Memories of the Chicana/o Movement: History Harvest Day

Join us for a day of collecting and sharing memories from Houston’s Chicana/o Movement – let’s preserve our historias together!

Memories of the Chicano Movement: History Harvest Day

This in-person event is a great opportunity to learn about Houston’s Chicana/o Movement and share your own experiences. Join us for a day filled with memories and history at the Leonel Castillo Community Center. Bring any photos, documents, or memorabilia you have from that time to contribute to our history harvest. Let’s celebrate and honor the legacy of Houston’s Chicana/o Movement together!

One of the missions of the Collective of Progressive Educators (COPE) is to uncover little-known histories and undertold stories of the Mexican American and Latinx communities in Houston and the broader East Texas region. Equally committed to this goal is building community partners with academic groups, other nonprofits, community advocates, and civic leaders.

Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage (Recovery), as part of the trailblazing Arte Público Press publishing house of contemporary and recovered works by US Latinx authors, has led the development of significant local and national preservation projects. Drs. Gabriela Baeza Ventura and Carolina Villarroel have served as archival mentors. Their work and commitment to digital humanities also serve as a model that COPE strives to achieve. A big thank you to Mikaela Selley, who served as the Recovery’s Program Manager and cultural heritage archivist, consultant, and public history curator, who has provided invaluable conversations and mentorship to COPE.

AARP Texas, specifically with the help of native Houstonian Jennifer Barrera Wandrey, has provided generous financial and community support to COPE as part of their association’s outreach work in Houston. Our partnership with AARP Texas is a testament to Ms. Barrera Wandrey’s dedication to public service and longstanding advocacy for underserved communities.

University of Houston-Downtown’s Center for Latino Studies, led by directors Dr. Albert DeJesus-Rivera and Dr. Anthony Ramirez, highlights the experiences of first-generation Latinx students. Their role in uplifting the Latinx voices and experiences does not end with UHD students. They extend their uplift to the passionate Mexican American and Latinx faculty, like COPE members, who do their work within and outside of the walls of academia.

Our year-long partnership with the Historic Leonel Castillo Community Center and community activist Mario Salinas, who manages the center, has kindly provided their space to host COPE events. We are indebted to Mr. Salinas for offering his time, support, and mentorship to the members of COPE.