Ethnic Studies Commons^™

Corazón De Nopal, Alma De Monarca: The Invisible Workforce, Vanessa Estrada Garza

McNair Summer Research Program

In many parts of the United States, Day Laborers, people who work for a daily wage, congregate in front of home improvement stores in the hopes that the customers buying materials are also in need of labor. Day laborers, who are mostly Latino men, experience a plethora of adversities (e.g., wage theft, discrimination based on status or race, on-site injuries). However, it is also important to understand day laborers’ experiences within the current sociopolitical climate (Fernandez-Esquer et al., 2022; Ramirez, 2011; Ordoñez, 2015; Walter et al., 2004). At times the stories and humanity of these individuals outside of their labor …

Cotheorizing Healing With Undergraduate Queer And Trans Latina Survivors Of Power-Based Violence, Kimberly Correa

Dissertations

Current research on healing from power-based violence highlights the importance of integrating victim-survivors’ personal culture and identities into healing approaches, yet few studies actually focus on the culturally distinct healing processes of victim-survivors (O’Brien & Macy, 2016; Sinko et al., 2023). Grounded in Jotería theory (Alvarez, 2023) and Latina/Chicana feminist frameworks (Garcia, 1989), this qualitative study employs queer pláticas as both a methodology and method to center culturally rooted dialogue, reciprocity, and cariño as a political praxis. This study explores how six queer and trans Latina undergraduate victim-survivors conceptualize healing from power-based violence and how their identities, cultural values, and …

Ethnic Studies March Newsletter, Department Of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters

Events, Student spotlight

Ethnic Studies February Newsletter, Department Of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters

Student spotlight, Labovitz-Perez Lecture, Faculty Spotlight, Events

Ethnic Studies December Newsletter, Department Of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters

Student spotlight, faculty spotlight, event

Ethnic Studies November Newsletter, Department Of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters

November 2025, student spotlight, current events

Ethnic Studies: October 2025, Department Of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters

Here are some department updates and a preview of our Spring 2026 course offerings!

Ethnic Studies: September 2025, Department Of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters

Student Spotlight

Get Involved

Reminders

Student Resources

Welcoming New Faculty

Ethnic Studies Open House

The Crucial Role Of Grassroots Social Organizations In Advancing Immigrant Legal Protections And Reshaping Immigration Policy, Isabella Reynolds

McNair Summer Research Program

This research project examines how grassroots social organizations contribute to the advancement of immigrant legal protections and shape immigration policy, with a particular focus on formerly incarcerated migrants in California. I focus on case studies and the personal experiences of organizers from Homies Unidos, Border Angels, and other organizations that operate near the San Diego–Tijuana border region. The study illustrates how these groups provide essential services, mental health support, and community-based initiatives for vulnerable and formerly incarcerated immigrants. By conducting oral histories and ethnography as methods for preserving emotional labor and shared memory, this research challenges prevailing narratives that criminalize …

Adhd Diagnosis And Treatment Within Ethnic Minority Groups, Dianthe Hoang

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is commonly diagnosed in childhood, and the National Survey of Children’s Health reported that ADHD had a prevalence of around 6.1 million children aged 2-17 years old (NSCH, 2016). This review discusses the cultural and socioeconomic barriers that contribute to the underdiagnosis and treatment in members of ethnic minority communities. Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian adults received less mental health care compared to White Americans. Previous findings indicated that cultural factors, such as misinterpretation of symptoms from families and teachers and cultural perceptions of mental health, contributed to disparities …

Famílias Indigenas Entre Mundos: Standing In Pachakuti, Living In Chi’Xi Within The Constellation Of Their Comunidad De Saberes, Ymasumac Marañón Davis

Dissertations

To be Indigenous is to be la luz del mundo, to stand in your light and spread your sunrays, no matter winds or clouds of colonization that strive to dim you. This qualitative study explored ways Indigenous Latine families negotiate a sense of place within onto-epistemological realities and their home culture of learning and Western education. This research is desire-based (Eve Tuck, 2009), creating our own project of modernity, grounded in one Indigenous family’s experience within their Andean community. Drawing from Critical Latine Indigeneities Framework (Blackwell et al., 2017) and Chicana Feminist Epistemologies (Bernal, 1998), using an Entre Mundos methodology, …

Ethnic Studies: 2023-2024, Department Of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters

Kumeyaay Land Acknowledgement, Course Descriptions, Message from the Chair, Faculty, Staff & Student Support, ES @ 20 Celebration, ES @ 20 Lecture Series, ETHN Student Spotlight, ETHN Senior Spotlight, ETHN Alumni Spotlight, Scholar Recognition, Diversity Banquet, Congratulations Class of 2024, The Turning Wheel Project, USD Copley Library, News Center, Support Yermo Aranda Mural at USD, USD Resources, Scholarship Opportunities, Volunteer/Employment, Explore San Diego,

Ethnic Studies: 2021-2022, Department Of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters

