Jose Joel Garcia was instrumental in the nascent Chicano movement at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1968 and 1969. The papers in this collection help to chronicle these momentous years when activism was a significant part of many students’ lives at the universities. As a student Jose was part of the early formation of United Mexican American Students (UMAS) and Movimiento Estudantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA). This collection contains news articles and organizational documents as well as other information regarding protest activities, such as the Santa Barbara area Grape Boycott protests and the move to make education relevant to ethnic groups. Planning documents and justification dialogs regarding the Chicano Studies Program and the Black Studies Program are included in this collection. The materials in this collection help to show the great strides that were made toward equal opportunities in education and the effort involved in being part of the changes.
