Race and Ethnicity Commons^™

Quarantine Ethics: From Past To Covid-19, Chrystal Barnes

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Quarantines have been a preventative measure for reducing communicable disease spread for centuries. The method of implementation can vary widely and to some extent requires some level of judgement from enforcing powers, often state police power. As such, historically, some quarantines have been unfairly enforced based on discriminatory practices. COVID-19 has brought about the most widespread and extended quarantine in U.S. history, which makes evaluating the ethics all the more critical. In addition, it is well established that COVID-19 impacts have disproportionately caused harm to populations, such as those who are of a low socioeconomic status and people of color. …

A Corpus Approach Study On The Manzanar Free Press, Danielle Jochums

University Honors Theses

Past studies on the physical environment of the Japanese-American internment camps of World War II have argued that internees were able to express their agency and identity despite the dehumanization of the camps. However, studies on the newspapers circulated in the camps have argued that internees had no agency as they worked on newspapers. In a preliminary reading, it was clear that these newspapers evidenced internee agency in their language. Utilizing de Certeau's theoretical framework of tactics, this study addressed the following questions: What tactics did Japanese-American internees use to take agency when writing and editing camp newspapers? How did …

Blacks In Oregon, Darrell Millner

Black Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Periodically, newspaper or magazine articles appear proclaiming amazement at how white the population of Oregon and the City of Portland is compared to other parts of the country. It is not possible to argue with the figures—in 2017, there were an estimated 91,000 Blacks in Oregon, about 2 percent of the population—but it is a profound mistake to think that these stories and statistics tell the story of the state's racial past. In fact, issues of race and the status and circumstances of Black life in Oregon are central to understanding the history of the state, and perhaps its future …

Racial Gatekeeping In Country & Hip-Hop Music, Cervanté Pope

University Honors Theses

In mass communication, gatekeeping refers to how information is edited, shaped and controlled in efforts to construct a "social reality." One way it presents itself is in regard to racial inclusion and equality, and despite the headway we’ve seemingly made as a society, we are still lightyears away from where we need to be. Because of this, the concept of cultural property has become even more paramount, as a means for keeping one's cultural history and identity-preserved. Blacks and whites similarly attempt to protect or preserve facets of their culture they feel belong to them. What’s different for both of …

Toxic Stress Among Black And African American Oregonians, Roberta Hunte, Margaret J.F. Braun

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Toxic stress is a reaction to ongoing adversity such as abuse, neglect, poverty, racism, discrimination, and exposure to violence; it is powerful enough to change brain chemistry and architecture. Toxic stress and associated changes to the brain can lead to poor health outcomes later in life. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), racism*, and discrimination can trigger toxic stress and have long term consequences for the health of many people, particularly those in the Black and African American community.

The current project examined toxic stress and its impact on the health of Black and African American Oregonians. We looked at two indicators …

White ‘Alliahs:’ The Creation & Perpetuation Of The ‘Wise Indian’ Trope, Jessica Mehta

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine auto-fill features allows us to see how people search online, and the words they use, in real-time. Anonymous querying equates to anonymity, and by nature when we input key words or key phrases in search engines like Google we use succinct, brief, and to-the-point queries. What does this mean for how we search for Native American or “Indian” results? A 2019 SEO and keyword/phrase analysis revealed that the notorious “wise Indian trope” (similar to the “magical negro” trope) is still very prevalent today, particularly when comparing the keyword “wise” paired with non-Native races. …

Cultural Resource Centers Black Lives Matter Statement, Cultural Resource Centers Team

Cultural Resource Centers Reports and Resources

The official statement from the Cultural Resource Centers affirming their support for the Black Lives Matter movement and racial justice.

Arab Student Experiences Of Inclusivity And Exclusivity At Portland State University And Off-Campus Locations, Leila M. Piazza

Anthós

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of Arab and Arab-American students at Portland State University and in non-campus settings. The study focuses on the question: How do Arab and Arab-American students experience inclusivity and exclusivity on and off campus? The research sample includes five Portland State students, three Arab-Americans and two international Arabs. Students were chosen to include Muslims and Christians, students who wear the hijab, students with heavy accents, and students who fit the stereotypical appearance of Arabs, as well as students who may not be obviously identified as Arab. Subjects were asked about the …

The Middle East, North Africa, South Asia (Menasa) Initiative: Spring 2020 Newsletter, Ahmed El Mansouri, Menasa Initiative Team

Cultural Resource Centers Reports and Resources

Spring 2020 Newsletter for The Middle East, North Africa, South Asia (Menasa) Initiative at Portland State University. Features include MENASA highlights, visiting speakers, and upcoming events.

