31st Annual Chicano Commencement
 Apreciando el pasado y cambiando el futuro = Appreciating the past and changing the future  The 31st Annual Chicano Commencement was held on Sunday, May 27, 2001 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/chicanograd/1011/thumbnail.jp

San Jose State University, Associated Students

English

SJSU ScholarWorks

San Jose State UniversitySJSU ScholarWorksChicano Commencement Associated Students5-27-200131st Chicano Commencement, 2001San Jose State University, Associated StudentsFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/chicanogradPart of the Chicana/o Studies CommonsThis Program is brought to you for free and open access by the Associated Students at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion inChicano Commencement by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact scholarworks@sjsu.edu.Recommended CitationSan Jose State University, Associated Students, "31st Chicano Commencement, 2001" (2001). Chicano Commencement. 12.http://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/chicanograd/12'V.IlIAr, 8A1Y.7tl', 21111' ~JiJD 11JiJ ~I1JiJ111JiJ ~WUf1/JU11BWlfJ1 ~/JD11/J111 -Chicano Commencement ·5-15U ·2001 Welcome to our 31st Annual Chicano Commencement. Today is a celebra­tion of success. triumphs. and life. We stand before you as the 31st Annual 6raduating Class of San .Jose State University. Our theme this year is Appreciating the Past and Changing the Future. All of us have taken dif­ferent paths to get to where we are today. We all have different stories. dif­ferent struggles. Yet. our life experiences and rich culture unite us. with our brothers and sisters of past graduating classes. and with those that have !::letto stand next to us. We understand that there is no future without a past. The future lies within our hands and it is up to us to make positive changes. So we reflect on those that have come before us: parents. grand­parents. mentors. and community members. For it is from them that we have learned the lessons of life that are not taught in textbooks. There willalways be obstacles to overcome. However. we must not forget who we are or what we are capable of. We should not be afraid of realizing our dreams because we will never be alone in our struggles: we have each other. in body and spirit. Our ancestdrs' souls and energy remain with us as ours will remain with those to come. Let us take what we have learned so far--through our par­ents and family. our professors. our peers. and community leaders--and appl!d it to make a positive. conscious. difference in our community and in our familia. Accept the challenge and continue to be the role model you are toda!d. Be the voice for the unheard and the hands of those that are not strong enough to take on the challenge alone. Let us never forget to see with both eyes. listen with both ears. respect our heart --and have others do the same--and keep at least one foot firmly on the ground while reach­ing for the stars. Appreciate the past. Reflect on the present. Change the future. We have the abilit!d. We have the heart. We have the soul. We have the strong mind and blood of courage. of our ancestors. running through our veins. Let us go out and continue the struggle and enjoy the beauty that comes from knowing !douVe made a difference in the world-­ that comes from appreciating the past and changing the future. Con respeto. Chicano Commencement Class of 200 1 Chicano Commencement ·5-15U ·2001 San	 -1ose State University - 31st Annual Chicano Commencement Officers CHA'R: DA II'D Rv,z V'CE-CHA'R:6ABR'ELA CARRANZA - FUNDRAISIN& & FINANCE-Chair: Patricia Rocha Vice-Chair: Adriana Duran - SPEAKERS-Chair: Marco Antonio Diaz Vice-Chair: Alouette Cervantes -PUBLIC RELATIONS-Chair: Irlanda Lua Vice-Chair: Ivonne Martinez -ENTER TAINMENT/DECORA TlONS-Chair: Danielle Contreras Vice-Chair: 610ria Valenzuela -ADVERTISIN& & PRO&RAM-Fall Chair: Ivonne 6utierrez Spring Chair: Ivan juarez Vice-Chalr: Herlinda 6arcia -FACILITIES ­Chair: Alma 6arcia Vice-Chair: Carlos I. 6utierrez - TREASURY-Chair: Anna Maria 6utierrez Vice-Chair: Margarita Bravo -CORRESPONDENCE-Chair: Marisela Moreno Vice-Chair: Hortencia jimenez - PLA IIUE/DANCE-Francisco javier Lopez Carlos I. 6i.Jtlerrez - CINCO DE MA YO-Mary Lou 60nzalez 6ustavo Vega -FILM FESTIVAL. Roberto Regalado. jr. · T-SHIRTS-Ricardo Peinado Carrera. jr. -POWER POINT PRESENTATION-Hugo Ramirez ,_8 j 8_ Chicano Commencement ·5--.l5U ·2001 Damien Trujillo Damian Trujillo is a general assignment reporter for NewsChannel II. He joined the KNTV news team in June 1996 and covers a wide variety of sto­ries for all of NewsChannel I I 'sdaily newscasts. In 1997he won the RTNDA Award for Best Feature Reporting. He is also the producer and host of Comunidad Del Valle, a public affairs show impacting the Hispanic Community in Silicon Valley.It airs Sunday mornings at 10:00. Beforejoining KNTV,Damian was a news reporter and assignment editor for KSTS-TV 48 Telemundo. He began his broadcasting career on San Jose State University's airwaves, KSJS-FM. He was a radio personality and the news director and producer for Radio Azt1an,a KSJS public affairs show. A California native, Damian was born in King City and grew up in Greenfield, California. He graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Political Science. He would also like to return to school and earn a