Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social

Flor Crisostomo’s Keynote Address, MALCS Arizona Institute, July 22, 2010, Phoenix

Good morning Compañeras,
It is a great honor to stand before you in this important event. I start by thanking the coordinators for all your efforts in coordinating this historic event for us. My name is Flor Crisostomo. I Zapotec from Oaxaca, Mexico and I represent La Red Xicana Indigena, a member organization of the Continental Network of Indigenous Women of the Americas and the International Forum of Indigenous Women. I am a mother of three children who has lived apart from them since my arrival in the United States. I am an undocumented worker which has been placed on the lists of fugitives and criminals by this countries federal government. My crime is being a father and mother to my children and trying to provide a decent livelihood for them a right that is or should be entitled to all human beings.

Download complete address here

Chair Keta Miranda writes:

As MALCS defended immigrant rights, ethnic studies and domestic partners benefits in Arizona by cancelling our 2010 Institute in league with thousands of voices for justice, at the same time we committed our organization to support the incredible efforts of our Arizona colleagues. They have continued to focus on human rights and re-tooled their work to hold a MALCS Arizona State Conference illustrating the basic ideals of MALCS of bridging letras and cambio social.

Info for the State Conference that will be held from July 22 ­ 24, 2010 in Phoenix, Az is at their website (http://malcs.newcollege.asu.edu/) provides details of the agenda and workshops.

To enhance support to our Arizona compañeras, the conference will be on webcast! Additionally, the technology will allow for questions from a national audience to the presenters through real time on email. The Court hearing on the legality of SB 1070 underscores the urgency of the moment. The technological platform provides MALCS with the connections to mobilize support.

Stephanie Mendez adds:
the link for the Arizona MALCS Institute webcast page for national participants to join in the panel sessions. The website is http://live.asu.edu/2010/07/new-college-of-interdisciplinary-arts-sciences/.

Dear MALCSistas,

The past few weeks have been critical moments for our organization. With this letter I am hoping to provide you with both an idea of how we came to develop each of our statements and final position —to honor the targeted boycott by cancelling our national institute and to support our Arizona colleagues by holding a MALCS Arizona State Conference. Hopefully, by examining the two positions we can draw out what we need to do in the following months. By honoring the boycott, we recognize that any decision requires us to understand its impact and to find ways of putting into operation new forms of organizing and mobilizing, of finding ways of materially expressing solidarity. (more…)

Chicana/Latina Studies: The Journal of Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social will still hold Writing Workshops in July 2010 via web-conferencing.

To maintain the journal’s momentum and it’s vital status as the only interdisciplinary Chicano or Latino studies journal of a professional organization, the editors have decided to hold the Writing Workshops in virtual space or via telephone conferencing.

We encourage applications from writers at all professional levels, including tenured or mid-career professors. Facilitators are mid-career scholars with robust publication records and nearly a decade in editorial work.

Two Writing Workshops are offered this summer:
1) Creative Writing, a workshop facilitated by Dr. Tiffany Ana Lopez, editor of creative writing
and
2) Scholarly Article, a workshop by facilitator Dr. Karen Mary Davalos, former editor of Chicana/Latina Studies. Lead Editor, Josie Méndez-Negrete will join the virtual discuss during the second session. (more…)

Queridas MALCistas,

MALCSistas!  Please click here to take the Summer Institute Arizona Poll!

The Summer Institute of Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social is the highlight of the year for MALCS members. The yearly reunion of Chicana, Latina and Native American activists, scholars and artists from all across the country challenges our membership intellectually and creatively by sharing work and ideas; our presence at the Institutes have been the hallmark for creating and promoting our voices in the struggle for social justice.

Since the call for an economic boycott of Arizona has crystallized, the MALCS Executive Committee and members of the Arizona Site Committee for the 2010 Institute have discussed the various responses to the boycott. Many ideas have been raised (finding an alternative site outside Arizona, finding an alternative indigenous site in Arizona, utilizing technology, continuing with a re-structured Institute, etc.). Each of these ideas are our outcry of the passage of SB 1070 and other hateful legislation in the state of Arizona and nationally.

What is urgent is that MALCS support the people of Arizona who are holding the line at the state capitol, demonstrating, working on lawsuits, etc. We want to recognize that the struggle against the repressive legislation has been an on-going part of the MALCS members of Arizona.

As you know, the Executive Committee will work with utmost speed to respond to the membership, and therefore requires a quick response to the following poll.

Instructions for on-line poll:
1) To participate, visit: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SQCYF5V
2) Rank the four options provided “First,” “Second,” “Third,” or “Fourth”choice. Please use each response only once.
3) Please provide any comments you have in the space provided
4) Respond by: MAY 5, 2010, 5pm Pacific Standard time
If there are people who do not have computers, please invite them to write to malcs (address below) or share your computer with them so that they are part of our conversation

MALCS Membership
1404 66th Street
Berkeley, CA 94702

Thank you for your participation!

In solidarity,
Keta Miranda
MALCS National Chair

The 2010 institute…

Arizona State University, Phoenix Derechos Humanos: (Re)Claiming Our Dreams Across Contested Terrains July 21-24

The theme of the 2010 institute reflects our belief in the interrelationship between human rights and the urgent need to reclaim contested terrains and Indigenous homelands. In doing so, we recognize that dreams in our communities all too often go unrealized. The paucity of economic security compounded by limited access to education, health care, urban survival, and civil rights calls us to reflect, theorize, and organize to challenge the powers and inequalities prevailing in our communities and institutions. By contested terrains, we acknowledge the embattled contradictory borders and spaces of our everyday lives in geographical, spiritual, ideological, epistemological, political, and cultural arenas. We claim our rights to dreams, and to instill those dreams in our loved ones and to honor the dreams of those who preceded us. In order to fully learn from each other, we are creating a youth track that inspires and forges cross-generational ties. In the spirit of this institute we invite scholars, activists, cultural workers, artists, students, and community members to join us in envisioning the possibilities and actualizing social change.

Summer Institute website with full info is here

Call For Papers – click for MS Doc or pdf

Call For Papers – Youth Track- click for MSDoc or pdf

See new individual pics at the main site

Please see information at at New Mexico State University – http://malcs.nmsu.edu/

Program schedule is here (pdf), at the Summer Institute page, with lots of details.   It’s not too late to register onsite – just get your nalgas to Salt Lake City!

Site chair Dolores Delgado Bernal writes:

Those of you coming to the MALCS Institute next week might be interested in these articles about the Mestizo Coffeehouse and Art Gallery where we will be holding our annual baile. The gallery is also hosting a month log exhibit with art work from local and national MALCS participants.

“Mixed Use: Mestizo Coffeehouse re-opens with a vision” in Salt Lake City Weekly

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