Archives
This section serves as a repository for ALLA history and past business, including archived newsletters and documents. Please feel free to forward pertinent documents and or comments regarding past ALLA activities or his-and-her-stories to webeditor@aaalla.org. We look forward to posting any and all materials to our online archives.
ALLA Column 2004
- October Newsletter
ALLA Column 2000
ALLA Column 1999
ALLA Column 1998
Recollections of an ALLA President
By Dr. Steven F. Arvizu [September 14, 2004]
Along with others, Tom Weaver, Bob Alvarez, etcetera, I recall drafting and re-drafting the by laws. It was a creative, substantive and engaging process as we debated the naming of the Association, purposefully choosing to be an affiliate of the AAA. We came to consensus on the descriptors 'Latina & Latino', purposefully placing our Latina colleagues as conspicuous leaders and colleagues. We chose the broader and more international term Latino to reach out to others who share our language, cultural, historical, and community empowerment struggles. We also clearly placed ourselves into a position to ethically and professionally protect Latino populations when necessary, advocate for greater awareness on critical issues and to commit ourselves to mentoring others and to build bridges across generations of scholars.
There was a surge of energy and activity within the affiliates and the AAA during and prior to the founding of ALLA. I remember a major session on Chicano perspectives titled De-colonizing Anthropology at the San Francisco AAA Annual Meetings of 1975. We were scheduled for a Sunday morning, despite the fact that the official meetings ended on Saturday night. Our session went for four hours with a packed house. Those proceedings were eventually published by Octavio Romano at Quinto Sol. He, Tom Weaver, and Renato Rosaldo were discussants. Americo Paredes was ill and unable to attend. The panel included Diego Vigil (Marxist Theories): Juan Garcia (Symbolic Theories); Sam Rios (Action Anthropology); Senon Valadez (Applied Anthropology); Martha _________ (Psychological Anthropology); Steven Arvizu (Organizer/Chair & Educational Anthropology). I recall many sessions where Latina/Latino colleagues organized sessions and presented "emic/insider" research and ethical/community perspectives at AAA, SFAA and CAE sessions where it was a struggle to be our selves in the face of inadequate support. Despite that, it was exciting, synergistic and fulfilling to share precious thoughts, discoveries, and insights with one another, and other interested colleagues and friends.
We survived by unifying and supporting one another, because within the established institutions there were so few of us and we were often otherwise so isolated. Thanks for all of your work on behalf of our association. Many of our colleagues thrived, progressed and earned their way into leadership roles within the professional association, publication entities, and major institutional roles and tenured senior faculty positions; as well as in new roles as administrative and academic leaders and applied scholars. ALLA is our creation and manifestation, a support structure for our academic and applied community of scholars, our training ground and practice setting to assist and support many generations of colleagues. We were organized so as to affiliate and come together around issues that matter to us and our communities…be they academic, 'techno-economic-environmental-political-cultural' or ceremonial.
The annual meetings have come to represent gatherings where we renew ourselves through collegial relationships and through 'doing what anthropologists do estilo Latina-Latino'. Thanks to all of you for being there when others were in need, for doing a lot of the extra work necessary to create something new when the existing entity was not adequate, and for being yourselves throughout all of the changes, growth and development that occurs with each of us and our respective communities.
Steven F. Arvizu, Past ALLA President
A Message from the Late Dr. Enrique “Henry” Torres Trueba
Life History Excerpt Recorded by Dr. Steven F. Arvizu
[Interview of March 28, 2004]
Friends and Colleagues,
Always maintain your integrity! When encountering frequent “storms” remember that our communities and all of humanity are counting on you. At times it may seem you are being pulled down, but in our activist scholar reality consider it a strategic agitation; there in order to get you to rise to the occasion. Be attentive to criticism to analyze mistakes, correct them, and keep moving forward. Otherwise don't dwell on unconstructive criticism. Be empowered and defined by your own values & behaviors and stay motivated to meet the great needs of those you care about. Make your contribution!
Latino and Other Graduate Students, Future Applied Scholars & Academic Advocates for Minority Learners,
My fellow and future colleagues, Onward! You prepare for an important role and career, and you must prepare yourselves and engage with courage and take calculated risks when needed by fellow colegas and la comunidad . Do not be discouraged by barriers, conflicts, and difficult challenges. Sometimes we do need to make temporary compromises, withstand negative affronts, and yet continue to survive, to thrive, and to keep working for our communities, related causes, and the common good. Choose your stands carefully. Supporting one another will enhance your success. Now is the time for us to come together. In future weeks, months, years, we must invest in strengthening one another and in building a community of scholars dedicated to professional action beyond self interest and in service to our communities.
Leadership,
We all have leadership potential that must be wisely nurtured and strategically put to use. Even though leadership is an overused term it remains a powerful intellectual and human quality and tool for acting on our environment and its unjust conditions. Leadership is a synthesis of clear vision, direct and related goals, and the extraordinary exercise of free will for making personal, individual, and professional commitments with accompanying and necessary follow through and action. We must keep our word to those around us in order to create and maintain mutual respect. Firm and continuous effort over time makes a big contribution to improving conditions, to building understanding, and to the development of quality applied scholarship. Do not lose heart! Our people(s) will be counting on us to use the gift and talent of leadership to make the world a better place. Don't waste your leadership foolishly and selfishly…for our reputations should become a growing source of pride within our community of scholars. Shape the quality of your leadership by clarifying your own long term vision, goals and commitments, relating your actions to the contexts of your respective worlds of work. It is important to keep yourselves whole and healthy for long term and significant contributions in your chosen niches of education, academia, and beyond. Leadership –strategically developed and applied for those who move upward within the organization –
is an attribute above all others that enables you to succeed, to remain empowered, and to contribute energetically over time. You and your work make a lasting and significant difference to the world through the sustained quality of your efforts. So onward dear friends and colleagues, beacons of hope, tireless workers, and leaders all!
Que Viva La Raza! [Long live our people!]
Que Viva Nuestra Comunidad! [Long live our communities!]
Que Viva Don Enrique! [Long live Don Enrique! Forever forward and with you!]