UTSA receives historic records from National Association for Bilingual Education

(Nov. 15, 2013) -- The National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) history can now be found at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), where it was partially rooted.
Albar A. Peña, former UTSA faculty member and the first director of the UTSA Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies, helped start the association and became its first president in 1975. Now, nearly four decades later, the association's records are being preserved at the university.
NABE has donated 61 boxes of correspondence, administrative files, legislative lobbying documents, audio-visual materials, photographs and conference records to the UTSA Libraries. The association is an advocate for bilingual and English language learners and cultivates a multilingual, multicultural society by supporting and promoting policy, programs, pedagogy, research and professional development.
The collection constitutes 43 years of history that represent the work many individuals have carried out to advance bilingual education in the U.S., said Rossana Ramirez Boyd, immediate past president and current member of NABE.
"We are pleased to know the UTSA Libraries will make the information available to the public," she said. "This is particularly important to the new generation of scholars and policy makers who have been searching for NABE's history to write their thesis, dissertations and articles on bilingual education."
Belinda Bustos Flores, professor and chair of the UTSA Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies, helped facilitate the acquisition.
"There are historical roots and reasons for UTSA having the NABE archives," said Flores. "Albar Peña had a long history of activism and vision for bilingual education. His professional records alone consist of 16.2 feet of archival materials spanning more than 40 years, during which he served Texas and the nation in high-level positions of advocacy for bilingualism and biculturalism. We are thrilled to have this legacy available at UTSA."
NABE was looking for a location with a reputation of strong collections and services that included organizing and making the collection available for research, while providing onsite and remote reference services.
"With Bicultural-Bilingual Studies as one of the founding academic units at UTSA, bilingual education has a long history at the university," said Nikki Thomas, manuscripts curator at UTSA Libraries. "Special Collections is pleased to add the records of NABE to our holdings where they will complement both manuscript and university archives collections."
>> The collection's inventory is now available online. Students, policy analysts, teachers and others interested in the instruction and legislative efforts around bilingual education can submit a request to access the collection.
>> Connect online with the UTSA Libraries at lib.utsa.edu, www.facebook.com/utsalibraries or www.twitter.com/utsalibraries.
Events
Adult Mental Health First Aid consists of 6 hours of instructor-led training, in which teaches adults how to recognize the signs and symptoms that suggest a potential mental health challenge, how to listen nonjudgmentally and give reassurance to the individual, student/colleague, who may be experiencing a mental health challenge, and how to refer a person to appropriate professional support and services at UTSA
John Peace Library (4.04.12C), Main CampusRefusing to Forget is a collaborative effort to examine and expose the devastating impact of state-sanctioned racial violence throughout the early 20th century in the Texas Borderlands. This will be a two-day workshop.
Gregory Luna Room, Buena Vista Building, Downtown CampusJoin fellow UTSA accounting alumni for this fun-filled event that includes breakfast, a round of golf, an awards luncheon and great prizes. All proceeds from the tournament benefit student scholarships.
Canyon Springs Golf Club, 24405 Wilderness Oak, San Antonio, TX 78260The Faculty Coffee Chat is designed to provide faculty members the space to discuss current issues they are facing in an inclusive and supportive environment.
Virtual EventThese sessions are focused on incoming Freshman who are attending the UTSA Summer Orientation and are intending to major in areas within the College of Liberal and Fine Arts! We'll have important information and giveaways for you - come meet us.
Willow room (SU 2.02.1), Main CampusPart 1 of our Career Skills Summer Workshop Series! Jeffrey Patten from the UTSA Career Center will be presenting on how to build a resume.
Virtual EventWeek 2 of our Career Skills Summer Workshop series.
Virtual Event