Comisi贸n Femenil San Fernando Valley Collection, 1983-2003, bulk 1989-2003

Printable guide [HTML]

Summary

Creators:
Comisi贸n Femenil San Fernando Valley
Abstract:
In the early 1970s, one of the leading national Chicana activist organizations, Comisi贸n Femenil Mexicana Nacional (CFMN), was created in Southern California. The focus of CFMN was to raise awareness of political and social issues that affected Latina women on a national level. CFMN felt that the role and well-being of Latinas were being left out of discussions taking place from the wider context of the Chicano movement. The Comisi贸n Femenil San Fernando Valley Collection consists of correspondence, financial records, flyers, meeting agendas and minutes, membership rosters, newsletters, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, photographs, posters, reports, and videocassettes that relate to their chapter history and activities.
Extent:
7.04 linear feet
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Background

Scope and content:

The Comisi贸n Femenil San Fernando Valley Collection (CFSFV) consists of correspondence, financial records, flyers, meeting agendas and minutes, membership rosters, newsletters, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, photographs, posters, reports, and videocassettes that relate to their chapter history and activities. The CFSFV Collection also contains some board meeting minutes, correspondence, flyers, and newsletters that pertain to the Comisi贸n Femenil Los Angeles Chapter and to Comisi贸n Femenil Mexicana Nacional, the national chapter of the organization. The collection has been divided into five major series: Administrative Records (1983-2002), Financial Records (1990-2002), Sponsored Programs (1983-2003), Affiliated Comisi贸n Femenil Organizations (1985-2002), and Audio-Visual Materials (1990-2001).

Series I, Administrative Records, contains documents that show the organizational and governing structure of CFSFV, which includes their annual election ballots, board and chapter meeting agendas and minutes, by-laws and incorporation materials. Of particular interest is a draft report of the Task Force on Mexican-Origin Issues of the Latino Children's Issues Project. The files are first arranged in alphabetical order by subject and thereafter arranged chronologically. Because CFSFV operated on a fiscal calendar, July 1 to June 30, the files are arranged accordingly.

Series II, Financial Records, consists of correspondence that relates to financial matters including expense reports, lists of donors and sponsors of CFSFV activities/ events, projected budgets and treasurer's reports. The files are first arranged in alphabetical order by subject and thereafter arranged chronologically. The treasurer's reports are chronologically arranged in a manner to reflect the fiscal calendar, July 1 to June 30.

Series III, Sponsored Programs, includes records documenting events and programs organized and sponsored by CFSFV, some of which have been held annually and some of which have been held periodically. This series has been further divided into six subseries: Adelante Mujer Hispana / Latina Conference (1991-1999), Celebration of Books (1999-2000), 16 de Septiembre / Annual Gala (1994-2001), Mary Helen Ponce Literary Contest (1997-2001), Student Scholarship/ Awards (1992-2003), and Special Events (1983-2001). Each subseries consist of documents that pertain to one specific program or event except the last, which contains folders from various events that have been held more sporadically.

Series IV, Affiliated Comisi贸n Femenil Organizations, consists of two subseries: Subseries A, Comisi贸n Femenil Los Angeles (CFLA) (1989-1999), includes a calendar of events, flyers and invitations to sponsored events, and three newsletters that pertain directly to CFLA. Subseries B, Comisi贸n Femenil Mexicana Nacional (CFMN) (1985-2002), consists of materials that document the first Adelante Mujer Hispana Conference held in 1990 at CSUN, which was organized primarily by CFMN. In the consecutive years, CFSFV took over and organized the Adelante Mujer Conferences that were held at various locations in the San Fernando Valley.

Series V, Audio-Visual Materials, includes photographs dating from 1990-2001 and videocassettes dating from 1992. The CFSFV photograph collection consists of 415 images that capture a variety of the different programs and events that the organization has sponsored and participated in. The photographs are contained within two photograph albums and are arranged chronologically by event. Ten videocassettes document various workshops held at the 2nd Annual Adelante Mujer Hispana Conference at CSUN, such as preparing for careers in the medical field, law, and business.

