History, agency and political struggle: a different view

In this paper, the author challenges Aguirre at two levels. He argues that Aguirre does not make effective use of his personal narrative to inform the experience of the Chicano Studies Center and Affirmative Action at his university. The author also points to his own experiences as a student and faculty member to underscore Aguirre’s incomplete critique of Chicano Studies and Affirmative Action programs across the country. A more complete rendering of these programs requires that we give special attention to agency and political struggle as historically evolving experiences in universities.