This was a hybrid day-long event that brought together the Cuesta College campus, local community, and stakeholders from around the state for a hands-on exploration of Ethnic Studies. Our program featured workshops on the core disciplines of Ethnic Studies, the historic impacts of the Ethnic Studies graduation requirements in California, and hosted the first-ever drag show on Cuesta’s campus.
Please contact
Dr. Mario Espinoza-Kulick mario_espinozakulick@cuesta.edu
7 videos shown during the Native American and Indigenous Studies Workshop
This workshop presentation is an introduction to the life and work of bell hooks. The presenters will start by introducing themselves and providing an overview of the major topics that they will be covering, including feminism, intersectionality, education, and white supremacy and capitalism. There will be an interactive activity where audience members will describe themselves, which will lead into a discussion on the importance of intersectionality. The presentation will include biographical information on bell hooks, her impact on social influence and intersectionality, her narrative on feminism, her critique on white supremacy and capitalism, and her influence on education in and out of the classroom.
The purpose of this workshop is to learn about the differences between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation in terms of the Native American and Indigenous peoples' experiences. Participants will hear voices from members of the Navajo Nation (Diné) and be introduced to the history of the Navajo Nation, the significance of their rituals, and ways of life. Participants will be encouraged to work together (or individually) to identify and discuss how to appreciate cultures in an inclusive and respectful manner as well as discuss how we as a society can eliminate cultural appropriation and work to preserve the culture of the Navajo Nation and Native American, Black, Indigenous, and people of color.
These videos contain the full program from the 2023 2nd Annual Cuesta College Ethnic Studies Teach-In.
This lesson explores the significance of participants' names and how the meaning of their name can help them identify their worth and their purpose. Participants will be able to make connections between their names, their family histories, and the cultural significance of their names. The lesson will demonstrate that names and labels can be sources of empowerment. Here, the workshop makes the connection to the significance of naming and identity labels during the Chicanx Movement. This will encourage participants to take a more complex look at history and identity and will set the foundations for critical thinking in the future.
Explore the fight against Asian American hate following the March 2021 mass shootings at three spas in Atlanta. Examine how this critical moment of racial reckoning sheds light on the struggles, triumphs and achievements of AAPI communities. The film is narrated by Sandra Oh with music by Jon Batiste and Cory Wong.
Dr. Brittany Wiley (she/her/hers) received an EdD in Educational Leadership and Masters in Ethnic Studies from San Francisco State University (SFSU) and attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) for undergraduate studies in English with a minor in Ethnic studies. Her dissertation titled “Parables of Passing and Pedagogy: A Practitioner Study of Teaching Africana Literature Online” addresses critical race pedagogy and how to cultivate a culturally relevant and engaging online learning community embedded in educational practices rooted in social justice, equity, and Ethnic Studies. Dr. Wiley has adjunct lectured at Cal Poly and SFSU teaching Ethnic Studies and Africana Studies courses. Additionally, Dr. Wiley dedicated a decade to working in the non-profit sector for an early childhood education literacy organization and participated in two years of national service with AmeriCorps. Dr Wiley was born and raised in Paso Robles and currently resides in Redding, CA, continuing her professional passion of teaching Ethnic Studies as an instructor at Shasta College.
Over lunch, Cal Poly Drag Club hosted a show with three queens: Robin Graves, Skinny Mocha, and junie b. moans.
The Teach-In is an opportunity to engage with our local communities in the San Luis Obispo County and Region and in the state of California. Recent changes in legislation and educational policy have established Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement for all public high schools, the California Community Colleges, California State University (CSU), and the University of California. This means that millions of students around the state will now be engaging with Ethnic Studies. Our plenary panel focuses specifically on this movement, and we will hear from classroom teachers, administrators, and educational experts who have been involved in creating, expanding, and implementing Ethnic Studies in the high school context. This panel was moderated by Dr. Aletha M. Harven, who is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Child Development at CSU Stanislaus and a proud alumna of American River College.