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Santo and Socorro Bernasconi Papers 1973-2005

MSS-333

Biographical Note

Socorro Bernasconi, born and raised in Guadalupe, Arizona, was one of the first people in her community to obtain a college degree and was the first Mexican American female counselor in Tempe Elementary School District No. 3. Bernasconi was a lifelong activist and advocate for her community. She was involved with Chicanos Por La Causa and served as the Director of Refugio De Colores, a shelter that used traditional cultural practices and values to respond to domestic violence. In 1995 she founded GLAAD (Guadalupe Libre Alcohol, Armas & Drogas), which urged teenagers to give up firearms in exchange for computers, bicycles, and guitar lessons. In 1996, she won the Petra Award for making a distinctive contribution to human freedom. In 2002, she received the Martin Luther King Jr. Award from Arizona State University for her work with Mexican American youth and community.

In 1971, the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), wrote Tempe Elementary School District No. 3 with concerns about their compliance with Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The act prohibited discrimination based on race and national origin by Federal Government contractors. After two years of investigation, OCR found the school district to be in violation of Title VI and ordered the desegregation of schools. The community of Guadalupe, located in the southwest corner of the school district, was deeply affected by the desegregation plan of 1973. This area was predominately Mexican American and Yaqui Indian. Students from this community attended Veda B. Frank Elementary School, where they experienced daily discrimination and poor curriculum.

Scope and Content Note

This collection documents the path to school desegregation in Tempe, Arizona. It contains correspondence between Tempe Elementary School District No. 3 and OCR, desegregation plans proposed by the Board of Trustees, and audit reports showing how federal funds were used. It also contains implementation and training material, test scores, and program guidelines.

Arrangement

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

To view this collection, make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or calling (480) 965-4932. Appointments in the Wurzburger Reading Room at Hayden Library (rm. 138) on the Tempe campus are available Monday through Friday. Check the ASU Library Hours page for current availability.

Copyright

The Arizona Board of Regents retains copyright to this collection for and on behalf of the Arizona State University Library. Requests to publish, display, or redistribute information from this collection must be submitted via our online application.

Access Terms

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Santo and Socorro Bernasconi Papers, MSS-333, Arizona State University Library.

Provenance

Socorro Bernasconi donated these materials to the Chicano/a Research Collection in 2011 (Accession #2011-04465).

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