master's degree in Political Science. After graduating high school, Damian almost became an auto mechanic until he was accepted to San Jose State University. He believes he did not receive proper counseling in high school with regards to college and likes to help high school students learn more about college and its opportu­nities. He is currently a mentor in the California Puente Project which helps "build a bridge" by providing information and counseling for high school stu­dents who want to go to college. Damian is a Board Member of the Hispanic Task Force for the American Heart Association. He is also a member of the KSJS Advisory Board and a mentor of Enlace, a mentoring program at Evergreen College. Damian has six brothers and one sister. E-mail Damianat:damian@kntv.com 8 -I 8­, Milriil Luisil Alilniz, Ph.D. ,''Illa [I I i II a Maria Luisa Alaniz, Ph.D. is a native of Stockton, California. She was raised in a single parent family of all women. Her mother was a migrant farm-worker. She did not have an opportunity to go to school because of her migrant lifestyle. Based on her experience, she made school a priority in her household. She taught her daughters that, as mujeres, economic independ­ence is necessary for survival. She did not adhere to traditional gender roles. She encouraged her daughters to read and perform well in schooL She served as a role model of strength and self - sufficiency. Maria Luisa's older sister, Consuelo Martinez, also served as a role model. She re-entered college as a single parent. A War on Poverty teacher training program gave her the opportunity to attend college. She worked full-time and went to school full-time to complete her BA, teaching credential, and MA, all with honors. Her tenacity and desire to become a teacher served as an inspiration. Another major influence in Maria Luisa's life was the social and political context of the 1970's in the Central Valley. Maria Luisa participated in United Farmworkers Union marches and rallies. During high school, she worked at the Stockton UFW headquarters. In college, she was active in MECHA and teatro. These experiences were critical in developing her social and political ideology: Maria Luisa believes that it is our social and moral responsibility to give back to the community. Maria Luisa has worked as a migrant education teacher and counselor throughout the state of California. She has directed two national level pro­grams, one with the U.S. Department of Education and the other with the Ford Foundation. These programs dealt with leadership training for women and college students. For the past ten years, she has conducted research on substance abuse and violence in the Chicano community. The object of the research is to develop policies that will improve our communities. Her goal as a professor at San Jose State University is to train teachers to work more effectively with the growing numbers of children of color in our schools. To that end, her courses focus on educational issues related to inequality, race, class and gender. She also contributes to the community's causes and organizations. She has served on the City of San Jose Human Rights Commission. She currently serves on the board of the Mexican American Community Service Association (MACSA). MACSA was recently authorized to start two char­ter schools: one in San Jose and the other in Gilroy. Maria Luisa is an active participant in the MACSA charter school initiative. Maria Luisa attended San Jose State University where she completed a BA and MA. After several years teaching, counseling, & directing various pro­grams, she attended Stanford University, completing an Ed.S. and Ph.D. Maria Luisa is proud to be a product of the Central Valley and to come from a farmworker family of all women. She feels blessed to have had strong and supportive role models in her life. She also feels fortunate to have come of age in an era of social and political activism. -. () .­Position:	 Assistant Director, Student Outreach and Recruitment Educational Master of Arts Degree, Counselor Education Background: San Jose State University, 1996 Organizations:	 Vice-President, Chicano Latino Faculty and Staff Association. Involvement:	 Chair, CSU Scholarship Program for Future Scholars,ChicanoCommencementAdvisor Advisor, Sigma Lambda Beta Fraternity Linda Advisor, Lambda Theta Alpha Sorority Ernesto Galarza Scholarship Committee Pascual Chair, WesternAssociation for CollegeAdmission Counseling College Fair Planning Committee Ortega President Scholar Scholarship Committee I began my career in 1979 as an Outreach Counselor for the Educational Opportunity Program at SJSU where I formulated recruitment programs for disadvantaged students. Currently, I am the Assistant Director of Student Outreach and Recruitment and I am responsible for the development and implementation of outreach programs and policies. I received my BA in Sociology in 1977 and MA in counselor Education in 1996 from San Jose State University. As an undergraduate, I was co-chair to three Chicano Commencements. In addition, I was active in MECHA, Semana Chicana, and helped to organize the Chicano Educational Pilgrimage to Sacramento in 1975. More recently, I have been active as an advisor to several Latino student organizations (officially and unofficially) at San Jose State University, I am the Vice-President for the Chicano Latino Faculty and staff Association; and sit on several scholarship committees. -. 