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Escalante (Alicia) papers
CEMA 183
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Description
Papers of Alicia Escalante (1933-2022). The bulk of the material ranges from the 1960s–1980s, and consists of correspondence,
speeches, articles, publications, and internal organizational files that document her activism and sociopolitical involvement
as a Chicana activist who championed welfare rights, economic justice, and women's rights in Los Angeles during the 1960s
Chicano Movement.
Background
"Alicia Escalante [(1933-2022)] was born in El Paso Texas, in 1933 to what she described as a traditional family. She was
the second oldest of seven children, and she shared an intense bond with her mother. After 15 years of marriage, Escalante's
mother decided to divorce her father due to his infidelity, alcoholism and abuse. At the divorce court proceedings, her father
was granted custody of all seven children, because of her mother's lack of employment and housing. After the divorce, Escalante's
mother moved to Los Angeles to live with her sister and find work in hopes that she might be able to regain custody of her
children. Devastated to be separated from her mother, and miserable with "the oppressive situation" of living with her father's
extended family (who frequently blamed her mother for the divorce), Alicia Escalante vowed to be reunited with her mother
at any cost. At the age of nine, Escalante jumped into an open freight car of the train that ran behind her house. She was
determined to make it to California by any means necessary. After the police discovered her, her father allowed her to continue
on her journey to California, where her legacy would begin.
Extent
20.42 Linear Feet
(25 document boxes, 5 flat oversize boxes,1 audiotape reel)
Restrictions
Property rights to the collection and physical objects belong to the Regents of the University of California acting through
the Department of Special Research Collections at the UCSB Library. All applicable literary rights, including copyright to
the collection and physical objects, are protected under Chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code and are retained by the creator
and the copyright owner, heir(s), or assigns.
Availability
This collection is open for research.