Chicano Park and Immigrant Detention Centers

Destiny Lopez

Research Statement

Topic #1

Chicano Park is located in Barrio Logan, an area of San Diego that has historically been home to much of the city’s Mexican-American population. The park was established after a non-violent demonstration by Barrio Logan residents, and today it is a symbol of San Diego’s Chicano community. The park was established after the historical Mexican-American barrio came under the threat of being rezoned into an industrial area. Residents fought for Chicano Park as a way to resist the destruction of their community and reclaim the area (which was to be turned into a parking lot) for Chicanos. I am interested in the history of Chicano Park in the broader context of Chicano history. How did the establishment of Chicano Park align with the goals of the Chicano Movement? In particular, what is the connection between the creation of Chicano Park and the notion of “Azltan” – that is, the push to reclaim United States land that formerly belonged to Mexico?   How does the Chicano Movement of the 1970s trace back to the Mexican-American War and subsequent loss of land, and how does that relate to the history of Chicano Park?

Current sources:

This Land Was Mexican Once: Histories of Resistance from Northern California, Linda Heidenreich

Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, Gloria Anzaldua

Wish list of sources:

·         San Diego history during Chicano movement and after Mexican-American War

·         Barrio Logan history

·         Chicano Park history

·         Chicano movement and the notion of Aztlan

Topic #2

Immigration detention centers have received attention in recent years due with the rise of Central American refugees fleeing violence.  I am interested in the experience of immigrants who have been detained throughout different points in American history. Which immigrants faced detention upon arrival in the United States, and which immigrants did not? How did the race, country of origin, and class background of different immigrant groups impact whether they were detained and the conditions in which they were detained? What were some of the historic contexts that dictated how different waves of immigrants were treated upon arrival?

Angel Island: Immigrant Gateway to American, Erika Lee and Judy Yung

A Nation of Immigrants, Susan F. Martin

American Passage: A History of Ellis Island, Vincent J Cannato

Wish list of sources:

·         The history of immigrant detention centers

·         History of immigration in the United States, with emphasis on how different waves of immigrants had different experiences

·         How the race, country of origin, and class backgrounds of immigrants inform their experience