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Nava (Julian) Collection
URB.JNC
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: Julian Nava Collection
Creator:
Nava, Julian, 1927-
Identifier/Call Number: URB.JNC
Extent:
40.02 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1804-1993
Abstract: Julian Nava was born and raised in East
Los Angeles, was one of the first Mexican-American graduates of Pomona College, and one the
first Mexican-American doctoral students at Harvard University. He had a distinguished
career as a professor of history at California State University, Northridge, served as a
member of the Los Angeles Board of Education, and as United States Ambassador to Mexico from
1980 to 1981. Nava's collection documents his wide personal and professional interests in
education, Mexican American affairs, Latin American history and Chicano politics.
Language of Material: English,
Spanish; Castilian
Julian Nava was born and raised in East Los Angeles, was one of the first Mexican-American
graduates of Pomona College, and one the first Mexican-American doctoral students at Harvard
University. He had a distinguished career as a professor of history at California State
University, Northridge, was a member of the Los Angeles Board of Education, and United
States Ambassador to Mexico from 1980 to 1981.
After attending local schools, Nava volunteered for the US Navy Air Corps during World War
II, and was accepted as a pilot candidate. While he was completing his training, the war
ended, and Nava did not have an opportunity to become an active participant. After leaving
the Navy, Nava returned to Los Angeles and eventually entered East Los Angeles Junior
College under the G.I. Bill. Later, he attended Pomona College, earning a Bachelor's degree.
He entered Harvard University in 1951, and received a PhD in history in 1955 after
completing his doctoral research in Venezuela. The following fall, Nava traveled to Puerto
Rico to teach at the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan.
In 1957, Nava was hired to teach at the newly established branch of Los Angeles State
College in Northridge, San Fernando Valley State College (later re-named California State
University, Northridge), where he met his wife, Pat Lucas. He traveled extensively during
this time to numerous foreign countries. In 1967, Nava was the first Mexican American
elected to the Los Angeles Board of Education. Nava served in this position while he
continued his full-time teaching schedule at CSUN for twelve years. He presided over issues
concerning the East Los Angeles Chicano Student Walkouts of 1968, the introduction of
bilingual education to Los Angeles schools, and school integration. He served as the Board's
president twice.
On April 3, 1980 Nava became the first Mexican-American U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. He
presented his credentials to the Mexican President, José Lopez Portillo, at a grand ceremony
at the Palacio Presidencial in Mexico City. Nava left the embassy on April 3, 1981.
Back in California, Nava resumed teaching at CSUN. With the increase of "free time" he
gained, Nava journeyed to Cuba to produce a documentary film. He visited China in 1993 with
members of the Latin Business Association who were attempting to organize trading relations
with Chinese businesspeople. A year later, Nava returned to China to film another
documentary on the daily life of five families. Additionally, he managed the Los Angeles
Music and Arts School in East Los Angeles. In 1993, Nava decided to run for mayor of Los
Angeles in an election that was ultimately won by Richard Riordan.
Nava is the author of many articles and books, including some titles written for children.
These include
Mexican Americans: Past, Present, and Future
(1969),
Mexican Americans: A Brief Look at Their History
(1970),
Viva la Raza: Readings on Mexican Americans
(1973),
California: Five Centuries of Cultural Contrasts (1976,
with Bob Barger), and
Julian Nava: My Mexican-American Journey
(2002). He has received an honorary doctoral degree from Pomona College, as well as from
Whittier College. Nava is an emeritus faculty member of the History Department at CSUN.
The
Julian Nava Collection documents Nava's wide personal and
professional interests in education, Mexican American affairs, Latin American history and
Chicano politics. The majority of the collection consists of conference papers,
correspondence, court transcripts, fact sheets, minutes, newspaper clippings, press
releases, reports, and rosters. The collection also contains appointment books, articles and
pamphlets authored by Nava, bibliographies, materials from his Board of Education campaign,
contractual agreements, magazines and newspapers, pamphlets, plaques, and royalty
statements. The collection is divided into two main series:
Personal
Papers
(1804-1993) and
Ambassadorial Papers
(1943-1990).
Series I,
Personal Papers, is divided into ten subseries.
Board of Education (1965-1979) contains campaign statements, election
statistics, endorsement letters and lists, expenditures, and rosters of contributions.
Material on Nava's maps, minutes, news clippings, opponents and press releases, reports and
speeches, and surveys are included.
