Personal stories, voice and presence in academe: a dialogical response to Aguirre

Using the dialogical method, the discussants provide a critical examination of the issues raised by Aguirre. The dialogue centers on Chicana/os Studies as the vehicle that provided both entry into and context within the academy for Chicana/os joining the faculty in higher education during the second half of the twentieth century. Using El Plan de Santa Barbara as the document that embodied the values and concerns of a generation of Chicana/os in higher education, the discussants emphasize issues of power, autonomy, community and community politics in examining the experiences of Chicana/o faculty and Chicana/o Studies units in the academy.