Compiling an encyclopedia of U.S. Latina and Latino popular culture is among the projects of newly appointed Associate Professor Arturo J. Aldama in the department of ethnic studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
"We are extremely fortunate to have attracted Arturo Aldama, one of the brightest stars in his field, to CU-Boulder," said Professor Ward Churchill, chair of the department. "He is enthusiastic, energetic, charismatic, brilliant and an asset not only to the department of ethnic studies, but to the university community."
Aldama, a tenured professor from Arizona State University's department of Chicana/o Studies, is fluent in Spanish and French and brings a wealth of experience and several exciting projects to the Boulder campus.
"Currently I am working on a comprehensive, two-volume academic reference encyclopedia of U.S. Latina and Latino popular culture, the first of its kind," Aldama said.
He also is writing a book on urban Latin music and how it travels across the U.S.-Mexico border and into Europe. In addition, he will be working with faculty in the ethnic studies department on creating a book on Colorado's ethnic histories and cultures that will feature the contributions of Latinas/os, African Americans, Asian Americans and American Indians in the formation of Colorado.
Aldama is passionate about encouraging students to pursue graduate and professional degrees. He is planning workshops for minority and first-generation students on how to gain admittance and funding for graduate and professional schools. He plans other workshops for graduate students on professional development, including how to publish research and how to "survive" a master's or doctoral thesis.
His classes this year will include an introduction to Chicana/o studies and a seminar on film and cultural studies, focusing on gender and violence on the U.S.-Mexico border. Aldama also is planning to teach a new class in the spring, a creative writing workshop on the ethnic spoken word, featuring the work of Puerto Rican, African American and other poets focusing on social change.
Aldama earned a doctorate and a master's degree in ethnic studies from the University of California at Berkeley.
His publications include "Violence and the Body: Race, Gender and the State" recently published by Indiana University Press and "Disrupting Savagism: Intersecting Chicana/o, Mexicana/o and Native American Struggles for Representation," by Duke University Press in 2001. He is an active presenter at national conferences and regularly serves as an editor and researcher for journals and organizations.
Aldama is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including election as the Rocky Mountain delegate for the Modern Language Association. He also serves as director-elect of the MLA's executive committee on Chicano literature. The honor that he is most proud of is an award for Outstanding Mentor 2002-03 by the Latino Graduate Student Association at Arizona State University.
The CU-Boulder department of ethnic studies provides a cohesive framework for the interdisciplinary study of ethnic and racial groups and promotes research and critical examination of culture, history and contemporary issues from national and global perspectives.
For more information call (303) 492-8852 or visit the Web site at