Living History: How This Grad’s New Mexican Heritage Inspired Her to Earn a Degree in Chicano/a Studies

Amanda Gallegos grew up listening to her grandfather tell stories about their family’s long history as New Mexicans and what it meant to be Chicano. So, when she decided to go back to school it made perfect sense to pursue a degree in Chicano/a studies.

“I can trace my family’s lineage in New Mexico back seven generations, and I was raised to be proud of that history and of being a Chicana,” she says. “There is also so much rich history in New Mexico, and CNM’s program gave me the opportunity to celebrate and explore that history.”

In the Chicano/a Studies program, students explore both historical and contemporary experiences of Chicanas/es/os/x in the Americas in preparation to transfer to UNM’s Chicana and Chicano Studies Department or programs at other four-year institutions.

For Amanda, the best part of the program was the instructors’ dedication and passion for the field.

“All of the instructors at CNM have been amazing, and they work hard to keep their material modern and relevant,” she says. “They also have such a clear investment in education and their students, which made it easy to stay engaged.”

Amanda will graduate from CNM this weekend and will start UNM’s Chicano/a Studies in the fall.

Her ultimate goal is to write history books about New Mexico, particularly about Albuquerque from the 2000s forward.

“So much has happened in the last 20 or so years, especially in the social justice space, but a lot of it hasn’t been recorded and I would like to change that,” she says. “New Mexico is also not talked about on the national level, or only negative things are shared. I want to tell the real stories of what it means to live and be New Mexican so we can start to shift that narrative.”

For now, Amanda is excited to continue her studies and wants to encourage others to not be afraid to start their educational journey.

“I fully believe that it’s never the wrong time to start something,” she says. “Even if you take one class at a time, it’s worth it to take the plunge and go after what you want.”