Nicholas F. Centino is an Assistant Professor of Chicana/o Studies at California State University, Channel Islands. He earned his doctorate in Chicana and Chicano Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara where he also received his undergraduate degree. His work examines the political economy of a historical moment through the lens of popular culture. From 2014 -2016, he served as the UCI Community and Labor Project Postdoctoral Research Scholar where he worked to strengthen community – driven research efforts in Orange County

"Nicholas Centino, Queering 'The Oldies but Goodies'"
Imbued with nostalgic Chicano heterosexual desire, postwar soul and R&B oldies remain an ever-present cultural text in Chicanx communities despite tremendous periods of growth and upheaval. However, contemporary reinscription of oldies by Queer and gender non-conforming Latinx artists and fans seek to reclaim these vessels of cultural memory from reactionary and essentialist notions of “the good old days” within the broader Chicanx community. Chicanx/Latinx community/queer tribute acts reinscribe the meaning and associations of long cherished music through queering oldies and doo-wop. These more recent interpretations are juxtaposed against commercial Art Laboe-esque nostalgia acts that express narrow heterosexual conceptions of love, romance and the Chicanx family.