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Guide to the Antonio Salazar Chicanismo photograph collection
CEMA 177
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Research Collections
Title: Antonio Salazar Chicanismo photograph collection
Identifier/Call Number: CEMA 177
Physical Description:
1 Linear Feet
(1 flat-box)
Date (inclusive): 1969-1972
Abstract: This photograph collection consists of one flat box filled with 196 [35 mm negative] films, 3 [126 negative] films, 5 black
and white photographs, one digital CD and hard-drive containing images taken by Antonio Salazar. Salazar's images tell of
the beginning of the MECHA organization at the University of Washington, their protests against the war in Vietnam, as well
as the abuse of immigrant farmworkers in the United States. As a member of the first admitted group of Chicano undergraduate
students at the University of Washington, his collection includes photographs of social and political activities from 1968-1972.
Images in this collection depict Chicanismo/El Movimiento, including students, UMAS/MECHA student groups, Tomas Ybarra-Frausto
and El Teatro Del Piojo (Chicano theatre group), and Chicano involvement in anti-war movement/moratorium. Also included are
images of Chicano/Latino historical figures such as Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Corky Gonzalez, Luis Valdez, El Teatro Campesino,
as well as historically important Chicanos in the State of Washington.
Physical Location: Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library
Language of Material: The collection is in English with some Spanish material.
The collection is open for research. The born-digital files in this collection have not yet been processed and are currently
unavailable for viewing.
Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Research Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish
or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Research Collections. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of the Department of Special Research Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.
[Identification of Item], Antonio Salazar Chicanismo photograph collection, CEMA 177. Department of Special Research Collections,
UC Santa Barbara Library
Donated by Antonio Salazar, June 2016.
Processed by Mari Khasmanyan and Pablo Amaya, June 2016.
The grandson of Mexican immigrants, Antonio Salazar was born in the San Joaquin Valley, near Fresno, California. His family,
based in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, would come to California as part of the migrant stream. He was primarily raised
in Texas and Washington state.
From 1968-1972, he was an undergraduate student at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, as part of the first
group of Chicano students to attend the University of Washington. The students, approximately 30, quickly became political
and organized the first United Mexican American Students organization (UMAS), which later became MECHA. The students lobbied
the university administration to have its first Chicano studies class and located Tomas Ybarra-Frausto to be its first instructor.
From 1968-1972 the University of Washington was one of the most politically active campuses on the West Coast and the MECHA
students were active in leading grape boycott activities, in the anti-war movement, and in pushing for farm labor legislation
at the state capital, Olympia. Under the leadership of Tomas Ybarra-Frausto, they formed El Teatro Del Piojo, patterned after
the Teatro Campesino of Luis Valdez.
Antonio Salazar started taking mostly black and white images of the turbulent events during those four years, developing the
images himself. He received some training and direction from Irwin Nash, a Seattle photographer. Apart from the University
of Washington MECHA students, and their activities, he shot images of Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Corky Gonzalez, Reyes
Tijerina, Luis Valdez, and other iconic Chicano leaders.
Virtually all of the images were shot with Canon rangefinder cameras, the VIT and 7s, with Canon and Nikon lenses. Kodak Tri-X
was the film of choice. Antonio Salazar graduated in 1972 with a degree in Latin American studies and stopped taking pictures
to pursue a professional career.
These Chicanismo images have been in at least three books, in a number of exhibits in Washington state and were included in
an exhibit that was shown at UNAM in Mexico City and in other parts of Mexico. After a long hiatus from photography, with
the advent of digital imaging, he started shooting extensively with digital cameras and has had his images published in a
number of national photography magazines.
This photograph collection consists of one flat box filled with 196 [35 mm negative] films, 3 [126 negative] films, 5 black
and white photographs, one digital CD and hard-drive containing images taken by Antonio Salazar. Salazar's images tell of
the beginning of the MECHA organization at the University of Washington, their protests against the war in Vietnam, as well
as the abuse of immigrant farmworkers in the United States. As a member of the first admitted group of Chicano undergraduate
students at the University of Washington, his collection includes photographs of social and political activities from 1968-1972.
Images in this collection depict Chicanismo/El Movimiento, including students, UMAS/MECHA student groups, Tomas Ybarra-Frausto
and El Teatro Del Piojo (Chicano theatre group), and Chicano involvement in anti-war movement/moratorium. Also included are
images of Chicano/Latino historical figures such as Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Corky Gonzalez, Luis Valdez, El Teatro Campesino,
as well as historically important Chicanos in the State of Washington.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Chicano movement
Chicano archives
Student protesters
Farm Workers Theater
Theater -- Political Aspects