7 .­· ·Chicano Commencement 5--.15U 200 I Henry .I. &utierrez Henry J.Gutierrez is Associate Professor and Acting Department Chair of Social Science at San Jose State University. He received his A.B. degree in Political Science from Occidental College, and his Ph.D. in Comparative Culture from the University of California, Irvine. In addition to San Jose State University, he has held positions in American Studies at ~ Occidental College and History at Stanford University. During the 1970s he participated as an instructor and project director at the Hispanic Urban Center, a community-based non-profit edu­cational organization, in a path-breaking effort to deliver cultur- I al in-service education to public school teachers of Mexican American children. From 1993 to 1995 he was the Resident Scholar for the San Jose State University History-Social Science Teacher Education Project. His involovement in the education of Mexican Americans dates from his participation in the Educational Issues Coordinating Committee in East Los Angleles Board of Education in 1969. He is the co-editor of Latinos and Education: A Critical Reader published by Routledge in 1997. I -. S -­I Chicano Conlmencenlent ·5-.15U ·2001 Marcos Pizarro teaches Mexican American Studies at San Jose State University. He is the son of Leonard and Helena Pizarro, the husband of Maria Esther Fernandez, and the father of Xochitl and Citlali. He wanted to share the following thoughts: "In the last 2 years I have been fortunate to work with and learn from an amazing, intelligent, and powerful group of Raza stu­dents at San Jose State. I would like to thank parents of the grad­uates for doing such a wonderful job raising these future leaders of our communities. We owe all of you parents so much! jFelicidades! "As Raza we also owe so much to so many others, so I want to ask us to thank all those who made our success possible. As Jose Antonio Burciaga's mural for our Chicana and Chicano heroes says, we owe thanks to 'all the people who died, scrubbed floors, wept and fought' so that we could be here. Let us keep all of them with us today; and especially those who walked out of the university commencement ceremonies in 1968 to focus attention on the overwhelming but ignored educational needs of Raza. The struggle, which continues today, is what Chicana/o Commencement is all about. I Marcos Pizarro ,..,.. 9 .,..,. Elizabeth (Betita) Martinez . .~ j~~;.'~-'~';.~. ;~. ;:.~ - .' ?F: .~.: Chicano Commencement ·S-.J5U ·2001 Ke~note Speaker A Chicana activist, author and educator, she has published six books and many articles on social movements in the Americas. Her best known work is 500 Years of Chicano HistOlY in Pictures, a bilingual history which became the basis for the video she co-directed. Her latest work is a collection of her essays entitled De Colores Means All of Us: Latina Viewsfor a Multi-Colored Centl/lY (South End Press). ,Other books include Letters from Mississippi and The Younge,~t Revolution: A Personal Report on Cuba. After graduating from Swarthmore College, which awarded her an honorary doctorate in May, 2000, she worked in the United Nations Secretariat as a researcher on colonialism in Africa; as an edi­tor at Simon & Schuster; and as Books and Arts Editor of The Nation magazine. During the I960s she served fulltime in the Black civil rights movement with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the South and as coor­dinator of its New York office. Later she joined the Chicano movement in New Mexico where she founded the bilingual movement newspaper El Grito d l Norte (1968-73) and co-founded the Chicano Communications Center, a barrio-based organizing and educational project. Since moving to the Bay Area in 1976, she has organized on Latino community issues, taught Women's Studies part-time, conducted anti-racist training work­shops, and worked with youth groups. She ran for Governor of California on the Peace & Freedom Party ticket in 1982 and has received many awards from stu­dent, community and academic organizations. She founded and is chair of the Institute for MultiRacial Justice, a resource center to help build alliances among peoples of color. Her daughter, Tessa, is an actress and co-founder of San Francisco's Latina Theater Lab. · AWARDS 1 g90-i!OO 1 · New California Media. for best Online Article. 2000 Scholar in Residence. Applied Research Center. 2000-200 Honorary Doctor of Law degree. Swarthmore College. May 2000 Scholar of the Year. National Association of Chicana & Chicano Studies 2000 Urban Habitat Program. San Francisco. 10th Anniversary "Courage Award." 1999 La Raza Centro Legal. San Francisco. 1999. Lifetime Achievement Award Center for the Study of Political Graphics. Los Angeles. 199B Historian of the Lions Award Alumni Resources. Inc.. 1996 Wave Award for Women of Achievement. Vision and Excellence Center for the Arts. Yerba Buena Gardens. San Francisco. for "Outstanding Leadership". 1996 Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan [MEChA]. 1995 National Conference. Lifetime Achievement Award. 1995 Hispanic Heritage Month 1993 honoree. KQEo. San Francisco National Association for Chicano Studies. Community Service Award. San .Jose. 1993 Chicana Foundation. Honoree for Outstanding Latina Achievement. San Francisco. CA . 1992 _0 fO 0­1 

