Ethnic Studies: Ethnic Studies Teach-In 2022

This video shows the welcome and dedication to Juan Pablo, “J.P.” Flores, delivered by Dr. Mario Espinoza-Kulick, Ethnic Studies Faculty Lead at Cuesta College. 

This video shows our plenary panel, led by Dr. Mario Espinoza-Kulick, and featuring Dr. Amber Rose González, Darius Jones-Rogness, and Jesus Cendejas. 

Our Plenary panel features current students, alumni, and voices from the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges to enlighten us on the recent Ethnic Studies graduation requirements and transfer model curricula.

This video features one of the student project showcases shown during the break of Ethnic Studies Biographies.

Students in Introduction to Social Justice and Ethnic Studies create a biography of a relevant figure from Ethnic Studies. This slideshow includes work from students in the Fall 2021 section of Introduction to Social Justice and Ethnic Studies at Cuesta College.

This video features one of the concurrent workshops, "Ethnic Studies and Student Activism" led by Jesus Cendejas and Jocelyn Alvarado.  

Jesus Cendejas is from Shandon CA & is a Cuesta Alumni with an Associate Degree in Social & Behavioral Science (Class of 2021). Mr. Cendejas is an upper-division student at the University of Texas at El Paso in Multidisciplinary Studies: Chicano Studies, Sec., & Social Sciences, the nation’s 2nd largest HSI, open-access R1 university.

Jocelyn Alvarado is a senior at Paso Robles High School and an advocate for Ethnic Studies. She has been an active student in the Ethnic Studies elective course at PRHS, and the experience has helped create connections between her academic experiences and future goals.

This video features one of the concurrent workshops, "Topics in Native American and Indigenous Studies" led by Dr. Melissa Leal.  

Dr. Melissa Leal is an enrolled member of the Ohlone/Costanoan Esselen Nation. She earned her Ph.D. In Native American Studies from the University of California, Davis and currently teaches Ethnic Studies and serves as the Tribal Liaison and Wonoti Program Coordinator at Sierra College in Northern California. Her research and teaching focus on contemporary film, music, dance and other performance arts in indigenous communities. 

This video features one of the concurrent workshops, "Topics in Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies" led by Dr. Teresa Hodges.  

Dr. Teresa Hodges (she/her/siya) is a California State University Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program Scholar (2018-19) and has been a lecturer for Ethnic Studies for almost four years. She has co-taught Asian American Studies for two years at City College of San Francisco and one year at a local high school with Pin@y Educational Partnerships, an organization that teaches Filipina/o/x American Studies at San Francisco Unified School District, Filipino Community Center of San Francisco, and City College of San Francisco. She has her Ph.D. in Education from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, an M.A. in Asian American Studies from San Francisco State University, and a B.A. in Ethnic Studies from UC San Diego. 

This video features one of the concurrent workshops, "Topics in Black Studies: Interrupt Isms: Speak Up, Point Out, and Call In" led by Dr. Mica Stewart.  

Mica Stewart, PhD, is the co-chair of the newly formed Ethnic Studies Department at Mt. San Antonio College. She also serves as the coordinator for the Associate of Art for Transfer (AA-T) in Social Justice Studies. Since the fall of 2020, she has been serving in the Title V Grant position of Faculty Coordinator for Equity Certification and Professional Development. Dr. Mica serves on a variety of Mt. SAC equity committees and task forces including the Student Equity Committee, the Campus Equity and Diversity Committee, and the Academic Senate Racial Justice Task Force. Her teaching and scholarship focus on race, class, gender, and sexuality, and her community outreach focuses primarily on mental health. 

This video features one of the concurrent workshops, "Topics in Chicanx and Latinx Studies" led by Dr. Lucha Arevalo.  

Lucha Arévalo is an Associate Professor of Chicana/o/x Studies at Río Hondo College. She earned her doctorate in ethnic studies with her dissertation, Insurgent Learning: Confronting Neoliberal Assaults on Public Education in Los Angeles County, 2000-2015 that captures efforts to privatize public schools, while it highlights the ongoing resistance of teachers, parents, and students as they work to transform their public institutions. Lucha’s commitment to educational justice extends beyond research and writing, as she has joined community-driven initiatives to change voting elections, graduation requirements, and introduce ethnic studies curricula. 

This video features one of the student project showcases shown during the break of Equity Analyses and Service-Learning.

Students in Ethnic Studies for Educators complete an Educational Equity Analysis to examine the availability of Ethnic Studies courses in local high schools. As this is a Distance Education course, the local high schools include San Luis Obispo (SLO) County, as well as other locales in California and beyond where students reside. The showcase includes a summary of some of the students' key findings in Fall 2021.

This video features our keynote address by Dr. Melissa Moreno. 

Dr. Moreno is the founder of the California Community Colleges Ethnic Studies Faculty Council and Chair of the Ethnic Studies Department at Woodland Community College. Her speech provides insight into the state of Ethnic Studies in California public schools and the benefits of relevant education for students across the state.