Inter-University Program for Latino Research

	Working Groups
IUPLR working groups bring together researchers from different regions, national origins, and intellectual perspectives to conduct collaborative research generating comparative data on Latino nationality groups and regions. Seed grants from IUPLR help improve the quality, effectiveness, and stability of university-based Latino research centers in the United States. These groups generally include several scholars who serve as coordinators, and involve one or more participating research centers. See a list of completed projects by IUPLR working groups... Active Working Groups Latino Politic The group's inaugural effort is to undertake a national political survey of the US Latino population. The group aims to produce a careful and up-to-date mapping of Latino political and social attitudes across a range of dimensions, including partisanship, orientation to the political system, issue preferences, self-reported behaviors, and beliefs about politics. Working Group Members: Luis R. Fraga, PhD, Stanford University John Garcia, PhD, University of Arizona Rodney Hero, PhD, University of Notre Dame (Chair) Michael Jones-Correa, PhD, Cornell University Valerie Martinez Ebers, PhD, Texas Christian University Gary M. Segura, PhD, University of Iowa back to top Health/Mental Health Working Group The group's mission is to advance knowledge and understanding by conducting collaborative research across IUPLR centers, focusing on behavioral health, mental health, and health-related research projects that spotlight Latina/o populations, and to disseminate the findings to benefit communities. Objectives: To create and expand on research knowledge addressing mental and health issues confronting Latina/o communities. To foster the development of Latina/o scholars and scholarship. To disseminate research findings to inform policy and practice in the service of Latina/o communities. Working Group Members: Teresita Camacho-Gonsalves, PhD, Human Services Research Institute Dharma Cortéz, PhD, UMass Boston Israel Cuéllar, PhD, Michigan State University Adela de la Torre, PhD, University of California, Davis Estevan Flores, PhD, University of Colorado at Denver Gerardo Gonzalez, PhD, California State University San Marcos (Chair) Steve López, PhD, UCLA Shobha Ramanand, Michigan State University Tim Ready, PhD, University of Notre Dame Michael Rodríguez, MD, MPH, UCLA Ester Shapiro, PhD, UMass Boston back to top Latina Spirituality Working Group This research group examines the spiritualities and theologies of US Latinas through individual and collective research. Of interest are explorations of faith or belief systems through traditional or official as well as nontraditional or unofficial practices, and explorations through rituals, stories, art, and other means. Objectives: To engage current research in Latina studies, drawing from a multidisciplinary perspective—the humanities (literature, art and, art history), social sciences (sociology and education), and Christian theology—and viewing with a critical eye what scholars are doing to define spirituality and theology in Latina communities. Working Group Members: Patricia Baquedano, PhD, University of California, Berkeley Miryam Bujanda, policy analyst Gilberto Cárdenas, PhD, University of Notre Dame Yreina Cervantes, California State University, Northridge Fr. Virgilio Elizondo, PhD, University of Notre Dame Ramona Hernández, PhD, CUNY Gloria Loya, PBVM, Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley Daisy Machado, PhD, Texas Christian University Amelia Malagamba, PhD, University of Texas at Austin Tim Matovina, PhD, University of Notre Dame Lara Medina, PhD, California State University, Northridge Renee Moreno, PhD, California State University, Northridge (Chair) Mary Pardo, PhD, California State University, Northridge Fr. Arturo Pérez, Instituto Tepeyac Olga Villa Parra, consultant back to top Census Working Group To explore the best ways to take advantage of IUPLR's status as a Census Information Center (CIC), a working group consisting of scholars from seven IUPLR member centers met regularly in 2000, 2001, and 2002 to create a research agenda for Census 2000 data. Objectives: To establish a priority list for acquiring Census materials and to train member centers to access and analyze past and present Census data. Working Group Members: Jorge Chapa, PhD, Indiana University, Bloomington Estevan Flores, PhD, University of Colorado at Denver John Garcia, PhD, University of Arizona Philip Garcia, PhD, California State University system Felipe Gonzalez, PhD, University of New Mexico René Hinojosa, PhD, Michigan State University Lisandro Pérez, PhD, Florida International University Avelardo Valdez, PhD, University of Texas at San Antonio back to top The US-Mexican Border and Families Working Group (Las Fronterizas) The group represents Latina scholars from across the country who are researching the lives and experiences of women and families on the US-Mexican border. Research focuses on families' strategies as they use resources from both sides of the border for their well-being, the ways families participate in economic activities on both sides of the border, and the social and cultural dynamics in which these families live their daily lives and socialize their children across national borders. Objectives: To support and promote the research of Latina scholars interested in families on the US-Mexican border. To provide opportunities for members of the group to share, critique and support the development of research projects of the group and of individual members. To advance the development and dissemination of research publications and presentations by the group and individual members. Working Group Members: Ana Marie Argilagos, the Annie E. Casey Foundation Lydia Arizmendi, PhD, University of Texas-Pan American Irasema Coronado, PhD, University of Texas at El Paso Marie-Laure Coubes, Colegio de la Frontera Norte Norma Iglesias-Prieto, PhD, Colegio de la Frontera Norte Nancy López, University of New Mexico Amelia Malagamba, PhD, University of Texas at Austin Raquel Marquez, PhD, University of Texas at San Antonio (Chair) Norma Ojeda, PhD, Colegio de la Frontera Norte Yolanda C. Padilla, PhD, University of Texas at Austin Catarina Palmer, Red por los Derechos de la Infancia en México Bárbara Robles, PhD, University of Texas at Austin Harriett Romo, PhD, University of Texas at San Antonio Belinda I. Reyes, PhD, University of California, Merced Patricia Sanchez, University of Texas at San Antonio back to top

IUPLR working groups bring together researchers from different regions, national origins, and intellectual perspectives to conduct collaborative research generating comparative data on Latino nationality groups and regions. Seed grants from IUPLR help improve the quality, effectiveness, and stability of university-based Latino research centers in the United States. These groups generally include several scholars who serve as coordinators, and involve one or more participating research centers.

