Mary Helen Ponce is a

chicana Chicano (masculine form) or Chicana (feminine form) is an ethnic identity for Mexican Americans that emerged from the Chicano Movement. In the 1960s, ''Chicano'' was widely reclaimed among Hispanics in the building of a movement toward politic ...

writer. She was born on January 24, 1938, in

Pacoima, California Pacoima (Tataviam language: ''Pakoinga'', meaning "entrance") is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley region of LA. Geography Location Pacoima is bordered by the Los Angele ...

. She has worked as an instructor of Chicano studies at

California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge), is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. With a total enrollment of 36,848 students (as of Fall 2024), it has the ...

from 1982 to 1987 and from 1987 to 1988 she was also an adjunct professor. From 1988 to 1992 she was adjunct faculty in the Women's Studies Program at the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; ) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1889 by the New Mexico Territorial Legislature, it is the state's second oldest university, a flagship university in th ...

, Women's Studies Program. She was an adjunct faculty member at

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...

from 1992 to 1993. She is also a writer for the Los Angeles Times. She earned her bachelor's degree in Anthropology from

California State University The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a Public university, public university system in California, and the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, largest public university system in the United States ...

in 1978 and then a master's degree in Chicano Studies in 1980. She studied from 1982 to 1984 at the

University of California at Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the Ca ...

. There she was the recipient of the History Department's Danforth Fellowship. She worked toward her Ph.D. at the

in 1988. She is a member of Comisión Femenil San Fernando Valley.

Works

* Taking Control, 1987,

Arte Publico Press Arte (, , ; ' ('), sometimes stylised in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European public service channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping ( EEI ...

, * The Wedding, 1989, rev. ed., 2008,

, * The Lives and Works of Five New Mexican Women Writers, 1936–1990 (monograph), 1992 * Hoyt Street: An Autobiography, 1993,

University of New Mexico Press The University of New Mexico Press (UNMP) is a university press at the University of New Mexico. It was founded in 1929 and published pamphlets for the university in its early years before expanding into quarterlies and books. Its administrativ ...

, * Calle Hoyt: Recuerdos de una Juventud Chicana, 1995, Anchor Press,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ponce, Mary Helen 1938 births Living people American women novelists Hispanic and Latino American novelists Novelists from Los Angeles California State University, Northridge alumni California State University, Northridge faculty University of New Mexico faculty University of California faculty People from Pacoima, Los Angeles University of New Mexico alumni University of California, Los Angeles alumni 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers American women academics