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Dr. Lydia R. Otero papers, 1835-2022 1960-2022

MS 830

Biographical Note

Dr. Lydia R. Otero (Associate Professor, Emeritus) is a former faculty member in the Department of Mexican American Studies at the University of Arizona (2003-2010). A historian, writer, and queer activist, they specialize in urbanization and placemaking, urban renewal, public history, and their work focuses on ethnicity, place and personhood.

Otero was born in Tucson in 1955 and graduated from Pueblo High School in 1973. Otero went on to live in Los Angeles during the 1980s and 1990s, where they were very involved in California politics. In 1983, Otero attended the First National Lesbians of Color Conference in Malibu, California, and was a member of Lesbians of Color from 1979-1982. Otero was active in Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos (1983-1991) and became its president for two years (1988-1990). They were also a founding member of Lesbianas Unidas in 1983. In the 1980s, Otero was an advocate for queer voices and became the president of the Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos and Lesbianas Unidas political group in California. Otero returned to Tucson in 1998.

Otero received their MA in History from California State University, Los Angeles (1995) and their PhD in History from the University of Arizona (2003).

Their works include La Calle: Spatial Conflicts and Urban Renewal in a Southwestern City (2010), In the Shadows of the Freeway: Growing Up Queer (2019), and L.A. Interchanges: A Brown and Queer Archival Memoir (2023). La Calle won a Southwest Book Award from the Border Regional Library Association for its depiction of personhood, place, urbanization of 80-acres of downtown Tucson that deeply impacted the Mexican American—and other—communities (2011). The Freeway was selected as one of the Pima County Public Library's "Southwest Books of the Year" (2021). The book is a woven personal memoir and exploration of historical archival records.

In 2019, Otero was awarded the "'Sí se puede' Legacy Award" from Arizona's César E. Chávez Holiday Coalition for their activism, scholarship, and attention to the history of Arizona and Mexican Americans. In 2021, Otero became a distinguished lecturer by the Organization of Historians (through 2027). Otero also served as the "Historian" for the Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission (2020-2022).

Scope and Content Note

This collection is divided into six distinct series.

Series I includes materials related to Alianza Hispano-Americana, a group that offered low-cost life insurance, social activities, and other services to primarily Mexican/Mexican-Americans living in the southwestern parts of the United States. A majority of the materials are newsletters, lodge books, and other books related to the organization.

Series II is made up of interviews and interview materials from Otero's projects. The main projects within this series are the History of a Mexican Barrio in Tucson project (HMBT)/BLE project, Sally Martson interviews, and Tucson Neighborhood Activism Study (TNAS) materials. Interviews are arranged by the last name of the interviewee.

Series III consists of Otero's personal family materials. There are photographs, report cards, political pins, newspaper clippings, historical home records, VFW materials, local high school yearbooks, and other ephemera.

Series IV are Otero's professional files, which largely include daily planners, theses and dissertations that Otero served on, and a few other documents from the Mexican American Studies Department at the University of Arizona.

Series V is a grouping of publications collected by Otero but are not by Otero.

Series VI are Otero's research files. They are arranged alphabetically by topic. A majority of the material is related to Otero's work on their book La Calle.

Organization

Restrictions

Restrictions

There are no restrictions on this collection.

Copyright

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for the University of Arizona, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.

Access Terms

Administrative Information

Credit Line

Dr. Lydia R. Otero papers (MS 830). Special Collections, University of Arizona Libraries

Processing History

Processed by Michelle Nicole Boyer in 2024.

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