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510 q N q NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CHICANA AND CHICANO STUDIES (NACCS) (1972– ) The National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies (NACCS) was established in 1972 under its original name, the National Caucus of Chicano Social Scientists. The organization held its first meeting in November 1973 at the University of California at Irvine. The members present voted to change the organization ’s name to the National Association of Chicano Social Scientists (NACSS), and during the third national conference, held in 1976, the membership renamed the organization the National Association for Chicano Studies (NACS). The most recent name change took place in 1995 at the national conference held in Spokane, Washington. The membership voted unanimously to change the name to the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies (NACCS). The preamble of NACCS outlines its vision of Chicana /o Studies, stressing its advocacy role in combining academic scholarship with political activism within Chicana/o communities. The organization further envisions the discipline of Chicana and Chicano Studies as developing an ongoing critique of what it calls “mainstream academic research [that is] based on an integrationist perspective emphasizing consensus, assimilation and the legitimacy of society’s institutions.” NACCS calls for its members to engage in academic scholarship and political involvement that examine and challenge the inequities and constraints of race, gender, class, and sexual orientation in U.S. society. The organization further calls for its members to develop new theories, paradigms , and frameworks for academic research that will provide a holistic, interconnected approach to systems of exploitation and domination and subordination. Relying on members to establish links between universities and communities, NACCS adheres to a core belief that “ideas must be translated into political action in order to foster change.” As part of its mission statement and bylaws, NACCS outlines six specific goals. First, NACCS strives to establish communication among scholars, students, and community activists. Second, it seeks to promote and assist the development of Chicana/o Studies university centers, programs, and departments. Third, NACCS works in recruiting and retaining students in the educational system. Fourth, NACCS also focuses on reforming the educational curriculum on Chicana/o Studies and integrating it into all levels of education. Fifth, NACCS develops mentorship programs for Chicana /o undergraduate and graduate students. Last, NACCS mentors university faculty to promote their recruitment and retention. The organizational structure of NACCS is based upon its general members, who vote for policies at its annual conference held at designated locations throughout the United States and occasionally in Mexico . Membership is divided into regional areas called Focos. Members vote for their regional representatives at the national conference. These representatives constitute the organization’s Coordinating Committee, which elects national officers such as general coordinator , treasurer, and secretary. In addition to the regional areas, NACCS has a variety of specialized caucuses: student, Chicana, lesbian, “joto” (gay), community, K– 12, and graduate student. A national office coordinates the organization’s activities. NACCS spans more than thirty years, during which many watershed events took place in Latina/o history. Many members have lived through and participated in the United Farm Workers struggles, the Chicana/o student movement, labor union strikes, and the anti–Vietnam War movement, as well as protests against U.S. involvement in such places as El Salvador and Nicaragua. Not only have NACCS members engaged in research related to these historical events, but many have been active participants and, in some cases, leaders. For example , many NACCS members were formerly student leaders who organized the high-school and university boycotts and protests of the 1960s and 1970s. NACCS women were at the forefront of the Chicana feminist movement and brought the issue of sexism to the center of discussion within the organization. As early as the 1960s Chicanas voiced their concerns as feminists within diverse Chicano organizations. The National Association of Puerto Rican/Hispanic Social Workers 511 q actual confrontation with NACCS came in the early 1980s when a small but growing number of Chicana undergraduate and graduate students began to join women of longer standing as members of NACCS. Chicanas brought the discussion of male dominance and sexism within the organization to both regional and national conferences, and these discussions led to tense political debates and personal attacks. Chicanas within NACCS were accused of being divisive and a threat to the organization. Lesbian baiting further complicated the attempts by Chicanas to address sexism within NACCS. During the 1983 national conference held in Ypsilanti, Michigan, a group of Chicanas met informally and formed...
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