UCSB graduates first three Chicana/o Studies Ph.D.s

By Patricia Marroquin at the UCSB Grad Post (submitted by Aida Hurtado):

UC Santa Barbara’s Chicana and Chicano Studies Department made history this summer, and it’s an achievement that has been at least 30 years in the making. In June, three students participated in Graduate Division’s Commencement ceremony, becoming the first graduate students in the world to earn Ph.D.’s in Chicana and Chicano Studies.

The students are Jessie Turner, Thomas Avila Carrasco, and José G. Anguiano Cortez. Jessie received a spring 2012 degree, while Thomas and José are filing for summer 2012 degrees. For Jessie, José, and Thomas, this degree is a “family accomplishment,” “a collective achievement,” and one that instills “great pride.”

The idea for a Chicano Studies Ph.D. program at UCSB has multiple origins….

Story continues at UCSB GradPost