Message from the Chair, Ethnic Studies via Multiple Generations: Their Stories, Three generations of Ethnic Studies Scholars making connections, Yanet López (Class of 2011), Ashley Valentin Gonzalez (Class of 2023), More Than Enough, THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY CONTINUES FOR RACHEL FREEMAN, Ethnic Studies Alum '09, USD Women of Impact 2021, Congratulations to Dr. May C. Fu!, Ethnic Studies Faculty Congratulations to Dr. Josen Masangkay Diaz, Critical Race Theory Presentations: Fall 2021 / Spring 2022, Demystifying Critical Race Theory, Reclaiming Our Past, Reimagining Our Future, Congratulations to the Class of 2022! Words from our Ethnic Studies Seniors: Sarah Babar, Mia Godoy, Sydney …

Congratulations, Class Of 2021!, Department Of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters

Message from the Chair, Senior Recognitions, Valerie Jaimes Receives Ethnic Studies Community Scholar & SSS Legacy Awards, Mariana Flores Chavez Honored with SSS Student Representative of the Year Award, Delaney Tax Shines as Keck Humanities Research Fellow, ETHN Graduation Ceremony & Reunion at Chicano Park, Congratulations to the Class of 2021!

Usd Department Of Ethnic Studies Newsletter 2:5, Department Of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters

Message from the Chair, Asian American Love.

Usd Department Of Ethnic Studies Newsletter 2:4, Department Of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters

Special Message from Faculty: Lessons from the Bus, SAVE THE DATE! Ethnic Studies Graduation Ceremony, APPLY NOW! Copley Library Undergraduate Research Awards, Senior Spotlight Mariana Flores Chavez: Honor Your Roots, Senior Spotlight Vicenta Martinez Govea: Precrastinate on Deadlines, Meet Our Amazing Lecturers!, Professor Leon Lee, Professor Alexis Meza, Alumni News Taylor Fuentes, Class of 2015, Resources for Body, Heart & Mind.

Usd Department Of Ethnic Studies Newsletter 2:3, Department Of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters

Message from the Chair, Honoring Dr. Gene Labovitz: A Special Message from Dr. Gail Perez, Professor Emerita, ENROLL NOW! HUMC 294: Black Lives Matter: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, APPLY NOW! USD Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program, Dr. Josen Diaz Speaks on the Current Job Market, Professor Perse Lewis Nominated for Woman of Impact Award, Senior Spotlight, My Ly Anna Nguyen: Still Learning, Emily Beck: Pushing Comfort Zones, Faculty & Staff, Dr. Alberto Pulido: Mending the Disruptions, Ethnic Studies & Digital Initiatives Librarian Amanda Makula: La Belleza de los Idiomas (The Beauty of Languages), Alumni News, Ali McIagan, Class of 2019, Artwork …

America's Finest Housing Crisis: Racialized Housing And Suburban Development, Vicenta Martinez Govea

Copley Library Undergraduate Research Awards

US. Government operations between 1940-1950 brought unprecedented direct and indirect employment opportunities to San Diego, exacerbating an already growing housing shortage. To accommodate the thousands of new defense workers, the government produced the largest defense housing project to date in the small neighborhood of Linda Vista. However, this opportunity and largesse was extended primarily to a select group of white working-class families who had access to defense jobs and, consequently, subsidized housing. Military presence in San Diego during World War II shaped the design of homes and exclusively allocated housing, as both shelter and financial instrument, to white working-class families …

Usd Department Of Ethnic Studies Newsletter 2:2, Department Of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters

Special Message from Emerita Faculty, Special Panel Today! Missing & Murdered Indigenous Womxn, Webinar this week! Testimonies of Migration, Detention, and Solidarity, Turning Wheel Hits the Streets to Address the Digital Divide, Senior Spotlight Juliette Mohr: Wise Medicine, Senior Spotlight Delaney Tax: Liberatory Love, Senior Spotlight Valerie Jaimes: Trust Your Power, Faculty & Sta Updates, Dr. Angel Hinzo: Dropping Knowledge, Executive Assistant Esther Aguilar: Puzzle Therapy, Alumni News Sarah Lynn Miralles, Class of 2010, Alumni News Jane Henderson, Class of 2017,

A Look At Asian American Studies, Emery Mckee, Ryan Caragher, Emma Rohrer, Gabe Velazquez

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

Our Zine hopes to cover the multitude of topics discussed in our Intro to Asian American Studies class. Each section is based on a reading relevant to a specific subject covered in the class, whether that be the history of Japanese internment camps or the globalization of the Filipino workforce. After a deeper analysis of the history and tradition in each reading, our zine also focuses on the social, political, and intellectual significance of Asian American articles and stories. There are many significant facts and key ideas that truly speak for themselves on the issues and events being discussed along …

From The Yellow Peril To The Model Minority: A History Of Asian American Immigration, Annabelle Jefferies, Ben Police, Jack Evenson, Sam Stiker

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

Throughout the past semester, our group has read books, interpreted art and propaganda, and grappled with ideas from scholars on the topic of Asian American immigration and assimilation into the society of the United States. The zines that were created in response to these different forms of media discuss this process of immigration and inclusion as a slow, ongoing process that began with Chinese immigrants in the late 19th century. They also investigate this historical process through a lens of prejudice and racism in our country as a result of global geopolitical events, such as the Vietnam War or the …

