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Around Campus
The Latino student population
has numerous support systems throughout campus that can
be easily accessed. Students can approach formal structures,
such as departments and organizations, or they can learn
how to navigate through informal networks.
Mexican American Programs
Housed under Mexican American Programs, the USC Mexican American Alumni Association
(USC MAAA) is committed to the development of funds in order to provide
tuition assistance grants to all Latino students at the University of Southern
California. The USC MAAA was founded during the 1972-73 school year. A
group of eight alumni met with the President of USC to establish the parameters
of the organization. USC offered to match the MAAA's undergraduate scholarship
monies on a 2:1 basis ($2 USC - $1 MAAA). The USC Graduate School matches
the graduate student fellowships on a 1:1 basis (Restricted to Master's
Degree candidates). The initial fund raising event was held during Spring
1975. The First Annual Scholarship Dinner was held on campus and generated
$16,000. In 1975-76 the MAAA allocated the first group of scholarships.
Forty-eight (48) scholars were provided $1000 tuition assistance grants
totaling $48,000. During the 2002-2003 academic year, over $800,000 was
distributed to 250 students.
Latino Art Initiatives
In the early 1990's, students began discussing valid issues within the Latino
community. Students continued to voice their concerns and were finally
heard after the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The 1993-94 academic year was one
of concern expressed through petitions, rallies and educational programming
related to Latino issues on campus. La Raza Political Action Committee,
a confederation of Chicana/o student organizations and individual students
made several requests that would improve the Latino community on campus.
Such requests were the establishment of a Chicano Studies department, an
outdoor mural, and a memorial to commemorate the life of Cesar Chavez.
In April 1994 USC established a major in Chicano/Latino studies as a part
of the program in American Studies and Ethnicity in the College of Letters,
Arts, and Sciences. University President Sample also announced two Latino
Arts Initiatives; an outdoor memorial to Cesar Chavez, and an indoor mural
depicting the Latino contributions to southern California.
"La Memoria de Nuestra
Tierra" Mural
La Memoria de Nuestra Tierra, as illustrated on the cover is a mural painted
by Judith F. Baca for the Topping Student Center. Commissioned by the university
and dedicated on December 5, 1996, it depicts a landscape from a photograph
of the northern part of Los Angeles. Land is the essential framework and focus
of the mural. Often an image in the work of Judy Baca, the land here represents
fertility, as it stretches into the distance as a source of food for the people.
The river flowing from the kiva, changes to a freeway and then returns to its
natural state, helping to sustain the land. In the mural the land has been
stripped away showing in historical stratification the story of itself and
the people who dwell on it, included among the figures are several USC students
who were involved in the creation of the mural, as well as David Alfaro Siqueiros
and Diego Rivera.
Cesar Chavez Memorial
On March 25, 1998 the Chavez Memorial was dedicated in E.F. Hutton Park on
the University of Southern California campus. The memorial is a result
of the Latino Arts Initiative commissioned by the university in 1994. The
memorial, designed by artists Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee and Narciso Arguelles
III, is a plaque with the face of Cesar Chavez and lists the three dates
of his visits to the campus.
Program in American Studies
and Ethnicity
The Program in American Studies and Ethnicity integrates humanistic and social
scientific perspectives and brings them to bear on an examination of the United
States with a particular emphasis or comparative study of the peoples, cultures,
history, and social issues of the western United States. The program offers
four separate majors and minors in American Studies, African American Studies,
Asian American Studies and Chicano/Latino Studies and a minor in Jewish American
studies. The graduate program offers a Ph.D. for students interested in broad
interdisciplinary training at an advanced level to study peoples, cultures
and institutions of the United States in courses that integrate modes of inquiry
from the humanities and social sciences.
The Center for American Studies
and Ethnicity
Launched in Fall 2001, the Center for American Studies & Ethnicity at the
University of Southern California was created in part by a generous grant from
the James Irvine Foundation and commitment from USC's Provost Office and the
Deans of the College of Letters, Arts & Science and Rossier School of Education.
Affiliated with the Program in American Studies & Ethnicity, the Center
builds on their shared interests and often houses faculty and graduate students
that are in the Program as well.
The goals of the Center are
to foster diversity by increasing the pool of graduate
students of color who will go on to assume faculty positions,
to enhance the climate for faculty of color and other interested
individuals, and to enhance discussions of diversity on
campus. Towards these goals, the Center brings together
USC faculty interested in issues of diversity and ethnicity
with graduate students who have similar interests. The
Center provides fellowship support to graduate students
who then work with faculty as Research Assistants on a
variety of projects.
Latino Forum
The USC Latino Forum is an organization with several purposes that promote
networking among USC staff and faculty; to foster recruitment, retention
and professional advancement; to advocate for issues of interest to its
members; to promote the recruitment and retention of Latino students at
USC, and to serve as a liaison between the university and the community.
In 1987 the group was initiated by Diane Pasillas and Samuel Mark from
the department of Civic and Community Relations. Although the group was
first aimed for faculty and management level staff, it soon became more
inclusive to all Latino staff.
There are several other programs
and organizations found within academic units throughout
the campus that promote academic excellence for Latino
students or call for the progress of the greater Latino
community.
The Tomas
Rivera Policy Institute
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