Highlighting CHLX faculty/staff

Dr. Sara E. Cooper (Ph.D. University of Texas, 1999) is Professor of Spanish and Chair of Multicultural & Gender Studies at California State University, Chico. Cooper is the translator of Burnt Honey/Miel quemada–a novel by Chicano Antonio Arreguín Bermúdez and The Bleeding Wound/Sangra por la herida by Mirta Yáñez (funded by a translation grant from the NEA). Founder and Editor in Chief of Cubanabooks Press, she has brought 10 bilingual editions by Cuban women to an English-speaking audience. While most of Cooper’s writing has been about Cuba, her work in the field of United States Latinx Studies includes: "Queering Family: Achy Obejas's 'We Came All the Way From Cuba So You Could Dress Like That?'" Chasqui. 32.2 (November 2003): 76-88; “Burning Down the Canon: Queer Family and Queer Text in Flaming Iguanas.” Ciberletras 16 (January 2007). Eds. Susana Haydu (Yale) & Cristina Arambel-Guiñazú (Lehman College, CUNY).  http://www.lehman.cuny.edu/ciberletras/; and “Bridging Sexualities: Cherríe Moraga’s Giving Up the Ghost and Alma López’s Digital Art.”  Confluencia. Revista Hispánica de Cultura y Literatura 18.2 (Spring 2003): 69-84. 

Courses taught: Chicanx Literature, Latinx Film

Dr. Paul López is Professor of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies. He earned his Bachelors of Arts degree in Chicana/o Studies at California State University, Northridge. His Master’s degree in Sociology was earned at the University of Notre Dame (South Bend, IN), and his Ph.D. in Sociology was earned at Northeastern University (Boston, MA).

Prior to coming to Chico State, Dr. López taught at Boise State University, University of San Francisco, U.C. Santa Barbara, Northeastern University, Northern Essex Community College, and several other colleges and universities.

He has extensive teaching experience having taught several different courses at Chico State. Previous courses he has taught have been Introduction to Chicano Studies, Chicanos in Contemporary Society, Chicanos and Latinos: A Cross-Cultural Approach, Introduction to Sociology, Social Problems, Introduction to Multicultural and Gender Studies, and several other courses. He is currently prepping for the new major in Latinx Studies (Fall 2019) that will have him teaching, Introduction to Latinx Studies, Latinx in Contemporary Society and Social Justice, Latinx and Immigration, and Latinx in the Labor Market.

In 2002, he accepted a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the Center for Chicano Studies at U.C. Santa Barbara, where he spent the academic year (2002-2003) collecting oral histories of former Mexican braceros (or guest workers) who came to the United States as part of the former U.S.-Mexico Bracero Program (1942-1964). Overall, he has collected 70 oral histories of these former braceros. All of the oral histories were collected in California, and he recently collected several oral histories in Rio de San Antonio, Michoacán, Mexico. He has published two books on the former bracero program, and his second book, Que Fronteras: Mexican Braceros and a Re-examination of the Legacy of Migration was recently published in a second edition.

Beyond Chico State, Dr. López served as a historical consultant for the Pasadena Playhouse for the play titled, Of Mice and Men that was adapted from the classic Steinbeck book of the same name. He also appeared in the PBS film, Los Braceros: Strong Arms to Aid the USA. He has also presented his research at international, national, regional, and local conferences. One of his more memorable presentations was presenting his bracero research at the Centro de Investigaciones sobre América del Norte Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México México. D.F. México.

Additionally, he has started to collect the oral histories of the wives of former braceros with the intention of writing about their experiences as wives of braceros who were impacted by the migration of their husbands to the United States. A review of the literature has little to no research conducted on their valuable migration experience as well.

His publications have been several articles, encyclopedia entries, and book chapters. Among his most recent publications have been: BrownPower/Chicano Movement and Chicano Moratorium. In Lavariega Monforti, (editor), Latinos in the American Political System: An Encyclopedia of Latinos as Voters, Candidates, and Office Holders. ABC-CLIO, Bracero Program. In Frederick F. Wherry, and Golson, J. Geoffrey (editor). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Economics and Society, A Response: Continuity and Change in Hispanic Identity. Ethnicities. Sage Publishers, Reflections on Research Perspectives and Strategies, In Alberto L. Pulido, Barbara Driscoll de Alvardo, and Carmen Samora, (editors). Moving Beyond Borders: Julian Samora and the Establishment of Latino Studies. University of Illinois Press

 He remains active as a peer reviewer for the following journals and book publishers, Bilingual Press, Sage Publishers, Lexington Publishers, Rowland and Littlefield, ATINER’s on-line Paper Series, Books and Journals, Ethnicities, and Allyn and Bacon. He recently completed reviewing two manuscripts for an upcoming issue for the Bilingual Press on the Mexican Government’s sponsored program BECA’s, that gave Chicanas and Chicanos the opportunity to pursue advanced degrees in Mexico during the 1960s and 1970’s.

 Dr. López has also served as a program reviewer for several departments. At Portland State University, he reviewed the Chicano/Latino Studies program, and the Chicano/Latino Studies Department at California State University, Long Beach.

 Finally, he is currently been working on his next project. Examining the migration and settlement of now elderly and former Mexican braceros to the United States. He has been drafting several chapters for submission to peer review academic presses. He remains interested in the social-historical examination of Mexican immigration to the United States, and continues to pursue several different projects related to that subject matter.

I grew up in Chico and am a Chico State alum (BA 2001 in Multicultural and Gender Studies), and was a first generation college student.

Prior to joining the CSU, Chico community, I taught professional and technical writing courses at Purdue University (2010-2013), and was director of Technical and Professional Writing at Portland State University (2013-2016). My research and teaching interests include research based and organizational writing, community writing, and professional writing. I also have experience leading research and writing projects for non profit and public organizations.

In my spare time, I enjoy riding bikes in Bidwell Park with my two daughters , walking my dog Sam (a poodle terrier rescue dog), and running.