31st Chicano Commencement, 2001

San Jose State University

San Jose State University
SJSU ScholarWorks
Chicano Commencement Associated Students
5-27-2001
31st Chicano Commencement, 2001
San Jose State University, Associated Students
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/chicanograd
Part of the Chicana/o Studies Commons
This Program is brought to you for free and open access by the Associated Students at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in
Chicano Commencement by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact scholarworks@sjsu.edu.
Recommended Citation
San Jose State University, Associated Students, "31st Chicano Commencement, 2001" (2001). Chicano Commencement. 12.
http://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/chicanograd/12
'V.IlIAr, 8A1Y.7tl', 21111' 
~JiJD 11JiJ ~I1JiJ111JiJ 
~WUf1/JU11BWlfJ1 ~/JD11/J111 
-
Chicano Commencement ·5-15U ·2001 
Welcome to our 31st Annual Chicano Commencement. Today is a celebra­
tion of success. triumphs. and life. We stand before you as the 31st 
Annual 6raduating Class of San .Jose State University. Our theme this year 
is Appreciating the Past and Changing the Future. All of us have taken dif­
ferent paths to get to where we are today. We all have different stories. dif­
ferent struggles. Yet. our life experiences and rich culture unite us. with our 
brothers and sisters of past graduating classes. and with those that have 
!::letto stand next to us. We understand that there is no future without a 
past. The future lies within our hands and it is up to us to make positive 
changes. So we reflect on those that have come before us: parents. grand­
parents. mentors. and community members. For it is from them that we 
have learned the lessons of life that are not taught in textbooks. There 
willalways be obstacles to overcome. However. we must not forget who we 
are or what we are capable of. We should not be afraid of realizing our 
dreams because we will never be alone in our struggles: we have each 
other. in body and spirit. 
Our ancestdrs' souls and energy remain with us as ours will remain with 
those to come. Let us take what we have learned so far--through our par­
ents and family. our professors. our peers. and community leaders--and 
appl!d it to make a positive. conscious. difference in our community and in 
our familia. Accept the challenge and continue to be the role model you are 
toda!d. Be the voice for the unheard and the hands of those that are not 
strong enough to take on the challenge alone. Let us never forget to see 
with both eyes. listen with both ears. respect our heart --and have others 
do the same--and keep at least one foot firmly on the ground while reach­
ing for the stars. 
Appreciate the past. Reflect on the present. Change the future. We have 
the abilit!d. We have the heart. We have the soul. We have the strong mind 
and blood of courage. of our ancestors. running through our veins. 
Let us go out and continue the struggle and enjoy the beauty that comes 
from knowing !douVe made a difference in the world-­ that comes from 
appreciating the past and changing the future. 
Con respeto. 
Chicano Commencement 
Class of 200 1 
Chicano Commencement ·5-15U ·2001 
San	 -1ose State University - 31st Annual
 