Biographical / historical:

In the early 1970s, one of the leading national Chicana activist organizations, Comisi贸n Femenil Mexicana Nacional (CFMN), was created in Southern California. The focus of CFMN was to raise awareness of political and social issues that affected Latina women on a national level. CFMN felt that the role and well-being of Latinas were being left out of discussions taking place from the wider context of the Chicano movement. By 1985, CFMN had organized twenty-four chapters across the country and Comisi贸n Femenil San Fernando Valley (CFSFV) became one of the first chapters to join the national organization.

CFSFV has its roots in an organization named Mujeres de la Raza that was started by a group of Latina staff and faculty at California State University, Northridge in the early 1970s. This founding group of women began to recruit other Latina professionals from the community who were also interested in promoting the success of young Latinas. In 1991, Mujeres de la Raza formally changed its name to Comisi贸n Femenil San Fernando Valley. Although the national organization has been inactive for several years, CFSFV continues to operate.

CFSFV is a non-profit, community service organization that serves the Latina community by providing educational, professional, and personal development opportunities through activities, programs, and its membership. The focus of CFSFV has been to reach out and empower young Latina women in the San Fernando Valley. This has been done through sponsoring various events and programs. Some of their events are held annually and target Latina students from San Fernando Valley high schools. One of their primary events is the annual Adelante Mujer Latina Conference that is attended by 300 to 400 hundred of these students. Similar conferences have been sponsored by other chapters in their respective communities. The First Adelante Mujer Hispana Conference that was held at CSUN took place on April 28, 1990 and was sponsored by CFMN. The following year, CFSFV sponsored the Second Adelante Mujer Hispana Conference at CSUN and has held the event almost every year since. The conferences have been regularly held at CSUN except in 1992 and 1995 when it was held at Los Angeles Valley Community College. The full-day conferences offer a variety of workshops that are conducted by women who represent fields such as medicine, law, media, education, business, political science, and engineering. In 1996, CFSFV changed the conference name from Adelante Mujer Hispana to Adelante Mujer Latina.

Another annual program that CFSFV has conducted is their student scholarship competition. CFSFV held its first scholarship competition in 1992, which recognized eight female students from different San Fernando Valley high schools and gave out a total of $650.00 to the winners. Since then, the scholarship competition has grown in the number of applicants and in the amount of the awards given out.

CFSFV also sponsors the Viva la Mujer! event, an annual gala in which Latinas are recognized for having distinguished themselves in their profession and have made significant contributions to their community. Among some of the noted women to receive this honor include Dr. Gloria Romero, the first Latina elected for the L.A. Community College District Board of Trustees, Teresa Sanchez-Gordon, a California Superior Court Judge for Los Angeles County, Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, Laura Diaz, television news anchor, and Diane Medina, Director of Diversity Programs at Walt Disney and named one of 100 most influential Latinos in 1999 by Hispanic Business Magazine.

Many of the events and programs that CFSFV has conducted have been supported by donations and grants from entities such as the Los Angeles Unified School District (L.A.U.S.D.), California State Department of Education, Career Equity Services Office, Pacific Bell, Kaiser Permanente, City Councilpersons Richard Alarcon and Alex Padilla, Congressman Howard Berman and many more. CFSFV also raises funds through their annual membership dues and other fundraising events such as their Annual Gala.

Acquisition information:
Comisi贸n Femenil San Fernando Valley. 06/2003.
Processing information:

Robert G. Marshall, Rebecca S. Graff, Yvette Maria Bocz, Blanca Valencia, 2004

Arrangement:

Series I: Administrative Records, 1983-2002

Series II: Financial Records, 1990-2002

Series III: Sponsored Programs, 1983-2003

Subseries A: Adelante Mujer Hispana / Latina Conference, 1991-1999

Subseries B: Celebration of Books, 1999-2000

Subseries C: 16 de Septiembre / Annual Gala, 1994-2001

Subseries D: Mary Helen Ponce Literary Contest, 1997-2001

Subseries E: Student Scholarship / Awards, 1992-2003

Subseries F: Special Events, 1983-2001

Series IV: Affiliated Comisi贸n Femenil Organizations, 1985-2002

Subseries A: Comisi贸n Femenil Los Angeles, CFLA, 1989-1999

Subseries B: Comisi贸n Femenil Mexicana Nacional, CFMN, 1985-2002

Series V: Audio-Visual Materials, 1990-2001

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Location of this collection:
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330, US
Contact:
(818) 677-4594
Website