Chicano Programs on Campus

Rhetorical liberalism is omnipresent in higher education perhaps more so than in other sectors of the society. Nonetheless, the contradiction between rhetoric and reality that is characteristic of "America" is a feature of the campus, also. The existing interests and traditional structures have no intention of sharing power, providing access, extending prestige and permitting plural participation. Power must be taken, here, as elsewhere.

The institutionalization* of Chicano programs is the realization of Chicano power on campus. The key to this power is found in the application of the principles of self-determination and self liberation. These principles are defined and practiced in the areas of control, autonomy, flexibility, and participation. Often imaginary or symbolic authority is confused with the real. Many times token efforts in program institutionalization are substituted for enduring constructive programming. It is the responsibility of Chicanos on campus to insure dominant influence of these programs. The point is not to have a college with a program, but rather a Chicano program at that college. If Chicanos do not exert dominant influence over the program, better no program at all. For without the requisite control, Chicano participation provides an ersatz legitimization for the continuance of the pattern of dominant-subordinate relations that characterizes Chicano colonial status within the larger society. The demand for self-determination in higher education is not a question of puerile power discussions but, in this area as in others of community life, a matter of survival, progress, and dignity. The practice of self-determination serves best the interest of the Chicano community and the long range interests of society as a whole.

But old patterns may persist, the Anglo may move to deny and limit Chicanos, and there will be "Mexican-Americans" to serve him. Chicano faculty and administrators and even student groups, same as politicians, can function as "tio tacos", the store managers, radio announcers, police officers, ad nauseum. It is all too easy for programs to be co-opted, for them to function as buffers of denial and agencies of control; in that case better no program at all. Yet the colleges and universities, through Chicano programs may serve the community.

The premises for Chicano programs are: that the colleges/universities must be a major instrument in the liberation of the Chicano community; colleges/universities have a three fold responsibility: education, research, and public service to the Chicano community; only by comprehensive programs instituted and implemented by Chicanos, for Chicanos that focus on the needs and goals of the community will the larger purposes of the academic institutions and the interests of the Chicano community be served. These premises are in turn local particularizations of a wider system of values beliefs, ideas, organizational modes, and commitments to which the Chicano is dedicated. One of these that has a direct bearing on Chicano-University relations is that the concept of “community” is all inclusive. The Chicanos on campus are an organic, integral part of the Chicano community. Among Chicanos on campus there can be no distinctions or separations because of personal occupational differentiations. Moreover, the Chicano community on campus is an extension of the larger community. The base of the Chicanos on campus is the Chicano community. Participation for the Chicano means total access to institution & by the total community.

The primary goals of the various programs must be to serve the interests of the Chicano people through the in-stitutions of higher learning, In education, as in other matters there is one loyalty--the community; one criteria--service to La Raza. In higher education, the thrust is directed toward the creation of parallel institutions that are controlled by Chicanos serving the interests of the community. These interests are defined only by Chicanos. Education can not be isolated from other factors determining the situation of the Chicano in this society.

The base, the strength, of any action on campus depends on the Chicano community at that campus--employees, students, faculty, and administrators. This base must be well organized and the group must possess general agreement as to its orientation before moving to secure programs. Without a position of strength it will not be able to exercise con-trol over the programs and without unity of goals, the programs would be constantly in jeopardy because of internal differences. It is no accident that programs that best fulfill expectations are to be found where the student groups are strong, more sophisticated, and most demanding. Before moving overtly, the Chicano must assess the situation; he must be organized and committed, otherwise, co-optation and tokenism will result, The Chicano cannot depend on the good will and false promises of others. He must recognize that he will secure his rights only to the extent that he is strong.

Usually there are three preliminary steps toward the institutionalization of programs on campus involving the areas of organization, intelligence and advocation. They are for the most part political, in fact the whole process of institutionalization may be considered a political one:

1. Organize a Junta Directiva composed of Chicano students, employees, administrators, faculty and other members of the community to initiate, organize, direct and supervise all aspects of the institution's implementation of its obligation to serve the community, This will be the top policy and decision making body for the programs.

3. Secure from the institution the commitment that it will give the highest priority to the needs of the Chicano community, not because of morals or politics, but because it has the obligation as a public institution charged with serving all of society. This is not a novel responsibility but rather both a past and present one on which the institution has defaulted. The commitment must be clear as to the seriousness of the institution's intent in allocating its facilities, personnel and resources to bear on the de-plorable conditions that exist for the Chicano community and it must entail more than a strictly educational aspect. If the commitment is first made in the form of a verbal and private understanding between the institution and the Chicano Junta it should be in this form for only as long as expedient : eventually the relation must be overt and defined.

