40th Anniversary Commemorative Book – Available Now (Download PDF) – The story of ethnic studies at UCLA begins in 1969, when a few dozen students, a handful of faculty, and a visionary chancellor laid the cornerstones for UCLA’s ethnic studies centers, turning over first ground for a daunting transformative task. They all clearly recognized the historical significance of their actions, and they were excited by the opportunity to create new fields of study, whatever the obstacles. Four decades later, the small enterprises they started have burgeoned into thriving, multidisciplinary, and multifaceted scholarly institutions.