It was Chicano studies.
Then it was Southwest Hispanic studies.
After students pleaded with Enrique Lamadrid on Wednesday night, he decided to name the program Chicano, Hispano and Mexicano studies.
Students vowed if the title was not changed from Southwest Hispanic studies, they would take action by protesting and discouraging high school students from enrolling in UNM's program.
"Changing it the way it has been changed, that's why people are here," UNM alumna Andrea Garcia said. "My identity, my faith in who I am as a Chicana is not shaken. But what you need to understand (is) we're not fighting because we're afraid of our identity being stolen. We are upset because (of) the way this has happened. This is a program that is of the students and of the community. And the underhanded backdoor way this has changed is what the issue is."
The same question was asked from beginning to end: Would Lamadrid put the issue on the backburner for more discussions?
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Lamadrid said he was unwilling to go back to Chicano studies for the program's name.
The entire new name will not fit in the University catalog. There is space for only 18 characters. Lamadrid said he will deal with that today when he creates another draft.
"That's the least of my problems at this point," he said. "We're going to go for the hyphenation solution and just putting up those three target groups."
Lamadrid said a catalog deadline pushed him to find a better way to bring more students to the program, and that could be accomplished with a name change.
Students said they were willing to help with fund raising and recruiting if that is what the program needs.
"We're ready to help whether we're working with you or we're working against you," Garcia said.
Community members, faculty and students argued Lamadrid did not get any input from them beyond the advisory board he created.
Arturo Sandoval, one of the founders of the Chicano studies program, said most students feel comfortable with Chicano, Hispano and Mexicano, but they have issues with changing the title for marketing purposes.
"The name of this game is numbers, constituencies, making demands, creating programs, finding money," Lamadrid said.
There are 180 students enrolled in the program's minor. Lamadrid said he wants to increase that tenfold to better serve the students.
He said there will be more discussions before the online version of the University catalog comes out in about three years.
"This is a lot of emotions, and we should give it what it needs, what it deserves," Ernestina Carrillo said.
Miguel Acosta, vice president for Albuquerque Public Schools' Board of Education, said community members need to decide on a framework for discussions so that a name won't be the ethnicity of the week.
"This thing has been a sleeper," Lamadrid said. "This whole project needs a wakeup call. That's one thing I think I've accomplished. My intention was not to stir up a hornet's nest. What has been proven is that a lot of people care about this program, and I need all of those people to move it forward."
Chicano/Southwest Hispanic was printed on the department's course listings, but Lamadrid said all online documents will say Chicano, Hispano and Mexicano studies.
