Centro Cultural César Chávez Records, 1973-2015

Title: Centro Cultural César Chávez Records, 1973-2015

Predominant Dates: 1990s-2000s

ID: RG 248

Primary Creator: Centro Cultural César Chávez (Oregon State University)

Extent: 1.5 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The Centro Cultural César Chávez Records consist of six series: 1. Administration, 1973-2015. 2. Community Outreach, 1975-2014. 3. Finances, 1976-2014. 4. Photos and Digitized Photograph Albums, 1990-2012. 5. Films and Event Recordings, 1994-2006. 6. Publications, 1977-2015.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

The Centro Cultural César Chávez (4Cs) Records document activities and events sponsored by the Center; Oregon State University students, faculty, and staff affiliated with the Center; and the campus environment for Latino/a students at Oregon State. The 4Cs was established at Oregon State University in 1972.

Items from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital. Reference access to the digital materials stored on DVD in this collection is available upon request. Please see SCARC's "Accessing Audio-Visual Content" for more information.

The Centro Cultural César Chávez Records document activities and events organized by the center such as staff retreats, open houses, César Chávez Tribute Month, holiday celebrations, lectures, and workshops pertaining to Latino/a community issues. Also of note are several marches and demonstrations that are depicted in the collection.

The collection consists of administrative records, information on events and community outreach, financial records, photographs, a small collection of films, and publications generated by the Centro Cultural César Chávez. Collection contents include administrative notes, meeting minutes, staff notes, agendas, maintenance documents, forms, staff bios, and files pertaining to the various cultural centers on campus. Also included are materials pertaining to events such as Día de Los Muertos/ Day of the Dead and the César Chávez Tribute Celebration, budget requests, invoices, pay roll, purchase requests, and statement documents. Photographic materials include undated color photographs and 16 digitized photograph albums that are available in Oregon Digital. The albums include about 1350 photographs depicting the Center staff; Oregon State students, faculty, and staff who participated in Center events and activities; and numerous events and activities during the 1990s and 2000s. The original albums have been retained by the Center. The small collection of films and recorded events include 1 DVD and 4 digitized recordings (the original VHS tapes were not retained). Content ranges from a movie about the Los Angeles Chicano blowouts of the 1960s to UFW materials and a lecture. Publications consist of brochures, flyers, newsletters, and a number of newspaper clippings.

Reference access to the digital materials stored on DVD in this collection is available upon request. Please see SCARC's "Accessing Audio-Visual Content" for more information.

Established in 1972, the original nine members of the Chicano Cultural Center (CCC) met weekly in the basement of Milam Hall. At the end of 1976, the Chicano Cultural Advisory Committee requested that the university provide housing for the Center. The CCC was first given the house at 2475 Orchard Street and later the small house at 1969 SW “A” Street, which was to become the permanent Chicano Cultural Center. On April 13, 1977, OSU President Dr. Robert MacVicar cut the ribbon to symbolically open the new Center to the public. The center was renamed the Hispanic Cultural Center in the mid-1980s, but the final name change came in 1996 to honor Mexican farm worker activist César Chávez. The Centro Cultural César Chávez (4Cs) was established to provide a location and facility for programming various academic, cultural, recreational, and social events related to the Chicano/Latino/Hispanic culture and heritage. The 4Cs is managed by the office of Diversity Development, a unit of Intercultural Student Services. On April 7, 2014, the new Centro Cultural César Chávez opened its doors to the public. Located at 691 S.W. 26th St, the new building was one of four new cultural centers being built on campus to replace aging structures. The 3,565 square-foot building cost $2,521,051 and was designed by Seattle-based architects Jones & Jones. The new building includes a large gathering hall, multiple office and study spaces and a large kitchen for hosting social events.

Items from this collection have been digitized and are available online.

Accruals: Additions to the collection are expected.

More Extent Information: 30 photographs; 2 boxes, including 1 oversize box; 1 DVD; 20 digital files, 17.51 Gbytes

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: This collection was established in 2013. The photograph albums were digitized by Special Collections and Archives Research Center staff in 2012-2013; the original albums were retained by the Centro Cultural César Chávez. An addition to the collection was received in 2015.

Related Materials: Special Collections and Archives Research Center's collections include the Diversity Development Office Records (RG 228), Asian & Pacific Cultural Center Records (RG 245), the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center Records (RG 244) and the Pride Center Records (RG 236). The Educational Opportunities Program Records (RG 230), Office of Multicultural Affairs Records (RG 225), and Minority Education Office Records (RG 229) also document services for non-traditional and minority students at OSU. All of these collections are components of the Oregon Multicultural Archives.

Preferred Citation: Centro Cultural César Chávez Records (RG 248), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Centro Cultural César Chávez (Oregon State University)
Hispanic Cultural Center (Oregon State University)
Oregon State University. Chicano Student Union.

Centro Cultural César Chávez (Oregon State University)
Chavez, Cesar, 1927-1993
College environment--Oregon--Corvallis.
Hispanic American college students--Oregon--Corvallis.
Huerta, Dolores, 1930-
Minority college students--Oregon--Corvallis.
Oregon Multicultural Archives
Oregon State University--Students.
Oregon State University. Chicano Student Union.
Oregon State University. Hispanic Student Union.
Student activities--Oregon--Corvallis.
United Farm Workers.
University History

Born digital.
Digital images.
DVDs.
Photographic prints.
Video recordings (physical artifacts)