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ASB 2011-2012 - La Lucha Continua! Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Latino Social Movements

Basic Information
Application Process: 
ASB 2011-2012
Trip Name: 
La Lucha Continua! Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Latino Social Movements
Trip Location: 
Los Angeles, CA and Bay Area, CA
Air Travel Trip: 
No
Number of Participants: 
12
Trip Description: 

“From the depth of need and despair, people can work together, can organize themselves to solve their own problems and fill their own needs with dignity and strength.” Cesar Chavez

As conveyed through the quote above, Cesar Chavez was a successful leader because he recognized the power the most disadvantaged in our society can have when they organize. Yet, despite significant gains over the years, there are still tremendous inequities afflicting the Hispanic community. Addressing these disparities is a daunting challenge, but looking to past examples of collective action could help overcome that obstacle.

In the class, we will explore a wide array of past social movements within the Latino community in order to examine their strategies of mass mobilization. We will then shift into the present, and compare those same movements to contemporary efforts across the country. We will also discuss how the numerous methods available to activists have changed since the days of Caesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. Alongside that, we will also focus on how the issues at the forefront of the diverse Latino community have changed and shifted the movement’s focus and long-term goals. During the first portion of the trip, we will travel to Los Angeles to visit historic sites, interact with a wide array of organizations devoted to Latino activism, and speak with local politicians as well as experienced activists. We will then travel to the Bay Area to continue our interactions with local organizations and individuals and apply our knowledge through hands-on service projects. Our ultimate goal is to inspire students to get involved within their own communities by exposing participants to new, challenging and inspiring perspectives and experiences.

Trip Leaders
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Brenda Munoz

(Written by Maria) Brenda is a sophomore from nearby San Pablo, California who is majoring in Political Science. Brenda’s job as the Academic Coordinator for el Centro Chicano certainly keeps her busy, but when she’s not trying to calm down fellow students, you can find her at a rally, on the dance floor, enjoying the latest episode of The Big Bang Theory in Zapata or watching ANYTHING with Jessie Eisenberg. Brenda’s love for music and stand-up comedy is only rivaled by her enthusiasm and willingness to help others. One of the coolest things about Brenda is her devotion to social justice. She is a committed member of both MEChA de Stanford and SLAC (Stanford Labor Action Coalition) Additionally, if you ask her nicely, she may lend you her special edition DVD of The Social Network.

Maria Acosta

(Written by Brenda) Maria Acosta is a sophomore, from Queens, New York, majoring in History. She is part of MEChA, a Latino political organization which is the best student group ON CAMPUS! Maria is known universally by her friends as a bubbly, funny, and charismatic person. Yet, don’t let her small stature fool you. She can be pretty ferocious when provoked, so please refrain from saying negative things about the Yankees in her presence. Her deepest wish is that she had been born during the Greek and Roman Golden Ages, so she might have had the chance to consort with Socrates, Plato, and Julius Creaser. She is an anglophile at heart, and is a sucker for shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Mad Men. Don’t be afraid to stop her and talk to her on the street: she would be more than happy to talk about anything from politics and philosophy to Disney movies or 90s cartoons.