By Jozie Billings and Natalia Fernández
Collection Overview
Title: OSU Kalmekak Community Outreach Program Records, 1994-2018
ID: MSS Kalmekak
Primary Creator: Oregon State University. Kalmekak Community Outreach Program
Extent: 1.0 cubic feet. More info below.
Arrangement: The OSU Kalmekak Community Outreach Program Records is organized into three series: Series 1: Administration, 1994-2018; Series 2: Community Engagement, 1997-2018; Series 3: Photographic Materials, 2001-2004.
Date Acquired: 00/00/2023
Languages of Materials: English [eng], Spanish;Castilian [spa]
Abstract
The Oregon State University (OSU) Kalmekak Community Outreach Program Records document the administration and outreach activities of this organization. OSU Kalmekak was established at OSU in 1996 and was active until 2018. The program sought to serve and advocate for the Latino/a and Chicano/a community of Corvallis - and more broadly the state of Oregon - within higher education, as well as increase cultural and racial awareness within the Corvallis area.
Scope and Content Notes
The OSU Kalmekak Community Outreach Program Records consist of administrative documents, event and community engagement information, and photographs. The administrative materials include documents related to the establishment of the program, such as early ideas, meetings, and events, as well as program information, including mission statements. Also included is documentation and promotional material from campus- and Corvallis community-focused events and outreach. Of note, the community engagement materials include documentation on Festivalitos, an art and culture festival held annually in the spring including guests such as Mexica Tiahui and Baile Folklórico. Photographic materials include a scrapbook documenting three years of the event Conexiónes (2001-2003), photos from the outreach event Hispanic Youth Leadership Conference in Pendleton, Oregon (circa 2004), and a photo album from 2002 featuring photos from the Festivalito.
Biographical / Historical Notes
The OSU Kalmekak program arose out of a need for outreach to the Latino, Chicano, and Indigenous community of Oregon. Early ideas of the program included an exchange program with students from Mexico and mother/childcare programs, including a community meeting led by Dr. Manuel Pacheco. They received input from community members about what they wanted to see from the program (the papers of which are included in the documentation) and then presented these ideas to Oregon State officials such as Vice President Roy Arnold and Provost for Academic Affairs John Dunn on May 26th, 1995. This led to the implementation of a pilot program that occurred in the winter term of 1996. This program became official with the Inaguración– a ribbon cutting ceremony, an Aztec ceremony by Mexica Tiahui, and an open hour of the new space in Waldo 128 in January of 1997.
As the program evolved, it settled into its core mission of helping the Latino and Chicano community of OSU, Corvallis, and Oregon. They did this by implementing programs that broadened diversity in higher education institutions by assisting with the high school to college transition and empowering them to pursue those pathways. They also worked for social justice by advocating for their rights as well as educating and developing cultural awareness within the Corvallis community about the Latino/Chicano population of Oregon.
Materials within the collection provide insight into the origin and evolution of the word ‘Kalmekek.’ Collection materials describe the word "Kalmekak" as coming from the Mexica Aztec Indian language Nahuatl, and it means "a place of education including cultural and spiritual aspects." The name changed spelling from "Calmecac" in 1996-1999 to "Kalmekak" in 2000-2018, and this change is reflected in the collection materials. The way the program refers to the community also changes throughout the collection, such as by using an ‘@,’ o/a,’ or ‘x’ at the end of "Latino" and "Chicano" to indicate the multiplicity of the genders represented within the community.
Author: Jozie Billings
Administrative Information
Creators
Oregon State University. Kalmekak Community Outreach Program
People, Places, and Topics
College environment--Oregon--Corvallis.
Hispanic American college students--Oregon--Corvallis.
Minority college students--Oregon--Corvallis.
Oregon Multicultural Archives
Oregon State University--Students.
Student activities--Oregon--Corvallis.
University History
Forms of Material
Photographic prints.
Scrapbooks.
