This collection represents a broad selection of the internal papers of the Mexican Museum of San Francisco. Subjects covered include curatorial papers, exhibition materials, administrative papers, educational projects as well as future plans for the museum.



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Note: this finding aid is in draft form and may contain some errors. It is made available in its current form to ensure immediate access and to facilitate cataloging. We anticipate having the final corrected version of this finding aid published on the OAC by January 2007.

The Mexican Museum of San Francisco was founded in 1975 by the artist Peter Rodriguez, who conceived of the idea during a visit to Mexico, his parents homeland. he wanted to Make available in the United States the great art and culture of Mexico and to "foster the exhibition, conservation, and dissemination of Mexican and Chicano art and culture for all peoples" However, Rodriguez and subsequent directors of the museum did not use the public museum as their model. First, the museum did not limit its scope to the geopolitical border. Second, the Mexican Museum uses the lens of Mexican, Chicana and Chicano, and, as of the 1990s, Latina and Latino cultures. Third, its original mission emerged from the Chicano/a movement, which challenged U.S. nationalism, assimilationist politics, and cultural amnesia. The museum's philosophy articulated the experiences and histories of Chicanas and Chicanos and their descendants. The legacy of museum is its creation of an archive of Mexican, Chicana, Chicano, Latina and Latino art and culture.Biography by Dr. Karen Mary Davalos

Approx. 150 linear feet

For students and faculty researchers of UCLA, all others by permission only. Copyright has not been assigned to the Chicano Studies Research Center. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archivist and/or the Librarian at the Chicano Studies Research Center Library. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Access is available by appointment for UCLA student and faculty researchers as well as independent researchers. To view the collection or any part of it, you must fill out our Archival Research Application. http://www.chicano.ucla.edu/library/archival_research_app.shtml