This is a sample of resources available in Auraria Library and on the Internet for doing research on Mexican Americans, Chicanos, Hispanics, or Latinos.

Each link will direct you to a list of resources on the databases & indexes page. Database selection can determine the quality of search results. Try different databases, read the descriptions provided and inquire at the reference desk if you are not sure which to use.

Also, try our Anthropological Literature on Disc, a CD-ROM next to the ref desk and  Abstracts in Anthropology, a print resource in our Index section. The HRAF collection, which we have in microfiche in Periodicals is also an excellent source.  The University of Virginia has a good site for assistance at: http://www.lib.virginia.edu/subjects/anthropology/hraf/hindexes.html.

There are print indices in reference:  Instructor's and librarian's guide to the HRAF archive Z5112 .L48 1988 , Outline of world cultures GN345.3 .M87 1983  and Outline of cultural materials GN345.3 .O95 1982 These materials are not current, but contain an unmatched historical collection. 

Books are accessed through the Auraria Library catalog, Skyline, using an Author search (for authors, other  individuals, and corporate entities listed as authors, i.e. United States, Bureau of Census, National Association of Hispanic Publications), a WORD search (for subjects such as Hispanics, Chicanos, Latinos or Mexican Americans), or a Title search (for titles of books). A Periodical Title search will help you locate magazines, journals, or newspapers that we own such as Voces: a journal of chicana/latina studies or Hispanic American Historical Review.

In the Auraria Library, many materials are kept under the call number E184 on the second floor but keep in mind that material about life, culture, issues, and people may be located nearly anywhere in the library --musicians in the music section, writers in the literature section, mathematicians in the mathematics section. Also, remember that material about Hispanic/Chicano/Latino/Mexican American issues may be written from many standpoints; it may be liberal or conservative or radical. As with information on any subject, you have to consider the point of view of the author and how that affects the value you will place on the information.

TIP: Chicano and Latino are not synonymous terms!  A Latino is a person of Latin American ancestry living in the U.S.  Latin America includes Mexico, Central America  and South America.  Generally speaking, a Chicano is a person of Mexican-American heritage, but individuals from this subculture may use other terms to describe themselves, such as Mexican-Americans, Mexicanos, etc.  Therefore all Chicanos might be described as Latino, but not all Latinos can be described as Chicano.

Normally a book will not provide the most up-to-minute information on a subject, but it can be very useful when you  want considerable background information on your topic. For terms to use in a WORD search, consult the Library of Congress Subject Headings . For instance the Library of Congress Subject Headings would be:

Mexican American

Hispanic American

Latino American USE Hispanic American

Chicano USE Mexican American

Ways to find books we do not own or that may be checked out:

Prospector: the Colorado Unified Catalog   Use Prospector to determine which major Colorado library may own a particular book. You can order the book if it is available at another library.

NetLibrary A database of online, full text books.

Tip:   You may use ILL (Interlibrary loan) to order journal and magazine articles that Auraria Library doesn't own. You may use WorldCat to request books, dissertations, video recordings and other materials that Auraria doesn't own and that you cannot find in Prospector .

Reference Books

The Hispanic/Mexican American reference section located on the first floor of the Auraria Library is small but useful. Keep in mind, however, that relevant material may be found in other parts of the reference collection, Hispanic American, Chicano, Latino, or Mexican American artists in the art section, actors or movies or theatrical productions in the drama section, athletes in the sports section, and so on.

Some useful reference books are listed below.

Latino Encyclopedia   REF E184.S75 L357

Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States   REF E7184.S75H365

Statistical Record of Hispanic Americans REF E184.S75S74

Also check the Biography page at Auraria Library for online access to biography-related databases.

Internet Sources

Hispanic American Health

HispanicOnline.com

Department of Anthropology -- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

There are too many web pages to list every valuable source. Start with Lii.org (Librarians Index to the Internet) for a well maintained source of quality web sites. A search on hispanic americans, chicanos , latinos , or mexican americans results in many valuable resources.