See a list of completed projects by IUPLR working groups...

Active Working Groups

Latino Politic
The group's inaugural effort is to undertake a national political survey of the US Latino population. The group aims to produce a careful and up-to-date mapping of Latino political and social attitudes across a range of dimensions, including partisanship, orientation to the political system, issue preferences, self-reported behaviors, and beliefs about politics.

Working Group Members:
Luis R. Fraga, PhD, Stanford University
John Garcia, PhD, University of Arizona
Rodney Hero, PhD, University of Notre Dame (Chair)
Michael Jones-Correa, PhD, Cornell University
Valerie Martinez Ebers, PhD, Texas Christian University
Gary M. Segura, PhD, University of Iowa
back to top

Health/Mental Health Working Group
The group's mission is to advance knowledge and understanding by conducting collaborative research across IUPLR centers, focusing on behavioral health, mental health, and health-related research projects that spotlight Latina/o populations, and to disseminate the findings to benefit communities.

Objectives:
To create and expand on research knowledge addressing mental and health issues confronting Latina/o communities.
To foster the development of Latina/o scholars and scholarship.
To disseminate research findings to inform policy and practice in the service of Latina/o communities.

Working Group Members:
Teresita Camacho-Gonsalves, PhD, Human Services Research Institute
Dharma Cortéz, PhD, UMass Boston
Israel Cuéllar, PhD, Michigan State University
Adela de la Torre, PhD, University of California, Davis
Estevan Flores, PhD, University of Colorado at Denver
Gerardo Gonzalez, PhD, California State University San Marcos (Chair)
Steve López, PhD, UCLA
Shobha Ramanand, Michigan State University
Tim Ready, PhD, University of Notre Dame
Michael Rodríguez, MD, MPH, UCLA
Ester Shapiro, PhD, UMass Boston
back to top

Latina Spirituality Working Group
This research group examines the spiritualities and theologies of US Latinas through individual and collective research. Of interest are explorations of faith or belief systems through traditional or official as well as nontraditional or unofficial practices, and explorations through rituals, stories, art, and other means.

Objectives:
To engage current research in Latina studies, drawing from a multidisciplinary perspective—the humanities (literature, art and, art history), social sciences (sociology and education), and Christian theology—and viewing with a critical eye what scholars are doing to define spirituality and theology in Latina communities.

Working Group Members:
Patricia Baquedano, PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Miryam Bujanda, policy analyst
Gilberto Cárdenas, PhD, University of Notre Dame
Yreina Cervantes, California State University, Northridge
Fr. Virgilio Elizondo, PhD, University of Notre Dame
Ramona Hernández, PhD, CUNY
Gloria Loya, PBVM, Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley
Daisy Machado, PhD, Texas Christian University
Amelia Malagamba, PhD, University of Texas at Austin
Tim Matovina, PhD, University of Notre Dame
Lara Medina, PhD, California State University, Northridge
Renee Moreno, PhD, California State University, Northridge (Chair)
Mary Pardo, PhD, California State University, Northridge
Fr. Arturo Pérez, Instituto Tepeyac
Olga Villa Parra, consultant
back to top

Census Working Group
To explore the best ways to take advantage of IUPLR's status as a Census Information Center (CIC), a working group consisting of scholars from seven IUPLR member centers met regularly in 2000, 2001, and 2002 to create a research agenda for Census 2000 data.

Objectives:
To establish a priority list for acquiring Census materials and to train member centers to access and analyze past and present Census data.

Working Group Members:
Jorge Chapa, PhD, Indiana University, Bloomington
Estevan Flores, PhD, University of Colorado at Denver
John Garcia, PhD, University of Arizona
Philip Garcia, PhD, California State University system
Felipe Gonzalez, PhD, University of New Mexico
René Hinojosa, PhD, Michigan State University
Lisandro Pérez, PhD, Florida International University
Avelardo Valdez, PhD, University of Texas at San Antonio
back to top

The US-Mexican Border and Families Working Group (Las Fronterizas)
The group represents Latina scholars from across the country who are researching the lives and experiences of women and families on the US-Mexican border. Research focuses on families' strategies as they use resources from both sides of the border for their well-being, the ways families participate in economic activities on both sides of the border, and the social and cultural dynamics in which these families live their daily lives and socialize their children across national borders.

Objectives:
To support and promote the research of Latina scholars interested in families on the US-Mexican border.
To provide opportunities for members of the group to share, critique and support the development of research projects of the group and of individual members.
To advance the development and dissemination of research publications and presentations by the group and individual members.

Working Group Members:
Ana Marie Argilagos, the Annie E. Casey Foundation
Lydia Arizmendi, PhD, University of Texas-Pan American
Irasema Coronado, PhD, University of Texas at El Paso
Marie-Laure Coubes, Colegio de la Frontera Norte
Norma Iglesias-Prieto, PhD, Colegio de la Frontera Norte
Nancy López, University of New Mexico
Amelia Malagamba, PhD, University of Texas at Austin
Raquel Marquez, PhD, University of Texas at San Antonio (Chair)
Norma Ojeda, PhD, Colegio de la Frontera Norte
Yolanda C. Padilla, PhD, University of Texas at Austin
Catarina Palmer, Red por los Derechos de la Infancia en México
Bárbara Robles, PhD, University of Texas at Austin
Harriett Romo, PhD, University of Texas at San Antonio
Belinda I. Reyes, PhD, University of California, Merced
Patricia Sanchez, University of Texas at San Antonio