among themselves and establish connections," said UNM student Veronica Calvillo. "You think you are alone in your area and then you find others that are interested in what you're doing."
Thursday night, UNM presented Noche Cultura, or culture night. Veronica Mendez-Cruz said the idea of the night was to expose out-of-state guests to New Mexico culture. She said the event was well-received and some performers got standing ovations.
"I think the participants were really impressed with UNM's interest and involvement in these kinds of conferences," Mendez-Cruz said.
Torres gave a welcoming address on that night's and urged people to explore UNM, the city and, especially, the Hispanic Cultural Center.
He said he is hoping the conference will attract more students to UNM for graduate school and that some had already shown interest.
"I think we are just going to see," Torres said. "Everyone was just so excited about UNM, Albuquerque and all that we have to offer. We're especially thankful for the student participation, not only from UNM, but from all over the country."