Chicano Commencement Officers
 
CHA'R: DA II'D Rv,z
 
V'CE-CHA'R:6ABR'ELA CARRANZA
 
- FUNDRAISIN& & FINANCE-
Chair: Patricia Rocha
 
Vice-Chair: Adriana Duran
 
- SPEAKERS-

Chair: Marco Antonio Diaz 
Vice-Chair: Alouette Cervantes 
-PUBLIC RELATIONS-
Chair: Irlanda Lua
 
Vice-Chair: Ivonne Martinez
 
-ENTER TAINMENT/DECORA TlONS-
Chair: Danielle Contreras
 
Vice-Chair: 610ria Valenzuela
 
-ADVERTISIN& & PRO&RAM-
Fall Chair: Ivonne 6utierrez
 
Spring Chair: Ivan juarez
 
Vice-Chalr: Herlinda 6arcia
 
-FACILITIES ­
Chair: Alma 6arcia
 
Vice-Chair: Carlos I. 6utierrez
 
- TREASURY-
Chair: Anna Maria 6utierrez 
Vice-Chair: Margarita Bravo 
-CORRESPONDENCE-

Chair: Marisela Moreno 
Vice-Chair: Hortencia jimenez 
- PLA IIUE/DANCE-
Francisco javier Lopez
 
Carlos I. 6i.Jtlerrez
 
- CINCO DE MA YO-
Mary Lou 60nzalez 
6ustavo Vega 
-FILM FESTIVAL. 
Roberto Regalado. jr. 
· T-SHIRTS-
Ricardo Peinado Carrera. jr. 
-POWER POINT PRESENTATION-
Hugo Ramirez 
,_8 j 8_ 
Chicano Commencement ·5--.l5U ·2001 
Damien
 
Trujillo
 
Damian Trujillo is a general assignment reporter for NewsChannel II. He 
joined the KNTV news team in June 1996 and covers a wide variety of sto­
ries for all of NewsChannel I I 'sdaily newscasts. In 1997he won the RTNDA 
Award for Best Feature Reporting. He is also the producer and host of 
Comunidad Del Valle, a public affairs show impacting the Hispanic 
Community in Silicon Valley.It airs Sunday mornings at 10:00. 
Beforejoining KNTV,Damian was a news reporter and assignment editor for 
KSTS-TV 48 Telemundo. He began his broadcasting career on San Jose State 
University's airwaves, KSJS-FM. He was a radio personality and the news 
director and producer for Radio Azt1an,a KSJS public affairs show. 
A California native, Damian was born in King City and grew up in 
Greenfield, California. He graduated from San Jose State University with a 
Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Political 
Science. 
He would also like to return to school and earn a master's degree in Political 
Science. After graduating high school, Damian almost became an auto 
mechanic until he was accepted to San Jose State University. He believes he 
did not receive proper counseling in high school with regards to college and 
likes to help high school students learn more about college and its opportu­
nities. He is currently a mentor in the California Puente Project which helps 
"build a bridge" by providing information and counseling for high school stu­
dents who want to go to college. 
Damian is a Board Member of the Hispanic Task Force for the American 
Heart Association. He is also a member of the KSJS Advisory Board and a 
mentor of Enlace, a mentoring program at Evergreen College. Damian has six 
brothers and one sister. 
E-mail Damianat:damian@kntv.com 
8 -I 8­
,
 
Milriil Luisil
 
Alilniz, Ph.D.
 