Box and Folder Listing
- Series 1: Administration, 1994-2018
- Series 1 consists of administrative records generated by the OSU Kalmekak Community Outreach Program, as well as by groups affiliated with OSU Kalmekak. The materials include administrative notes, meeting minutes, program information, budgets and invoices, grant proposals, correspondence, newspaper clippings, certificates, and awards. The materials also include information about OSU Kalmekak members, staff, and community contacts, as well as documents related to the establishment of the program
- Box-Folder 1.1: Awards and Certificates, 2000-2014
- Box-Folder 1.2: Budgets and Invoices, 1998-2017
- Box-Folder 1.3: Cards, 2006
- Box-Folder 1.4: Contact Information Cards, Undated
- Box-Folder 1.5: Contact Information Lists, 1998-2007
- Box-Folder 1.6: Correspondence, 1999-2000
- Box-Folder 1.7: Grant Proposals, 1996-2000
- Box-Folder 1.8: Meeting Notes, 1998-1999
- Box-Folder 1.9: Meeting Notes, 1999-2008
- Box-Folder 1.10: Newspaper Clippings, 1999
- Box-Folder 1.11: Office Sign-In Sheets, 2016-2018
- Box-Folder 1.12: Program Establishment, 1994-1996
- Box-Folder 1.13: Program Establishment, 1996-1997
- Box-Folder 1.14: Program Information, 1999-2002
- Box-Folder 1.15: References, 1999-2017
- Box-Folder 1.16: Signage Open Hours, Undated
- Box-Folder 1.17: Staff and Volunteer Information, 1998-2007
- Series 2: Community Engagement, 1997-2018
- Series 2 consists of records reflecting the OSU Kalmekak Community Outreach Program's community engagement. The materials include event documentation and promotional material from campus, as well as the Corvallis area, community-focused events such as Conexiónes, Festivalitos, Posole Nights, and Día de los Muertos. The collection also includes additional outreach events and high school visits that were attended off-campus.
- Box-Folder 1.18: Conexiónes, 2001
- Box-Folder 1.19: Conexiónes, 2002
- Box-Folder 1.20: Conexiónes, 2006
- Box-Folder 1.21: Events, 1998-2017
- Box-Folder 1.22: Event Promotional Materials, 1997-2018
- Box-Folder 2.1: Event Promotional Posters, 2007-2016
- Box-Folder 1.23: Festivalito/Festival Artistico Cultural, 1998-2000
- Box-Folder 1.24: Festivalito, 2007-2008
- Box-Folder 1.25: Festivalito, 2013
- Box-Folder 1.26: Festivalito, 2016-2017
- Box-Folder 1.27: Festivalito, 2018
- Box-Folder 1.28: High School Visits, 1998-1999
- Box-Folder 1.29: Outreach, 1999-2008
- Series 3: Photographic Materials, 2001-2004
- Series 3 is made up of photographic images depicting OSU Kalmekak Community Outreach Program activities, such as the circa 2004 Hispanic Youth Leadership Conference in Pendleton, Oregon, and the early 2000s event Conexiónes. Along with loose prints, the photographs are housed in a scrapbook and photograph album. The photographic materials total 180 prints.
- Box-Folder 1.30: Conexiónes Scrapbook, 2001-2003
- The Conexiónes Scrapbook contains 26 scrapbook pages with a total of 34 photographs. The photographs and pages depict events the incoming students participated in on-campus, field trips to Newport, Oregon, and group photos. The scrapbook contains invitations to the Welcoming Reception Dinner, budgets, schedule of activities, and a thank you card to sponsors.
- Box-Folder 1.31: Hispanic Youth Leadership Conference Photos, circa 2004
- The 49 Hispanic Youth Leadership Conference photographs document the conference which took place in Pendleton, Oregon, circa 2004; OSU Kalmekak hosted a table as part of the conference activities. The photographs depict participants during the event, as well as individuals who tabled at the event: Carlos Garcia, Claudia Garcia, Jessica Garcia, and Juana Estrada.
- Box-Folder 2.2: Photo Album, 2002
- The photo album contains 97 photographs of events and activities OSU Kalmekak participated in during the 2002-2003 academic year. The photographs depict high school visits to Umatilla High School and Riverside High School; the Even Start Presentation; and field trips to Portland State Graduate School and Marys Peak. The photographs also depict Festivalito activities and performances. Based on the textual documentation of Festivalito activities, the performances appear to be by Mexica Tiahui and Baile Folklórico. The album also includes photographs of OSU Kalmekak staff - Maria Cobarrubias, Rosa Muñoz, Rogelio Cortez, Araceli Carlos; as well as photographs of organizers and participants of the events, some of whom are identified by name in the album.
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