How Oregon’S Racist History Can Sharpen Our Sense Of Justice Right Now, Walidah Imarisha

Black Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Writer Walidah Imarisha on eight years of talking about the brutal history of race in Oregon.

Name a small town in Oregon. I have most likely been there, talking about race.

For the past eight years, starting as part of Oregon Humanities’ Conversation Project, I’ve stood in front of thousands of attendees in packed libraries, community centers, senior homes, college campuses, and prisons.

I’ve seen it all: multiple people arguing the Ku Klux Klan was and remains a “civic organization,” chiding me for focusing solely on the “negatives” while adamantly denying they support racism or are themselves racist. I’ve received …

Centering Equity In Oregon’S 100 Year Water Vision: A Student-Led Policy Paper Prepared By The Oregon Water Stories Team At Portland State University, Clare T. Mcclellan, Sadie Boyers, Victoria Cali De Leon, Tony Cole, Laura Cowley-Martinson, Shersten Finley, Dustin Lanker, Julia Seydel, Aakash Nath Upraity, Janet Cowal, Melissa Haeffner

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this report is to provide evidence for the need to further intentionally incorporate equity into Oregon’s 100 Year Water Vision. Four case studies contextualize this need and highlight the variety of water issues throughout the state, supported by linguistic analyses of local newspapers. As Oregon policy-makers are responsible for ensuring working water systems for all Oregonians, we also suggest implementable criteria for the evaluation of equity in water issues and decision-making. This student-led and interdisciplinary report comes from the Haeffner-Cowal Oregon Water Stories research lab at Portland State University.

Middle East, North Africa, South Asia Initiative Report, Portland State University. Cultural Resource Centers, Wafaa Almaktari, Bo Koering, Kevin Thomas, Shanice Clark, Stacie Taniguchi, Cynthia Carmina Gómez

Cultural Resource Centers Reports and Resources

The Middle East, North Africa, South Asia (MENASA) Initiative was created to address a lack of resources and services to support the MENASA student population at Portland State University (PSU). Formed by a group of undergraduate and graduate MENASA students, and supported administratively by the Cultural Resource Centers, the MENASA Initiative is a student-centered effort with the goal of creating a MENASA Student Center to match the other five Cultural Resource Centers (La Casa Latina Student Center, the Multicultural Student Center, the Native American Student and Community Center, the Pacific Islander, Asian, and Asian American Student Center, and the Pan-African …

Psu Black Studies At Risk, Professor Says: Administration Called Out For Toxic Environment, Beverly Corbell, Ethan Johnson

Black Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This school year is the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Black Studies Department at Portland State University, a momentous occasion for celebrating the formation of a degree curriculum devoted to the history, culture and politics of black people, but the African-American director of the department doesn’t feel much like celebrating.

Ethan Johnson, who has headed the department for the past 15 years, says the university is failing to support the black studies curriculum and even more is failing to listen to the concerns of minority students and faculty at the school, a result that is disastrous to their …

Disability At The Intersections, Dara Shifrer, Angela Frederick

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Complete and accurate understandings of stratification depend on more regular consideration of disability. To build sociologists’ recognition of disability as a socially constructed axis of stratification, we first demonstrate the construction of the disability category through classic legitimating processes: moral attributions, biological attributions, separation, and dichotomization. Expanding understandings of basic processes of stratification, we then document the centrality of disability in the social construction of class, race, gender, sexual orientation, and age. Finally, we show various ways disability functions as an axis of stratification in intersection with other key axes of stratification.

Expectation And Exclusion: An Introduction To Whiteness, White Supremacy, And Resistance In Oregon History, Carmen P. Thompson

Black Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article provides a definition of Whiteness that allows readers to understand what White Supremacy looked like in Oregon history as shown by the authors in this issue. -- Oregon Historical Society

Special Winter 2019 Issue: 'White Supremacy and Resistance'.

Clarifying The Social Roots Of The Disproportionate Classification Of Racial Minorities And Males With Learning Disabilities, Dara Shifrer

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The disproportionate placement of racial minorities and males into special education for learning disabilities (LDs) raises concerns that classifications occur inaccurately or inequitably. This study uses data from the Education Longitudinal Survey of 2002 to investigate the social etiology of LD classifications that persist into adolescence. Findings suggest the overclassification of racial minorities is largely consistent with (clinically relevant) differences in educational performance. Classifications may occur inconsistently or subjectively, with clinically irrelevant qualities like school characteristics and linguistic-immigration history independently predictive of disability classification. Finally, classifications may be partially biased, with male overclassification largely unexplained by this study’s measures and …

Multicultural Student Center 25th Anniversary Report, Alex Herrera, Michelle Marie Belden, Abdullah "Rj" Alrujaib, Julia Liu, Linda Liu, Ed Washington, Stacie Taniguchi, Cynthia Carmina Gomez

Cultural Resource Centers Reports and Resources

This report describes the activities and mission of the Multicultural Student Center at Portland State university, including a timeline of notable events during its 25 year history as a student services organization.

