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MASO/M.E.Ch.A. Records 1968-1999

MSS-150

Historical Note

In September of 1968, Chicano students at Arizona State University met with University of Arizona students representing the Mexican American Student Association (MASA) and with visiting students from California representing the Mexican American Students Organization (MASO) in order to develop ideas and form an organization to discuss and address Chicano issues. Arizona State University's Mexican American Student Organization (MASO) was officially formed on October 18, 1968.

Committed to political activism on behalf of Mexican Americans at Arizona State University, MASO members confronted racial and ethnic problems in the larger Phoenix metropolitan community. Group members used the word "Chicano" to identify themselves and their movement. The membership of MASO changed its name to the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (M.E.Ch.A.) and because a chapter of that national Chicano student organization in 1971.

Sources:
Diaz, Rose T. "Mexican American Student Organization, 1968-1971." 1981 May 4. (MSS-150, Chicano Research Collection)
Chavez, Gustavo. "The Laundry Issue: The Birth of MASO." 1968 September, 1971 January. (MSS-150, Chicano Research Collection)

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains minutes, agendas, incorporation papers, membership lists, correspondence, conference materials, newspaper articles, research papers, newsletters, and other items documenting the Mexican American Student Organization (MASO) and its successor, the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (M.E.Ch.A.), at Arizona State University from 1968 to 1999.

Series I: Administrative Files houses minutes and agendas created by MASO (1968-1971) and M.E.Ch.A. (1976-1981, 1993-1994, and 1998-1999). Also included are incorporation papers and membership lists.

Series II: Correspondence contains MASO (1969-1971) and M.E.Ch.A. (1972-1976, 1993-1994, 1998-1999) correspondence.

Series III: Student Conferences includes planning materials for conferences sponsored by MASO and M.E.Ch.A. in 1969, 1974, 1981, and 1994.

Series IV: Miscellaneous houses newspaper articles, student research papers, newsletters, and other papers.

Arrangement

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Box 3, Folder 5 of Series IV is restricted. Contact the Curator of the Chicano Research Collections for more information.

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.

Related Material

Small Collections
Martinez, Ronnie. "The Purpose, Goals, and Aspirations of M.E.Ch.A.", 1972. (Call #MM CHSM-76, Chicano Research Collection)
Tinker-Salas, Miguel. "The History of M.E.Ch.A. (Movimeiento Estudiantil Chicanos de Aztlan)", 1994. (Call #MM CHSM-347 Chicano Research Collection)

Theses and Dissertations
Tapia, Nick. "Cactus in the Desert: The Chicano Movement in Maricopa County, Arizona, 1968-1978". Thesis (M.A.) - Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 1999. (Call# LD 179.15 1999 .T375 University Archives)
Valle, Maria Eva. "M.E.Ch.A. and the Transformation of Chicano Student Activism: Generational Change, Conflict, and Continuity". Dissertation (Ph.D.) - University of California, San Diego, 1996. (Call# LC 2687.A6 V34x 1996 Chicano Research Collection).

Ephemera
"M.E.Ch.A..." (Call #ME CHI E-14 Chicano Research Collection)
"M.E.Ch.A.; 1987-1989", 1989. (Call #ME CHI E-20 Chicano Research Collection)
Martinez, Elizabeth. "Seeds of a New Movimiento", 1993. (Call #ME CHI E-20 Chicano Research Collection)

Access Terms

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], MASO/M.E.Ch.A. Records, MSS-150, Arizona State University Library.

Provenance

The M.E.Ch.A. (Movimeinto Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan) Records were received from Jose Maldonado in 1995 (ACC# 1995-01623). The MASO (Mexican American Student Organization) Records were received from Christine Marin in 1997 (ACC #1997-01816). Jo Ann Lopez donated the 1998-1999 M.E.Ch.A. (Movimeinto Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan) records in 1999 (ACC #1999-02145).

Bibliography

Diaz, Rose T. "Mexican American Student Organization, 1968-1971." 1981 May 4. (MSS-150, Chicano Research Collection)

Chavez, Gustavo. "The Laundry Issue: The Birth of MASO." 1968 September, 1971 January. (MSS-150, Chicano Research Collection)

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