Faculty Member Ernesto Colín Brings a Multicultural Lens to New Role as NACCS Chair

For education professor Ernesto Colín '99, M.A. '01, the journey to leadership in Chicana/o studies is rooted deeply in his history with Loyola Marymount University (LMU). Since his undergraduate days in the mid-1990s, Colín has been involved with the National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies (NACCS), a non-profit academic organization dedicated to the study, research, and empowerment of Chicana/o and Latina/o communities. Now a director of the educational studies program at LMU's School of Education (SOE), Colín was named chair-elect of NACCS in 2025 and became chair in April 2026 at the association's annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

A first-generation student and son of immigrants, Colín holds a doctorate in anthropology of education from Stanford University and a master's degree in secondary education at LMU. He is also a danzante, visual artist, and former public high school teacher. As an undergraduate deejay on the student-run radio station 88.9FM KXLU, he founded the program Serenata de Tríos in 1998 on and has been its producer and host ever since. He's a trustee of the Anawakalmekak School in Los Angeles.

In a recent conversation, Colín shared insights on his new role with NACCS, his scholarship at the intersection of education and other fields of study, and his Indigenous heritage.

What does the chair of NACCS do? What excites you about working with this group?

I will be coordinating the work of NACCS's elected board and other stakeholders to run the organization, which is made up of nine different regions in the U.S. Our major project is the year-long process of planning and executing the annual conference, where the agenda features diverse forms of scholarly research and creative presentations and workshops that facilitate dialogue among people who work in this field.

I'll also support the work of NACCS's regional hubs and special interest groups, and will oversee membership drives, communications, and other administrative areas.

NACCS scholars are doing amazing work, and I love being immersed in their scholarship. I also enjoy the networking, collaboration, and relationship building with the people I engage with year after year at the annual conference. The conference serves as a foundation for education and career pathways for students and faculty at all levels.

Tell us about your own scholarship and research.

I am a lifelong learner who values experiential learning. A lot of my work is centered within community-based education, especially through Aztec dance, a community and cultural art form I've been involved with for 31 years.

My scholarship focuses more broadly on Indigenous education. I like to study the education that happens outside of school, in spaces where people are transmitting knowledge, such as through ceremonies, cultural practices, and community activities.

I have also focused on Indigenous education occurring in formal schools. I've conducted research with communities that are successfully integrating Indigenous history, language, and culture in the formal systems and curricula of schools. I've applied this comparative approach in Guatemala, Mexico, and across the United States, in urban Indigenous schools, reservation schools, and Catholic schools in Indigenous contexts, and charter schools delivering Indigenous education.

Why is it important to study and preserve Indigenous cultures?

Indigenous cultures are millinery projects-they have been around for centuries. They have evolved in ways that are unique and responsive to infinite changes, so Indigenous cultures have perspectives, knowledge, experience, ideas and solutions to situations we confront all the time today. Paying attention and preserving cultural attributes is valuable, and can often be applied to current life situations we encounter. And from an anthropological perspective, it's inherently important to honor and celebrate a different culture, a different life way, and a different way of being human.

Why did you return to LMU to teach?

I'm a proud two-time alumnus and I jumped at the opportunity to return when a position became available as a visiting scholar first, and then as a tenure-track faculty member.

SOE's faculty are uniquely focused on social justice, and they engage with local communities in meaningful ways. I was really drawn to what SOE stands for and wanted to contribute to the kind of work that both SOE and LMU are doing.

Also, I feel valued here as an interdisciplinary scholar, someone whose work lies at the intersection of anthropology, education, Native American studies, and Chicana/o studies.

Can you say more about how your work as a professor and program director at SOE intersects with Chicana/o studies?

One of our goals at SOE is to cultivate educators, leaders, and mental health professionals who are aware of the lived realities of others, responsive to the needs of different communities, and respectful of the cultures of the students and families they encounter through their work. These values are embedded into our mission and curricula. Chicana/o studies and ethnic studies have similar pillars and can help inform every program we offer, especially in the regions with which we partner.

More specifically, we have opportunities to support school districts, school leaders, and teachers in implementing things like ethnic studies courses that are required for graduation in public high schools in California. For instance, we are looking at how to adapt our leadership preparation programs to help principals and assistant principals in implementing ethnic studies coursework successfully or offering dual-language teaching credentials. So there are lots of intersection points between ethnic studies and our work in education.

How do you carry your Latinx heritage with you?

I'm a child of immigrants; I speak multiple languages. I have intentionally immersed myself in my Indigenous culture-the ceremonies, practices, events, and communities. It is also everything I have experienced from my Catholic upbringing and my international life to my artwork and Aztec dance and all the topics I have studied. My heritage is the centerpiece of my life.