As pledge of the commitment in higher education a tan-gible first step is the designation of these programs ‘as Chicano or La Raza, in their descriptive titles. These are self denoting, affirmative and positive from the perspective of the Chicano people. These terms, Chicano--La Raza inherently embody the national and universal philosophical and ideological values and principles which Chicanos affirm as a people and that the programs are charged with fulfilling. Experience in organizing on and off campus suggests nine principal guidelines to be observed for the creation of satis-factory and viable programs. These fall into the areas of control, autonomy, participation and responsibility. The guide-lines by necessity are expressed in general terms and it is up to the local groups to apply them to the particular context:

1. Control: Chicanos must exercise maximum control over all programs initiated. This will be resisted, but with-out control the program is worthless. Minimum of control is a simple majority in the governing board, with the Chicano element holding the directorship. Optimum is of course total control, vertical and horizontal. This is not unrealizable for it has been secured in some programs. If non Chicano participation is necessary, then the Chicano element should have the right of nomination and selection of all participants. Policy and executive responsibility is to be held by the Junta; if there is to be a predominant element within the Junta, it should be the student. This insures a continuous fresh input and avoids the entrenching of personal interests.

2. Autonomy: The programs at the different phases must have the maximum autonomy feasible within the context of the institution. This applies to both operating procedures as well as structure, and also to traditional guidelines and conventions of the institution. For the programs to be effective, independence and wide latitude of operation must be assured from inception. New programs can not be hampered by old restrictions developed for different interests and needs. Often, as rational for denial of legitimate demands, regulatory and legal limitations are invoked. Often the only answer to this is pressure, until it is clear that for the sake of larger interests existing regulations should be changed. In addition to pressure, more politic means for bridging existing prohibitions can be devised. Once the Chicano programs become operational and their viability and attractiveness apparent, it is likely that other sectors of the college or university will endeavor to co-opt and restrict them to protect their own interests and maximize their area of operation. The Chicano programs must be as free and independent of all existing programs as possible.

3. Structure: The administrative unit under which the Chicano program operates should be the largest sub unit within the institution, which facilitates most the desired control and autonomy. The structural label is not important, i.e., college, center, dept., etc. What is important is the freedom. Lines of communication must be direct to the highest executive officer or body of the campus, and independent of existing structural hierarchy. In time, a top level general administrative position must be secured. If a designation or structural concept that suits the need doesn't exist, invent one.

4. Organization: Internally the Chicano operation must be designed for efficiency and harmony. The program or programs must be centralized in terms of ultimate policy and executive responsibility to maintain control, insure coordination and maximize the use of resources. Essential to the success of any programs is the reduction and/or elimination of unnecessary friction, duplication, and internecine competition within the program. Coordinating the program effectively means the harmonization of relationships with its sub-components.

5. Flexibility: Flexibility must be built into the programs in order to insure sufficient latitude for a constantly increasing effectiveness. As the programs unfold, experience will dictate adaptations, changes or eliminations; these must be anticipated. Moreover, flexibility must exist within the Chicano operation and in its relationships to the larger institution. Administrative options must be kept open.

6. Finances: Chicano programs must have a permanent adequate proportional budgeted allocation of funds from the institution. In addition, the freedom to seek and obtain funds independently must be secured. Not abrogating the strictest accountability, the programs should have the minimum of restrictions in disposing of these funds. The major decisions on expenditures belong to La Junta.

7. Participation and Support: Participation and support at every level and in any position must be open to all Chicano. It should not be restricted by temporary or artificial status. Participation should include the total Chicano community. Special efforts should be made to include sectors of the community not usually concerned with campus based activities. In every case the total community must be constantly informed as to plans and actions on campus and its active participation and support sought. Emphatically, when the situation arises that there is need for more support than that provided by on campus Chicano personnel, this support should be obtained from the Chicano community rather than from non-Chicano campus groups. This is not saying, reject all non-Chicano support or participation. Mobilize it, but clearly define the quality and quantity of this support and participation.

8. Staff: Staff for the programs must meet four qualifications: knowledge and expertise in the area of concern: experience in the field, sensitivity as a person, and a firm proven commitment to the goals of the programs and the welfare of the community. Delegated, specific, administrative responsibility is best vested in those who have an "overall" conceptual grasp of the programs and its goals. Any effort is dependent on the quality of the individuals involved. Unfortunately, some programs are already being subverted by individuals whose commitment to La Raza is questionable. Keep the “tios” and the reactionaries out.

