Desde 1976: Education, Culture, and Community
2026 marks 50 years of Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Studies at UW-Madison. We are honoring our legacy through an ongoing speaker series and a two-day symposium on October 16th and 17th, 2026.
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 in 2026 to ensure the growth of our program for the next 50 years. 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 “Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Studies Development Fund”. 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
Honorary Co-Chairs of Desde 1976
Meet our Alumni
CLASS OF 2021
Raquel Tapia
“During my freshman year at UW-Madison, the CLS program welcomed my best friends and I without hesitation. The CLS classes and luncheons truly opened the door for new friendships, connections with staff, and participation in Latine organizations. After graduation, I was fortunate to be hired as the CLS project assistant. Whether I needed to get work done, wanted to socialize, or had to talk to Rachelle about my courses (or vent about anything and everything), Bascom Hill never got in the way of making my way to the CLS department. It is a time in my life that I will always cherish!”
CLASS OF 2023
Adrianna Galindo
“As a Child Welfare Social Worker, I practice cultural awareness, apply cultural humility, and maintain a critical perspective of the systems in order to better support and advocate for the families I serve. It is important to recognize the role that culture, identity, and generational trauma has with the diverse communities I work with.”
CLASS OF 2017
Andrew Ishikawa
“In the CLS program I learned about challenges and worries that people from other cultures face regularly that affect various aspects of their lives, including health, that I had never seen before…the most important lesson that I carry with me is one in humility.”
CLASS OF 2017
Samantha Arroyo
“Being part of the CLS community was truly life-shaping for me. As a proud Latina, it was one of the first spaces where my culture wasn’t something I had to explain or separate from my ambitions — it was honored as a strength. Today, as a bilingual therapist and clinical director, I lead and practice with that same belief: culture means everything, and it deserves a seat at the table in every room I enter.”
CLASS OF 2025
Lezly Vejar
“My studies in CLS continue to shape how I approach community-building and leadership development across higher education with student clubs and student government. The CLS community gave me a sense of belonging and affirmed my potential as a Chicano student in higher education. That foundation still guides how I support students and create environments where they can recognize their own strengths. The confidence CLS has given me continues to drive the way I show up for students and advocate for their growth.”
CLASS OF 2019
Samantha DeLeon
“Today, as a school psychologist in Milwaukee Public Schools, I work in a bilingual setting supporting students and families from diverse backgrounds, particularly within the Latino community. CLS gave me the framework to see students through a strengths-based, culturally responsive lens. I continue learning and growing in my role each day, guided by the foundation CLS provided.”
CLASS OF 2023
Amari Rios
“My studies in Chicane/Latine Studies helped me find a strong sense of community and belonging during my time at UW–Madison, which shaped both my personal and professional growth. That experience deepened my understanding of culture, identity, and the systemic barriers impacting the communities I now serve. In my work as a case manager, I carry those lessons into how I build relationships, advocate for youth, and center their lived experiences. The community I found continues to ground me in purpose and reminds me that this work is about both connection and creating more equitable outcomes.”
Current students speaking on Chicanx/e & Latinx/e Studies at UW-Madison:
Estefany Gamon-Garcia
“The CLS program has been an incredible part of my college experience. Through the program, I have learned so much about my Latinx history and culture, formed lifelong friendships, and found a sense of belonging at a big university.”
Alex Gonzales
“One vital piece of knowledge I have learned from my time studying CHICLA is that inequality is not happenstance. Inequality is historically contingent and deeply embedded in and perpetuated by structures. Studying CHICLA has made me more aware of how this history influences the present and has instilled in me a desire to cherish my ethnic identity. I hope to advance similar sentiments in my students as an educator.”
Bianca Alvarez
“Being a Latina in the STEM field, I have often felt the lack of representation, but finding the CLS program gave me a space where my academic interests and cultural identity could exist together. Through completing the major, I have been able to expand my knowledge of the Latinx community and its histories while also shaping my path as a future Latina in the pre-med field.”
Johnathan Antonio
“On campus, I center my involvement around representation and advocacy. The CLS program has equipped me with the tools, as well as the space, to think critically about my positionality and to challenge both contemporary and traditional views and practices. I believe this has allowed me to be more impactful as a leader and colleague. It will also shape how I approach my future work, with a focus on equity, advocacy, and community impact.”
Valerey Aguirre
“Studying Chicanx/e Latinx/e Studies has informed all other areas of my education: I’m a Psychology, CLS, Spanish, and Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies major. I feel my CLS major makes me think about theories of psychology and the cognitive psychology of a culture.”
Gladys Cruz-Perez
“I am a Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Studies major on the pre-med track. My cousin was actually the first to tell me about CLS here on UW’s campus. I felt like I wasn’t really finding a community on campus, and she told me to come, and I just met a lot of people. I just sat with people and they talked to me, and it was very welcoming. I think my CLS courses really help me balance my mental health with my STEM classes, which can be a lot.”
Memories at UW-Madison
