La Cucaracha Exhibit to Debut at University Library Jan. 27
Release Date: January 25, 2022
Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) will launch an exhibit on the Pueblo publication La Cucaracha with a grand unveiling Thursday Jan. 27 at 5:30 p.m. on the first floor of the Library and Academic Resource Center (LARC).
Founded by Juan and Deborah Espinosa, La Cucaracha debuted in May of 1976 and ran until November 1983. This exhibit will feature top stories and issues of the era from the pages of La Cucaracha.
“I think it's important to understand that La Cucaracha was very much like all the other Chicano newspapers when it started, but I think by the time we ended, we were much different than a lot of those newspapers,” Juan Espinosa said.
“We became part of the fabric of this community, and I think that says a lot for the kind of paper that we started out as and what we became,” Espinosa continued. “I think you can still have principles and still serve your community and we tried to do both.”
La Cucaracha documented the struggle that the Chicano population in Pueblo faced during the 70s and 80s. Stories focused on the fight for equal treatment from the police department, the educational system and housing opportunities.
At its peak, La Cucaracha reached subscribers in 36 states and six countries. La Cucaracha started with the goal of empowering and educating the Chicano community in Pueblo on news and social issues of the time.
“If someone asked me ‘what would be the most important things that came out of La Cucaracha?’, I would say probably the engagement of the local community, the initiative of the local community, the education of the local community, the involvement of the local community,” said David Martinez, one of the founders of La Cucaracha.
Throughout the 2021-22 school year, CSU Pueblo has commemorated the 50th anniversary of Chicano Studies on campus with several events throughout the year. This exhibit will be on display all spring semester in the University Library. La Cucaracha is also available upon request as a traveling exhibit to museums, libraries and other educational institutions.
“We are very excited to welcome this exhibit to the CSU Pueblo library,” said President Timothy Mottet. “La Cucaracha chronicled the plight of the people of this region. We believe this exhibit will be a great resource to our faculty, students, and the Pueblo community. Our vision to become the people’s university of the Southwest is strengthened by dedicating space and resources to exhibits like La Cucaracha and enhances our commitment to the people of this region and the study of Chicano history in Southern Colorado.”
The grand unveiling of this exhibit is open to the public. As part of the grand unveiling, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place to officially open this exhibit.
After the ribbon-cutting, attendees will enjoy a reception with appetizers and beverages. A program will follow with guest speakers the Espinosas, and words from Mottet, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Mohamed Abdelrahman and Dean of Library Services Rhonda Gonzales.
For more information on this exhibit, click here.