Usually, at a certain stage, the specifics of the goals and structure of the Chicano program are spelled out in proposal form. There are two general types of proposals each according to the type of structure desired. Department proposals outline the framework for the academic unit, detail requirements, curriculum and the faculty resources, etc. They divide into five parts:

1) library resources, actual and anticipated. Proposals for centers, institutions, schools, colleges., etc., include thefollowing: introduction, statement of justi-fication, precedents, purposes, specific focus, components, administrative design, anticipated effect on current structure of college or university, relationship to existing programs and structures, number and criteria for staff, participating students, necessary research resources, physical plant, time-table for implementation, project budget, and regulatory changes. Proposals for Chicano units should be advanced by the entire Chicano group.

The type of structures possible for the Chicano programs ranges from departments to the ideal, a university. A Chicano Studies department is the best vehicle for the development and implementation of a Chicano curriculum and for securing the necessary staff. A department offers courses, either unilaterally or in association with other departments; it of course enjoys the autonomy proper to it. The department may be uni-disciplinary or inter-disciplinary; often the combination of both is the most practical and flexible. Centers, institutes and schools are organized around a broad multi-faceted program which includes academic and community service activities that cut across various intra-college/university boundaries. The college is perhaps the most suitable structure for a wide set of programs because of its defined autonomy in nearly all areas considered as integral for a viable Chicano program. Of course, a university is the optimum institute for Chicano higher education - and it will be realized i.e., Universidad de la Raza, Chicano University of the Southwest, Universidad Autonoma de Aztlan.

There are several external factors that effect Chicano programs which should be considered. Obviously the general political climate within the state is worsening. Reactionary attitudes held by politicians will affect the context of innovative programs, especially those whose mission is social and educational and whose focus are the disenfranchised ethnic minorities. To compound the problem, the institutions through which the Chicanos are trying to work are, per se, the current political scapegoat. In the area of public attitudes, there are several other factors influencing programs. Though the colleges and universities believe themselves to be progressive, often the

opposite is true. They share and harbor the more reprehensible idiosyncrasies of the general society. College and university personnel can be racist and reactionary, and so can sectors of the student body. They will refuse to accept the legitimacy of needs and corresponding programs that are not orthodox; further, consciously or unconsciously, they will endeavor to prevent and subvert them. One target where hostility can focus most damagingly is funding. Academic validity is another point of attack; often the question of standards, criteria, etc., merely cloaks racist attitudes and assumptions. Another focus of attack is the socializing aspects of the programs; by exaggerating their political content, critics can undercut their public support.

In some instances, programs are not only beset by difficulties from external sources, but suffer from within. Most of the problems are common to pioneering efforts of any sort. Experience indicates that problems and difficulties in the process of institutionalization are compounded when they are joined with similar efforts carried on by other minority groups. To date, joint efforts have been counter-productive; they should be considered carefully. The Chicano programs develop internal bottlenecks for a number of reasons. One is that the sponsoring individuals are not in full agreement as to the basic propositions of the program, and the implementation phase becomes the battleground for these disagreements. In some cases, difficulties develop from the lack of clear definitions of the roles of staff and students in the program. Of course, all programs are hampered by the lack of proper staff but many are undermined by staff who do not share movement values and who were hired without thorough evaluation.

In the last two years, across the state, student organizations on college campuses have addressed themselves to the following objectives: increased admittance of Chicano students, the vindication of their cultural heritage, the utilization of institutional resources for the benefit of the larger community, and the implementation of courses relevant to the Chicano. During this time a coherent set of vital components for a satisfactory program have emerged: admissions and recruitment, curriculum, research, publications and community action, The process has taught that in any and all programs the guiding determinants must be the principles of self-determination for self-liberation.

A modicum of success has been obtained at a few institutions, but these were not freely given and they were secured not without cost. The Chicano was here before and has been present these hundred odd years but it was only in the last two years that the institutions have been moved to satisfy their obligation to our community. This resulted because of the self-sacrifice, militancy, dedication and political maturity of student organization. There have been a few, isolated conscientious Chicanos who tried to gain the attention of the colleges for the community prior to the last two years. They were ignored, though the need was no less urgent, and the arguments no less valid than today. It is because of the spirit and style of the present generation that progress has been made. Adelante!