The Norma Stoltz Chinchilla Scholarship for Undocumented Students

The Norma Stoltz Chinchilla Scholarship for Undocumented Students is named in honor of Dr. Chinchilla, a retiree who came to CSULB in 1982 and went on to serve as a faculty member in the departments of Sociology and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies.

 

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The scholarship will help support a student demographic that faces unique challenges, both on and off-campus, while honoring Chinchilla’s extraordinary legacy as a prominent researcher, beloved mentor, and tireless community advocate.

The project is the brainchild of Chinchilla’s sociology colleagues Dr. Jake Alimahomed-Wilson and Dr. Kristine Zentgraf; the latter is herself a former student and mentee of Chinchilla’s.

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“Our campus is home to one of the largest undocumented-student populations in the nation, but the financial support available to them is severely limited,” says Zentgraf.  “By investing in these students’ success, we are not only helping them reach their highest potential but we are also creating healthier, safer, and more vibrant communities.”

Chinchilla, whose research interests include immigration policies and Central American immigration to the United States, has authored or co-authored numerous publications and is honorary editor and former associate editor of Latin American Perspectives Journal.  Chinchilla regularly serves as an expert witness on conditions in Guatemala for deportation hearings conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, and she is widely admired for her work with organizations such as the Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition and the Edwin and Dorothy Baker Foundation.

“Norma knows that the success of one benefits us all,” continues Zentgraf.  “This scholarship will support the values and beliefs that are at the core of her lifelong career of activism, mentoring, and teaching.”