The José Montoya Papers cover his life from his return from the Korean War around 1954 through the late 2000s. They contain biographical information such as correspondence, events and sketchbooks. Montoya is an important cultural luminary of the Chicano Movement in which he had been long involved as a poet, activist, educator and artist. His artwork in this collection is represented in sketches, posters, slides and in digital format on Calisphere.

José Montoya (1932 - September 25, 2013) is one of the premiere cultural activists in the Chicano movement. He was Born in New Mexico in 1932, but grew up in central California. He witnessed the struggle for migrant farm workers rights first hand. His involvement with organized labor, and collaboration with Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers movement, was the beginning of his lifelong commitment to artistic inquiry and an unwavering dedication to artistic activism. Montoya cofounded one of the ground-breaking Chicano Artist Collectives in 1970. This group came to be known as the Royal Chicano Air Force. The RCAF set the standard for using art as a tool for Chicano historical exposition, advocacy and the education of young people.

22.0 linear feet (44 boxes total: 21 document boxes (1-4, 11-22), 5 photo binder boxes (5-9), 8 oversize boxes (11, 23-29), 85 Sketchbooks (in document boxes 30 - 44) and 56 posters)

Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special 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.

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