,''Illa [I I i II a 
Maria Luisa Alaniz, Ph.D. is a native of Stockton, California. She was raised 
in a single parent family of all women. Her mother was a migrant farm-
worker. She did not have an opportunity to go to school because of her 
migrant lifestyle. Based on her experience, she made school a priority in her 
household. She taught her daughters that, as mujeres, economic independ­
ence is necessary for survival. She did not adhere to traditional gender roles. 
She encouraged her daughters to read and perform well in schooL She served 
as a role model of strength and self - sufficiency. 
Maria Luisa's older sister, Consuelo Martinez, also served as a role model. 
She re-entered college as a single parent. A War on Poverty teacher training 
program gave her the opportunity to attend college. She worked full-time 
and went to school full-time to complete her BA, teaching credential, and 
MA, all with honors. Her tenacity and desire to become a teacher served as 
an inspiration. 
Another major influence in Maria Luisa's life was the social and political 
context of the 1970's in the Central Valley. Maria Luisa participated in 
United Farmworkers Union marches and rallies. During high school, she 
worked at the Stockton UFW headquarters. In college, she was active in 
MECHA and teatro. These experiences were critical in developing her social 
and political ideology: Maria Luisa believes that it is our social and moral 
responsibility to give back to the community. 
Maria Luisa has worked as a migrant education teacher and counselor 
throughout the state of California. She has directed two national level pro­
grams, one with the U.S. Department of Education and the other with the 
Ford Foundation. These programs dealt with leadership training for women 
and college students. For the past ten years, she has conducted research on 
substance abuse and violence in the Chicano community. The object of the 
research is to develop policies that will improve our communities. Her goal 
as a professor at San Jose State University is to train teachers to work more 
effectively with the growing numbers of children of color in our schools. To 
that end, her courses focus on educational issues related to inequality, race, 
class and gender. 
She also contributes to the community's causes and organizations. She has 
served on the City of San Jose Human Rights Commission. She currently 
serves on the board of the Mexican American Community Service 
Association (MACSA). MACSA was recently authorized to start two char­
ter schools: one in San Jose and the other in Gilroy. Maria Luisa is an active 
participant in the MACSA charter school initiative. 
Maria Luisa attended San Jose State University where she completed a BA 
and MA. After several years teaching, counseling, & directing various pro­
grams, she attended Stanford University, completing an Ed.S. and Ph.D. 
Maria Luisa is proud to be a product of the Central Valley and to come from 
a farmworker family of all women. She feels blessed to have had strong and 
supportive role models in her life. She also feels fortunate to have come of 
age in an era of social and political activism. 
-. () .­
Position:	 Assistant Director, Student Outreach and 
Recruitment 
Educational Master of Arts Degree, Counselor Education 
Background: San Jose State University, 1996 
Organizations:	 Vice-President, Chicano Latino Faculty and 
Staff Association. 
Involvement:	 Chair, CSU Scholarship Program for Future 
Scholars,ChicanoCommencementAdvisor 
Advisor, Sigma Lambda Beta Fraternity Linda 
Advisor, Lambda Theta Alpha Sorority 
Ernesto Galarza Scholarship Committee Pascual 
Chair, WesternAssociation for CollegeAdmission 
Counseling College Fair Planning Committee Ortega 
President Scholar Scholarship Committee 
I began my career in 1979 as an Outreach Counselor for the Educational 
Opportunity Program at SJSU where I formulated recruitment programs for 
disadvantaged students. Currently, I am the Assistant Director of Student 
Outreach and Recruitment and I am responsible for the development and 
implementation of outreach programs and policies. I received my BA in 
Sociology in 1977 and MA in counselor Education in 1996 from San Jose 
State University. As an undergraduate, I was co-chair to three Chicano 
Commencements. In addition, I was active in MECHA, Semana Chicana, 
and helped to organize the Chicano Educational Pilgrimage to Sacramento in 
1975. 
More recently, I have been active as an advisor to several Latino student 
organizations (officially and unofficially) at San Jose State University, I am 
the Vice-President for the Chicano Latino Faculty and staff Association; and 
sit on several scholarship committees. 
-. 7 .­
· ·
Chicano Commencement 5--.15U 200 I 
Henry .I. 
&utierrez 
Henry J.Gutierrez is Associate Professor and Acting Department 
Chair of Social Science at San Jose State University. He 
received his A.B. degree in Political Science from Occidental 
College, and his Ph.D. in Comparative Culture from the 
University of California, Irvine. In addition to San Jose State 
University, he has held positions in American Studies at ~ 
