Honoring the Trailblazers. Inspiring Future Generations.
A permanent tribute to the students whose leadership helped shape the University of Arizona and laid the foundation for generations of Wildcats to come.
About Los Universitarios
Los Universitarios formed in the early 1950s as a social club for Mexican-American students, many of which were the first to attend college from their families and searching for belonging on the University of Arizona campus. The group created a scholarship fund for Latinx students, awarding the first scholarship of $250 to a UofA student. The scholarship formed the foundation of the University of Arizona Hispanic Alumni, which was created in 1982 and included several members of Los Universitarios. Many members of Los Universitarios went on to become educators, doctors, lawyers, military officers, and civil servants.
To learn more, visit The University of Arizona Libraries Special Collection of Los Universitarios
Other articles about Los Universitarios:
Meet the Artist
RUBEN URREA MORENO
A multi-disciplinary Chicano artist born and raised in Tucson, AZ. His work has been included in group and solo exhibitions in El Paso, L.A., San Diego, Phoenix, Mexico, and on the International Mexican American border itself. His work is in the permanent collections of the Tucson Museum of Art and El Paso Museum of Art, and Austin Museum of Art. Ruben currently works as a full-time museum professional with the Arizona State Museum.
Ruben's work examines themes of human rights, cultural issues, political plights, the struggles of immigrant communities, and healing.
About the Mural
To honor the legacy and spirit of Los Universitarios, this mural shows the legacy of knowledge-seeking going all the way back to our shared Mesoamerican cultures.
- The book sprouting out of the tree of heritage, an Ancestor, is at the base channeling wisdom and knowledge.
- The glyphs on the book pages. On the right side, the Florentine Codex, the Ometeotl symbol. Debated as an Aztec version of the Ying Yan symbol but so much more than that. On the left side, the symbol is the Nahum Ollin. This is a 16th century concept in the Mexica cosmology. The first translation of it was 'four movement' and was tied to the four directions. But this symbol has also gained many interpretations through the years and has been adopted many ethnic studies.
- The quetzel bird, a bird of consequential history, often tied with royalty and wealth. It holds a key to success, note our beloved 'A' at the end of the key as the ward or bit.
Flanking the center ensemble of elements are two young college students. You can see the pride on their face and their eagerness to take in the knowledge they carry in their hands. Their future is one they are manifesting through education.