Educational Issues (1913,
1958-1979) contains information collected by Nava on educational matters including
Bicultural/Bilingual Education, the Chicana/o Studies Program, and educational textbooks.
Ancient Mediterranean Research Association (AMRA) (1965-1979)
consists of administrative papers, correspondence, publicity, and other materials related to
AMRA. Many of these papers are from a lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of the State of
California for the County of Los Angeles against Nava and Maxine Asher for money lost by
investing in the AMRA project.
Subject Files (1880-1980) consists
of printed materials of personal and professional interest collected by Nava. The series
includes biographies of Mexican-Americans, by-laws, conference papers, correspondence, court
transcripts, fact sheets, minutes, newspaper clippings and newsletters, press releases,
reports and surveys.
Writings (1953-1992) contains typescripts
and completed articles by Nava. This includes book reviews, academic articles for peer
reviewed journals, newspaper columns, conference papers, and speeches.
Academic Materials (1953-1979) consists of items that are representative of Nava's
academic projects such as bibliographies, memoranda, and notes.
Personal (1945-1993) contains personal items of Nava, including correspondence,
datebooks, personnel files from CSUN, and royalty statements.
Academic
Journals and Monographs
(1948-1979) includes bound booklets, journals, magazines,
newsletters, miscellaneous papers, reports, and pamphlets.
Newspapers
(1964-1977) consists of newspaper collections housed in oversized boxes.
Also included in this series are some of the accompanying pieces of correspondence that
arrived with the first issues of some of the newspapers.
Non-Manuscript
Material
(1804-1979) consists of 492 photographs, plaques awarded to Nava, and
audio/video materials.
Series II,
Ambassadorial Papers, is divided into five
subseries.
Correspondence (1943-1983) is further divided into
Correspondence Received (1974-1983) and
Correspondence Sent (1943-1983), and includes letters from such figures as
President Jimmy Carter, Alexander Haig, Governors of Mexico, and Presidents of U.S.
Corporations, as well as correspondence with the American Consul in Tijuana, the American
Embassy in Tokyo, and the League of United Latin American Citizens.
Subject Files (1970-1989) includes annual reports, booklets, brochures, memos,
organizational meeting agendas and minutes, newsletters, newspaper clippings, pamphlets,
programs, and speeches.
Personal Files (1819, 1954-1990) includes
such documents as appointment announcements, a biography on Nava, congratulatory letters and
family correspondence, daily calendar, letter notes, policy guidelines, presidential
documents, and travel information and schedules.
Patricia Nava
(1979-1981) is strictly related to Julian Nava's wife Patricia Nava. This subseries
mainly contains correspondence, invitations and schedules, and newspaper clippings. The
files are arranged in alphabetical order.
Non-Manuscript Materials
(1970-1989) consists of one photo album, one oversize box of 2,385 photographs, one
flat file folder, and one audio/visual box.
Series I: Personal Papers, 1804-1993
Subseries A: Board of Education, 1959-1979
Subseries B: Educational Issues, 1913, 1958-1979
Subseries C: Ancient Mediterranean Research Association (AMRA), 1965-1979
Subseries D: Subject Files, 1880-1980
Subseries E: Writings, 1953-1992
Subseries F: Academic Materials, 1953-1979
Subseries G: Personal, 1945-1993
Subseries H: Academic Journals and Monographs, 1948-1979
Subseries I: Newspapers, 1964-1977
Subseries J: Non-Manuscript Material, 1804-1979
Series II: Ambassadorial Papers, 1819, 1943-1990
Subseries A: Correspondence, 1943-1983
Subseries 1: Correspondence Received 1974-1983
Subseries 2: Correspondence Sent, 1943-1983
Subseries B: Subject Files, 1970-1989
Subseries C: Personal Files, 1819, 1954-1990
Subseries D: Patricia Nava, 1979-1981
Subseries E: Non-Manuscript Material, 1970-1989
Digital reproductions of selected items in this collection are available electronically as
a part of the
Latina(o) Cultural Heritage Archives
project.
Related Material
Other Information:
This collection was processed in part under a U.S. Department of Education Title V
Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Grant.
The collection is open for research use.
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge.
Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials
protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires
the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any
use rests exclusively with the user.
1992
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Julian Nava, 1992.
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style
manual, or see the
Citing Archival
Materials
guide.
Teena Stern, 1981
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Documents
Photographs