Introduction To Asian American Studies: Final Zine Project (5), Delaney Tax, Maria Zesbaugh, Ashley Montrezza

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

This zine allowed us to confront the ways in which colonization and its historical implications play into modern race relations. This is especially evident in the ways bodies are valued and devalued based on social location, birthplace, and racial appearance. Our weekly zines confronted the direct interactions between colonial violence and individuals, as well as their communities. We also worked to intentionally contrast this to the western construction of whiteness, and pulled from historical and modern examples of how whiteness has been weaponized against Asian communities in order to further marginalize them. Adjacency to whiteness, however, has also been used …

A Study Of Asian American Issues In The United States, Nicoline Pedersen, Krista Celo, Eden Stilman, Seren Ventullo

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

Throughout this zine you will explore a variety of obstacles that Asian Americans have faced in regards to their immigration and acclimation into American society and culture. Over the last century, individuals from Asia, the Middle East, and Africa have either migrated to America in hopes of a better life, or have been forced out of their homes due to war conflicts or as a necessity for cheap labor. Despite the means of their arrival, Americans have historically maintained an imperialistic outlook that America is the superior country. While the white American believes he is saving these transpacific countries from …

A Brief Journey Through Asian American History, Jordan Rahe, Julian-Ross Fernandez, Jefferson Kiyasu, Dylan Latham

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

In order to understand the complexities of the Asian American experience, readers must be able to comprehend how the past has built a foundation for the treatment of individuals both inside and outside of the Asian community. Based on various academic editorials and books, we have analyzed what we believe to be the most valuable historical facts, stories, and ideas and presented them in a way that provides the most important information along with our perceptions of each topic. This compilation of articles looks to bring largely unknown issues to the forefront of reader’s minds, in a pursuit to create …

(Re) Model Minority: A Discussion Of The Past And Present, Eden Concepcion, Jason Luu, Jannah Orbita, John Tran

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

PURPOSE. The purpose of this zine is to look at historical events that have influenced the way Asian American communities cope with injustices in the United States, and how Asian Americans have been treated throughout history and until now. Throughout this zine, we draw connections between the past and the present– some things may have changed, but others still remain the same. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR... Analysis of Discriminatory Law Before & After Historical Analysis Satire PANDEMIC. With racial tensions towards Asian American high throughout the world because of COVID-19, it has become relevant to learn about the origins …

Asian American History And Politics, Rahaf Abdalkareem

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

Asian American Studies offers a scholarly avenue to discuss questions of racial inequality, domestic capitalism, and global imperialism. The debate also includes research on how Asian Americans of the first and second generations cope with adaptation and assimilation, in particular on their Americanization and active pursuit of higher education and prestigious professions in a community that still discriminates against them. In the United States, Asian American Studies focuses on the identities, historical and current perspectives of people and communities. Nationalism, migrants, Asian American masculinity, Asian American femininity, cultural politics, and media coverage are topics and concerns that are central in …

Introduction To Asian American Studies: Final Zine Project (1), Matthew Bohamed, Jakob Osland, Deshaun Harvey, Mikey Hawkins

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

This zine is an accumulation of all of the zines that our group has made throughout the semester based upon reading assignments covering a wide variety issues that affect Asian Americans in the United States. The following are some of the zine topics within this final accumulation of our zines throughout the semester, to give you an idea of what follows this introduction page. The first zine is based off a text from Erika Lee, titled “The Chinese Must Go!” which touches upon the anti-Chinese movement in the United States and the issues associated with movements against Chinese immigrant labor …

Introduction To Asian American Studies: Final Zine Project (2), Jason Redlew, William Jonathan Brown, Joey Provost, Maiki Kawakami

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

Over the course of this class, we have examined different perspectives on historical events and learned about how these events have impacted minority lives. This careful examination allows us to be self-critical of both our actions and the actions of our country. Each week, we were tasked with reading a piece of literature that critiques a historical event or provides a different interpretation. Our goal was to take the message of each reading and represent it through a creative magazine article, known as a zine. As we began this project, we had some trouble comprehending the deeper meaning behind the …

Introduction To Asian American Studies: Final Zine Project (3), Regina Gaffney, Jonny Mather, Conner Prendergast

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

Over the past few months, we have studied the importance of Asian American history. Specifically, the ideas of connecting: class, gender, sexuality, nationalism, war, colonialism and race to contemporary issues going on in the world today. The following is a collection of Zine format projects aimed at displaying key ideas in the research of American History. Each week contains new information and a different display format. Moreover, we have made connections to modern day issues in an attempt to demonstrate how learning from past events can influence decisions made in the future.

Peril, Pandemic, And Crisis: Asian American Studies, Alexis Desany, Carter Lawton, David Wiley

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

Hello and Welcome to our Zine!! We are so happy you stopped by! :) We were presented the opportunity to create a zine on Asian American studies through Josen Diaz’s ETHN course. Although this started out as a project, it became so much more to our group. We had the opportunity to explore different Asian American cultures, their history, and their influence on American culture and politics. This project allowed us to relate all of the historical readings from the Chinese Exclusion Act and the world wars to events that occur today. Over the semester, we developed our overall knowledge …