The Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Studies Program expresses deep thanks to Pamela Cruz-Jimenez, a UW-Madison senior and Graphic Design student, who crafted our anniversary logo.
On April 14, 1974, student activists began picketing, demanding that the University of Wisconsin-Madison account for what it had chosen not to know. Over the following two years students organized, lobbied the state legislature, and refused to be turned away until the university curriculum included the study of the histories, cultures, arts, literatures, and social and political lives of Chicanx/e and Latinx/e people in the U.S. Their efforts led to the creation in 1976 of the Chicano Studies Program at UW-Madison.
Desde 1976: Education, Culture, and Community honors and celebrates five decades of work in preparing students for successful careers, growing our knowledge of Chicanx/e and Latinx/e populations through innovative research, and collaborations with local communities. Since its founding, the Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Studies Program (CLS) has been asking the questions that matter most: whose histories get told, whose communities get studied, whose futures get imagined.
Fifty years later, we continue interrogating the barriers to being for Chicanx/e and Latinx/e peoples through research and teaching in literature, political science, sociology, education, urban planning, theater, media and communication arts, history, geography, anthropology, gender studies, counseling psychology, health, and medicine.
We are here. Welcome.
The Chicanx/e & Latinx/e Studies Program aims to fundraise $50,000 for our 50th Anniversary Celebration. We extend our gratitude to all donors and friends who make our work, scholarship, and celebration possible. To make a gift to, visit the UW-Madison Foundation page. Under “Find Your Cause”, search for the Chican@ and Latin@ Studies Development. Our Fund number is 112544193.
If you prefer to donate to this or any other fund by check, please make your check payable to the University of Wisconsin Foundation/Chicanx/e & Latinx/e Studies Program and send it to:
University of Wisconsin Foundation
US Bank Lockbox
PO Box 78807
Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807
Daniel Malacara is a University of Wisconsin–Madison alumnus and seasoned higher-education leader with deep experience in academic administration and community engagement. As a former Assistant Dean for the University of Wisconsin’s Extension division, he played a key leadership role in advancing outreach and engagement initiatives that connect UW research and learning with communities across the state.
Ismael Cuevas Jr. lives in the Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago. His inaugural exhibit “Rieles y Raíces: Traqueros in Chicago and the Midwest” is currently on display at the National Museum of Mexican Art. He has published historical stories on Black and Latino communities in Chicago. Currently employed at the Chicago Park District as the Director of Legislative Affairs. Ismael received his B.A. and Certificate in Chican@/Latin@ Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his M.A. degree in Mexican American and Latina/o Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.
Cecilia Cárdenas (she/her) is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she earned a degree in Neurobiology and a Certificate in Chican@ & Latin@ Studies in Spring 2020. Following graduation, she worked as a Health Unit Coordinator in the NICU at Meriter Hospital, supporting clinical teams in a fast-paced care environment. Since March 2022, Cecilia has served as a Clinical Research Study Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, where she coordinates the largest Alzheimer’s Disease clinical trial at UW-Madison, and contributes to research advancing patient care and scientific understanding. Currently mentoring undergraduate pre-meds who will hopefully one day become the new face of medicine. She continues to dream of becoming a physician who advocates for the needs of those who are usually left out of medical treatment, including Black and Brown people, the unhoused, and addicts.
Nancy Unzueta Saíz (ella/she/her) is a proud Xicana born in Mexico City and raised in San Antonio, Texas, who moved to Madison to pursue her undergraduate and graduate education at UW–Madison. A first-generation college graduate with degrees in Social Welfare and Social Work, Nancy has dedicated her career to addressing systemic inequities affecting communities of color. Since 2010, she has served as a Community Development Specialist with the City of Madison, overseeing nonprofit contracts and advancing community-centered solutions rooted in equity and justice. Her leadership and advocacy have earned her numerous honors, including recognition as one of Wisconsin’s 36 Most Influential Latino Leaders in 2024.
