NACCS for Beginners #NACCS2024 #NACCSSF

Bienvenidas/os

The National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies is the academic organization that serves academic programs, departments and research centers that focus on issues pertaining to Mexican Americans, Chicana/o/xs, and Latina/o/xs.

Historia de NACCS

The Association was formed in 1972, during the height of the Chicana/o movement, calling for the development of a space where scholarship and Chicana/o students could develop their talents in higher education. For more than 40 years, students, faculty, staff, student service professionals, and community members have attended the NACCS annual conference to present their scholarly papers --many of which have spun into important intellectual pillars, and to network and find space to develop friendships and collegial relations.

NACCS Chronology (highlights)

• 1972: March, San Antonio, TX. National Caucus of Chicano Social Scientists (NCCSS) formed.
• 1977: April 18 - May 1, University of California, Berkeley, CA. NCCSS adopts new name: National Association for Chicano Studies (NACS).
• 1984: March 8-10, Austin, TX. First conference that featured Chicana scholars and scholarship.

• 1986: April 10-12, El Paso, TX. Chicana Caucus formally incorporated into NACS structure. The Cervantes Premio is established in support of student research.
• 1990: March 28-31, Albuquerque, NM. Lesbian Caucus formally incorporated into NACS structure.
• 1991: April 25-27, Hermosillo, Sonora, MX. First NACS held in Mexico. Student Caucus formally incorporated into NACS structure.
• 1993: March 24-27, San José, CA. Gay Caucus formally incorporated into NACS structure. Eastern Washington University selected as interim office.
• 1994: No conference held due to NACS boycott of Colorado’s anti-Gay rights amendment to state constitution (Amendment 2; NACCS submits Amicus Brief)
• 1995: March 29-April 1, Spokane, WA. NACS adopts name change to: National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies (NACCS). Gay Caucus renamed to Joto Caucus.
• 1997: April 16-19, Sacramento, CA. The K-12 Caucus and the Community Caucus formally incorporated into the NACCS structure.
• 1998: June 24-27, Mexico City, MX. Interim office agreement at EWU ends. No location is selected for replacement.

• 2000: March 22-25, Portland, OR. Updated Bylaws presented. Graduate Caucus formally incorporated into the NACCS structure. Student Presenter Housing subside introduced.
• 2001: April 4-8, Tucson, AZ. NACCS adopts official logo. Artwork by Andres Barajas. Coordinating Committee implements position of Executive Director.
• 2002: March 24-30, Chicago, IL. Members vote for first Chair-Elect.
• 2005: April 13-17, Miami, FL. Members at the conference ratify a new governance structure of an elected Board.
• 2006: June 28-July 1, Guadalajara, Jalisco, MX. Indigenous Caucus formally incorporated into the NACCS structure. Lesbian Caucus changes name to Lesbian, BiMujeres, and Trans Caucus.
• Members revisit the governing structure removing Research Divisions.
• 2008: March 18-22, Austin, TX. NACCS makes past publications available via Open Access hosted at San Jose State University. Proceedings from the 2008 conference becomes first online available proceedings. https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/naccs_archives/

• 2008: Resolutions pass to make the Immigrant Student Beca and for one At-large rep to represent Queer NACCS members on the Board.
• 2009: April 8-11, New Brunswick, NJ. First conference hosted in East Coast.
• 2010: April 7-10, Seattle, WA. First NACCS Book Award Winner.
• 2012: Antonia I. Castaneda Prize inaugurated.
• 2012: NACCS filed an Amicus Curiae Brief in support of Tucson's Ethnic Studies case. On March 7, United States Circuit Court Judge, A. Wallace Tashima, accepted our brief for the Acosta v. Huppenthal, CV-10-623-TUC- AWT. The State of Arizona was opposed to NACCS filing the Amicus brief. In his ruling, the Judge stated: "The Court concludes that permitting NACCS to file such a brief is likely to assist in this case, which is of general public interest."
• 2018: Labor Caucus formally incorporated in structure.
• 2019: Joto Caucus changes name to Jotería Caucus.
• 2020: Pandemic hits - Seattle conference canceled
• 2021: NACCS hosts first Virtual Conference.
• 2022: NACCS hosts its second Virtual Conference.
• 2023: NACCS returns to an inperson conference at Denver.
• 2024: NACCS returns to San Francisco!

Membership

The benefits of membership include:

• Ability to present and attend national and regional conferences
• Noticias de NACCS newsletter and other NACCS publications

• Participation in elections, governance, decision-making, and eligibility to run for office
• Exclusive information for members through e-mail and list-serves.
• Membership is valid July to June.

Types of Membership

• General (non-student)
• Student
• Library
• Institutional (departments, universities, or other units)
• Foco: Every member belongs to a foco.
• Caucus: Caucuses are voluntary and require additional dues to support their work. $5 Students, $10 General.
• Go to http://www.naccs.org/naccs/General_Information.asp

NACCS Governance

Since 2005 the NACCS governing board is composed of the following elected officers:

• Immediate Past-Chair
• Chair
• Chair-Elect
• Treasurer
• Treasurer-Elect
• Secretary
• 3 At-Large Representatives (1 representing Queer issues)

And the following appointed officer: the Executive Director.

Within NACCS, there are two types of sub-units: Focos and Caucuses each with member elected representatives/chairs.

What is a Foco?

The term “foco” comes from the “foco theory of revolution.” It was formulated by scholar Regis Debray - foquismo. The founders of NACS [sic], young faculty and graduate students influenced by Marxism-Leninist ideals, believed that change, or revolution, would come from small grassroots efforts which they called focos. The idea that in revolutionary transformation, one hand had to be in the intellectual realm - theory - while also in the practical world. In this case, the armed revolution.

In NACCS, the foco is regionally designated. The foco is the fundamental organizing unit of NACCS.

The Focos are:

• Southern California (from Santa Barbara south)
• Northern California (from Fresno north)
• East Coast (includes the Atlantic states and Canada)
• Colorado (includes Montana)
• Midwest ( includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, N. & S. Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin)
• Mexico (inactive)
• Pacific Northwest (includes Idaho, Oregon, and Washington)
• Rocky Mountain ( includes Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming)
• Tejas

The foco membership elects their Representative. Do you know your foco and who your foco representative is?

What is a Caucus?

A caucus is a voluntary unit focusing on identity and/or issue. Caucus members elect a Chair. The caucuses are:

• Chicana
• Community
• Rene Nunez Political Action Committee - COMPAS
• Graduate Student
• Indigenous Peoples / Knowledges
• Jotería
• K-12
• Labor
• Lesbian, BiMujeres, and Trans
• Caucus Estudiantista: Estudiantil Activistas

Member Resolutions

• Resolutions are written, discussed, approved and submitted by Focos, Caucuses, and/or the NACCS Board.
• Individuals may not submit resolutions.
• Resolutions may either address pressing issues of national significance and/or the organizational structure of NACCS.
• Following approval by the foco/caucus members, the resolution is submitted to the board for vetting prior to the annual meetings.
• The Board presents all resolutions during the conference either as part of a consent agenda or as a document to be voted on by the entire membership following the conference.

Conference Schedule

What is a Plenary?

Plenary Sessions highlight important issues and/or advances in Chicana and Chicano Studies. This is the only time in the conference when there is no other panel going on. There are three plenaries:

• The NACCS Thematic Plenary
• Student Plenary - showcase the recipients of the Frederick A. Cervantes Student Research Paper submissions (undergraduate and graduate).
• The Chicana Plenary