El Congreso was established in 1973. We are a Chicanx/Latinx support group and political student organization. We are the official MEChA chapter at UCSB. El Congreso is committed to fighting against the diverse struggles that the Chicanx/Latinx community faces through education, political organizing, and direct action. We recognize that we are a diverse community of people, indigenous to these continents. The oppression that we as Chicanxs/Latinxs have endured since 1492 continues to affect our people must stop. We demand change and believe this can only occur through the efforts of people united in struggle.
In the year 1969, El Congreso began as two separate on-campus organizations: MEChA and La Raza Libre. Specifically, MEChA at UC Santa Barbara was one of the original MEChA chapters in the United States, started out of a conference hosted at UCSB which led to the creation of "El Plan de Santa Bárbara", a manifesto for Chicanx Studies and a unification of Chicanx student organizations into one united collective: Movimiento Estudantil Chicanx de Aztlán (in it's most recent name).
Both MEChA and La Raza Libre at UCSB shared similar philosophies. However, they also shared political and personal conflict with one another. Arnulfo Casillas, a UCSB transfer at the time, suggested and insisted that these two organizations unite to form one. They both eventually agreed and were faced with the decision of choosing the ideal name for the newly combined organization. Some wanted the Organization to be called "La Raza Libre de MEChA" while others wanted it to be called "MEChA de la Raza Libre". After much debate, both parties agreed to give up both names and therefore came the creation of "El Congreso".
Throughout the evolution of El Congreso, we have been comprised of a general body and up to 16 associated committees, each specializing in a distinct area of El Movimiento. Many of these committees, such as La Escuelita, Mesa Directiva, Los Ingenieros, M.U.J.E.R., among others, have evolved into separate student collectives on the UCSB campus.
Past Congresistxs have put their livelihood on the line through hunger strikes, on multiple occasions including in the years 1989 and 1994, with associated demands that included recognizing the Chicanx/Latinx population on campus. As a result of these hunger strikes, the Chicana/o Studies department expanded, more Chicanx/Latinx students were recruited to attend the university through outreach programs such as Raza College Day (now Latine College Day), and additional support for low-income and marginalized students expanded.
Congresistxs also played a role in the preservation of El Centro Arnulfo Casillas, the meeting space of El Congreso and many other organizations, the former home of the Chicana/o Studies Department, the current home to many EOP counselors, and more. In January 2017, students received an email from campus architects requesting them to vacate El Centro within 45 days. They found that the building had been neglected for decades. A room had built up moisture, damaging the foundation. Fire alarms weren’t being tested, and furniture was outdated. Work requests from 2013 regarding such concerns, including the foundational damage, were ignored. A 6 month collective effort of students from El Congreso, Students for Justice in Palestine, and MUJER created the “El Centro Committee”, holding countless hours of meetings with administration and the chancellor regarding the permanence and upgrading of the space.
In June 2017, the reconstruction, expansion, and upgrading of El Centro began with new furniture, expanded Activity Room, addition of a kitchen, and projection technology with audio. In April 2018, El Centro had a grand reopening with the final renovations you see today. Thanks to these efforts, the university recognized the importance of preserving El Centro, renovating and reinforcing the space.
We advocate a philosophy of liberation through self-determination, comunidad, and collectivity of our gente. We control and decide for ourselves the direction of our learning and the content of our education and advancement.
Con Respeto y Cariño
El Congreso de UC Santa Barbara
In the year 1969, El Congreso began as two separate on-campus organizations: MEChA and La Raza Libre. Specifically, MEChA at UC Santa Barbara was one of the original MEChA chapters in the United States, started out of a conference hosted at UCSB which led to the creation of "El Plan de Santa Bárbara", a manifesto for Chicanx Studies and a unification of Chicanx student organizations into one united collective: Movimiento Estudantil Chicanx de Aztlán (in it's most recent name).
Both MEChA and La Raza Libre at UCSB shared similar philosophies. However, they also shared political and personal conflict with one another. Arnulfo Casillas, a UCSB transfer at the time, suggested and insisted that these two organizations unite to form one. They both eventually agreed and were faced with the decision of choosing the ideal name for the newly combined organization. Some wanted the Organization to be called "La Raza Libre de MEChA" while others wanted it to be called "MEChA de la Raza Libre". After much debate, both parties agreed to give up both names and therefore came the creation of "El Congreso".
Throughout the evolution of El Congreso, we have been comprised of a general body and up to 16 associated committees, each specializing in a distinct area of El Movimiento. Many of these committees, such as La Escuelita, Mesa Directiva, Los Ingenieros, M.U.J.E.R., among others, have evolved into separate student collectives on the UCSB campus.
Past Congresistxs have put their livelihood on the line through hunger strikes, on multiple occasions including in the years 1989 and 1994, with associated demands that included recognizing the Chicanx/Latinx population on campus. As a result of these hunger strikes, the Chicana/o Studies department expanded, more Chicanx/Latinx students were recruited to attend the university through outreach programs such as Raza College Day (now Latine College Day), and additional support for low-income and marginalized students expanded.
Congresistxs also played a role in the preservation of El Centro Arnulfo Casillas, the meeting space of El Congreso and many other organizations, the former home of the Chicana/o Studies Department, the current home to many EOP counselors, and more. In January 2017, students received an email from campus architects requesting them to vacate El Centro within 45 days. They found that the building had been neglected for decades. A room had built up moisture, damaging the foundation. Fire alarms weren’t being tested, and furniture was outdated. Work requests from 2013 regarding such concerns, including the foundational damage, were ignored. A 6 month collective effort of students from El Congreso, Students for Justice in Palestine, and MUJER created the “El Centro Committee”, holding countless hours of meetings with administration and the chancellor regarding the permanence and upgrading of the space.
In June 2017, the reconstruction, expansion, and upgrading of El Centro began with new furniture, expanded Activity Room, addition of a kitchen, and projection technology with audio. In April 2018, El Centro had a grand reopening with the final renovations you see today. Thanks to these efforts, the university recognized the importance of preserving El Centro, renovating and reinforcing the space.
We advocate a philosophy of liberation through self-determination, comunidad, and collectivity of our gente. We control and decide for ourselves the direction of our learning and the content of our education and advancement.
Con Respeto y Cariño
El Congreso de UC Santa Barbara