Chicana and Chicano Mental Health: Alma, Mente y Corazón

Acknowledgments

aCKnOWLeDGMenTS T his book could not have been written without the support and encouragement of Adela de la Torre and my colleagues in the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies at UC Davis, my academic home for the past twenty-three years. My appreciation to Angie Chabram, Miroslava Chávez Garcia, Carlos Francisco Jackson, Sergio de la Mora, Natalia Deeb-Sossa, and Maceo Montoya, whose commitment to interdisciplinarity and social justice nurtures my soul. To my colegas y hermanas (colleagues and sisters) Beatriz Pesquera and Ines HernandezAvila , who have walked along the academic path with me and were always there to watch my back. To the teachers and professors who inspired me throughout the years, Grace Chacón de Jaikel, Olene McCrary, Dave Caloca , Amado Padilla, Lonnie Snowden, James C. Coyne, and my mentors in graduate school and beyond, most particularly Ricardo Muñoz, Guillermo Bernal, and Carmen Carrillo. To the comadres who inspired, supported and filled in so that I could write—Regina Armas, Lesleigh Franklin, Rosa Granadillo-Schwentker , Ellen Lanzone, Marisol Reyna Duarte, Vilma Wilcoxen, and Susan Wilde—and the compadres who continue to throw light on the path— Ricardo Carrillo, Sebastian Espinola, Marcelo Esteban, Samuel Tabachnik, and Hector Rivera-Lopez—your clinical skills, solidarity, and resilience have nurtured and inspired me. You constitute my familia of choice. I am indebted to the hundreds of students and psychotherapy clients who taught me most of what I know. You have demonstrated that the spirit can be wounded but never destroyed. I hope that I have honored your stories and experiences in this book. There are many people who have touched my life, among them Rebecca Carrillo, Cristiana Arruda (RIP), Christian Brother, Camilo Chavez, and Margaret Santos; your stories, conversations, and time shared challenged my thinking and strengthened my commitment. W. Ladson Hinton and Enriqueta Valdez Curiel, your solidarity and research partnerships have enriched my intellect and academic and personal life. Yolanda Martins, Emilia Moreno, Gibran Guido, Monica Siañez, Elizabeth Covarrubias, Rosa Manzo, Oscar Ureño, Marta Flores, and Rosa Velia Gomez-Camacho, the new generation of scholars who will carry on the good fight, you give me hope. acknowledgments x I have been able to put on paper what I have learned over thirty years of clinical practice thanks to the love and support of my family, my son Alejandro, my daughter Xochitl and my son-in-law Tyron, and their daughters, Lei-Lahni Xitlali and Naturelle Idolly Henninger. My nietas (granddaughters) try to keep me in balance by reminding me that I have been at the computer too long and it is time to give them attention. Their unconditional love, sweetness, inquisitiveness, and spirit keep me going during rough and calm times. I am equally indebted to the two women and two men who were and have been my healers for most of my adult years, Carlos Stahlman (QEPD/ RIP), who guided my integration of the past into a healthier present; Michelle Ritterman, psychotherapist extraordinaire, who kept me on the path of health; Camilo Chavez, who showed me that mestizo and western approaches can be used together for healing; and Ratka Mira Popovich, who helped me integrate mind, body, and spirit. You have been the guardians of my mente, alma, y corazón. To the staff in Chicana/o Studies who keep me sane in times of great insanity: Alyssa West, Leticia Quintana, Kathy Hayden, and Alma Martinez . To the staff of the Center for Transnational Health at UC Davis, Linda Whent, Elizabeth Mitloehner, and Erin Weiss, your wit, support, and patience have made my life manageable. Kristen Buckles and the University of Arizona editorial staff, thank you for your understanding and support. The reviewers of the manuscript, whose careful reading and important suggestions have enriched the book, I am deeply grateful to you. Briza Perez, former student, research assistant, and reliable friend, your close attention to detail and the Chicago Manual of Style have made this book possible. A todas y todos quedo eternamente agradecida; I am forever grateful to you. Chicana and Chicano Mental Health ...