Occidental College and History at Stanford University. During 
the 1970s he participated as an instructor and project director at 
the Hispanic Urban Center, a community-based non-profit edu­
cational organization, in a path-breaking effort to deliver cultur- I 
al in-service education to public school teachers of Mexican 
American children. From 1993 to 1995 he was the Resident 
Scholar for the San Jose State University History-Social Science 
Teacher Education Project. His involovement in the education of 
Mexican Americans dates from his participation in the 
Educational Issues Coordinating Committee in East Los 
Angleles Board of Education in 1969. He is the co-editor of 
Latinos and Education: A Critical Reader published by 
Routledge in 1997. 
I -. S -­
I 
Chicano Conlmencenlent ·5-.15U ·2001 
Marcos Pizarro teaches Mexican American Studies at San Jose 
State University. He is the son of Leonard and Helena Pizarro, 
the husband of Maria Esther Fernandez, and the father of 
Xochitl and Citlali. He wanted to share the following thoughts: 
"In the last 2 years I have been fortunate to work with and learn 
from an amazing, intelligent, and powerful group of Raza stu­
dents at San Jose State. I would like to thank parents of the grad­
uates for doing such a wonderful job raising these future leaders 
of our communities. We owe all of you parents so much! 
jFelicidades! 
"As Raza we also owe so much to so many others, so I want to 
ask us to thank all those who made our success possible. As Jose 
Antonio Burciaga's mural for our Chicana and Chicano heroes 
says, we owe thanks to 'all the people who died, scrubbed 
floors, wept and fought' so that we could be here. Let us keep all 
of them with us today; and especially those who walked out of 
the university commencement ceremonies in 1968 to focus 
attention on the overwhelming but ignored educational needs of 
Raza. The struggle, which continues today, is what Chicana/o 
Commencement is all about. 
I 
Marcos 
Pizarro 
,..,.. 9 .,..,. 
Elizabeth 
(Betita) 
Martinez 
. .~ j~~;.'~-'~';.~. ;~. ;:.~ - .' ?F: .~.: 
Chicano Commencement ·S-.J5U ·2001 
Ke~note Speaker 
A Chicana activist, author and educator, she has published six books and many 
articles on social movements in the Americas. Her best known work is 500 Years 
of Chicano HistOlY in Pictures, a bilingual history which became the basis for the 
video she co-directed. Her latest work is a collection of her essays entitled De 
Colores Means All of Us: Latina Viewsfor a Multi-Colored Centl/lY (South End 
Press). ,Other books include Letters from Mississippi and The Younge,~t 
Revolution: A Personal Report on Cuba. After graduating from Swarthmore 
College, which awarded her an honorary doctorate in May, 2000, she worked in 
the United Nations Secretariat as a researcher on colonialism in Africa; as an edi­
tor at Simon & Schuster; and as Books and Arts Editor of The Nation magazine. 
During the I960s she served fulltime in the Black civil rights movement with the 
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the South and as coor­
dinator of its New York office. Later she joined the Chicano movement in New 
Mexico where she founded the bilingual movement newspaper El Grito d l Norte 
(1968-73) and co-founded the Chicano Communications Center, a barrio-based 
organizing and educational project. 
Since moving to the Bay Area in 1976, she has organized on Latino community 
issues, taught Women's Studies part-time, conducted anti-racist training work­
shops, and worked with youth groups. She ran for Governor of California on the 
Peace & Freedom Party ticket in 1982 and has received many awards from stu­
dent, community and academic organizations. She founded and is chair of the 
Institute for MultiRacial Justice, a resource center to help build alliances among 
peoples of color. Her daughter, Tessa, is an actress and co-founder of San 
Francisco's Latina Theater Lab. 
· AWARDS 1 g90-i!OO 1 · 
New California Media. for best Online Article. 2000 
Scholar in Residence. Applied Research Center. 2000-200 
Honorary Doctor of Law degree. 
Swarthmore College. May 2000 
Scholar of the Year. National Association of 
Chicana & Chicano Studies 2000 
Urban Habitat Program. San Francisco. 
10th Anniversary "Courage Award." 1999 
La Raza Centro Legal. San Francisco. 1999. 
Lifetime Achievement Award Center for the Study of 
Political Graphics. Los Angeles. 199B 
Historian of the Lions Award Alumni Resources. Inc.. 1996 
Wave Award for Women of Achievement. 
Vision and Excellence Center for the Arts.
 
Yerba Buena Gardens. San Francisco.
 
for "Outstanding Leadership". 1996
 
Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan [MEChA]. 1995
 
National Conference. Lifetime Achievement Award. 1995
 
Hispanic Heritage Month 1993 honoree. KQEo. San Francisco
 
National Association for Chicano Studies. Community
 
Service Award. San .Jose. 1993
 
Chicana Foundation. Honoree for Outstanding Latina
 
Achievement. San Francisco. CA . 1992
 
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31st Chicano Commencement, 2001

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