May 2024

Latinx Studies Award

Presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium, University of Oregon

Awarded by the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies for the documentary film La Chicana Académica

Audience Choice Award

Presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium, University of Oregon

Voted by symposium attendees for the documentary film

La Chicana Académica is a bilingual documentary film about the scholarly work and personal legacy of queer Chicana historian, Dr. Yvette Saavedra who is an Associate Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Oregon. Produced through Dr. Lynn Stephen and Dr. Gabriela Martinez's Latino Roots course, a decade-long project preserving the lives and stories of Latinos in Oregon as a historically underrepresented community. The film was independently written, filmed, directed, and edited by Aspeitia, weaving together an intimate portrait of mentorship, identity, and what it means to build space for others in the academy. Additionally, student testimonials were collected and bilingual subtitles were provided throughout the film. This award-winning documentary is now preserved in the Knight Library Special Collections at the University of Oregon.