Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Antonio Salazar Chicanismo photograph collection
- Dates:
- 1969-1972
- Abstract:
- Photographs of social and political activities from 1968-1972 taken by Antonio Salazar, one of the first Chicano undergraduate students admitted to the University of Washington.
- Extent:
- 2 Linear Feet (1 flat box)
- Language:
- English Spanish; Castilian
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of Item], Antonio Salazar Chicanismo photograph collection, CEMA 177. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection consists of 196 [35 mm negative] films, 3 [126 format] films, 5 black and white photographs taken by Antonio Salazar, as well as one CD and a hard-drive containing digital images taken by Salazar. 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. Salazar's images outline 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.
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 other historically important Chicanos in the state of Washington.
These Chicanismo images have been in at least three books, in a number of exhibits throughout Washington, and were included in an exhibit that was shown at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City and in other parts of Mexico.
- Biographical / historical:
-
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 (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana/o de Aztlan). The students lobbied the university administration to have its first Chicano studies class and nominated 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.
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 Seattle photographer Irwin Nash. 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 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 his film of choice.
Salazar graduated with a degree in Latin American studies in 1972. After a long hiatus from photography, with the advent of digital imaging, he started shooting extensively with digital cameras and has since had his images published in a number of national photography magazines.
- Acquisition information:
- Donated by Antonio Salazar, June 2016.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Mari Khasmanyan and Pablo Amaya, June 2016.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-04-07 16:30:20 -0700 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Born-digital files in this collection have not yet been processed and are currently unavailable for viewing. Researchers interested in accessing the materials must contact Special Research Collections in advance for consultation, as additional review or processing may be required.
- Terms of access:
-
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 may be retained by the creator and the copyright owner, heir(s), or assigns.
All requests to reproduce, quote from, or otherwise reuse collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Department of Special Research Collections at UCSB at special@library.ucsb.edu. Consent is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California acting through the Department of Special Research Collections at UCSB as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner, heir(s), or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or their assignees for permission to publish where the UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of Item], Antonio Salazar Chicanismo photograph collection, CEMA 177. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.
- Location of this collection:
-
UC Santa Barbara LibrarySanta Barbara, CA 93106-9010, US
- Contact:
- (805) 893-3062