“Listen To What Your Jotería Is Saying”: Coverage Of The 2016 Orlando Shooting By English- And Spanish-Language Media, Julian A. Bugarín Quezada

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

This study will focus on coverage of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting by multiple English- and Spanish-language media sources in the month following the attack. The study assesses the extent through which following the shooting, coverage of the event often ignored the victims’ and survivors’ queerness, Latinidad, or both. Did these actions diminish the intersectional experiences of queer Latinx people? Were stories of the victims and survivors of the shooting accurately represented? How did this event shape queerness, gender identity, and Latinidad in the year after the attack? Through the frameworks of Latino critical race theory and queer theory, this …

Webinar: Racial Bias In Driver Yielding Behavior At Crosswalks, Kimberly Barsamian Kahn

TREC Webinar Series

This webinar discusses research exploring how social identity factors (race and gender) influence drivers’ behavior in interactions with pedestrians at crosswalks. One dangerous potential point of conflict for pedestrians within the transportation system is interactions with drivers at crosswalks (NHTSA, 2009), and racial minorities are disproportionately represented in pedestrian fatalities (CDC, 2013). This project examines whether racial discrimination occurs at crosswalks, which may lead to disparate crossing experiences and disproportionate safety outcomes.

Our initial research on this topic revealed predicted racial bias in drivers’ yielding behavior at crosswalks: Black male pedestrians were passed by twice as many cars as, and …

Music And Race In The American West, William Steven Schneider

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the complexities of race relations in the nineteenth century American West. The groups considered here are African Americans, Anglo Americans, Chinese, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans. In recent decades historians of the West have begun to tell the narratives of racial minorities. This study adopts the aims of these scholars through a new lens--music. Ultimately, this thesis argues that historians can use music, both individual songs and broader conceptions about music, to understand the complex and contradictory race relations of the nineteenth century west.

Proceeding thematically, the first chapter explores the ways Anglo Americans used music to …

Notable Women Of Portland, Tracy J. Prince, Zadie Schaffer

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

The story of Portland, Oregon, like much of history, has usually been told with a focus on male leaders. This book offers a reframing of Portland’s history--starting from 10,000 years of Native American women, to pioneer women, to women of the Progressive Era, WWI, WWII, post-war women, and chapters on Women in the Arts and Women in Politics. Many women made their mark and radically changed the Oregon frontier, including Native Americans Polly Johnson and Josette Nouette; pioneers Minerva Carter and Charlotte Terwilliger; doctors Marie Equi, Mary Priscilla Avery Sawtelle, and Bethina Owens-Adair; artists Eliza Barchus and Lily E. White; …

The Minorities Within The Minority, Gloria P. Aiten

Student Research Symposium

The poster is based off of the research paper I am currently doing, it is about how in the Western Society the Asian-Pacific Islanders are categorized as one, but in reality they're two different ethnicity and how the PI are being misidentified. In other words, imagine putting a dog and a cat into one category. Yes they're both house pets, but they're two different species. That is exactly what's happening between the API community.

Papers Please: Immigration, Enforcement, And Remittances, Jose A. Rojas-Fallas

Student Research Symposium

Immigrants are an understated agent in local economies. Whilst legal immigrants may be accounted for in the macro realm, illegal immigrants are very much an externality. Immigrant agents participate heavily in local economies, almost exclusively, due to their status and the implicit risks associated with it. Immigrants’ decision to migrate towards better economies come with the goal of achieving prosperity that more than likely would not have been possible in their location of origin. A majority of immigrants are heads of households that migrate alone seeking greater wages to support their household. They do this through remittances. These are capital …

Culture Beyond Borders: A Postcolonial Analysis Of Multicultural Education, Alex Diaz-Hui

Student Research Symposium

Using Third-World feminist and postcolonial theory, this research complicates the narrative of culture in education. While multicultural education is well intentioned, it creates caricatures of communities of color. Multicultural education also functions through an anthropological perspective of culture, one that relays on portraying communities of color through national cultures. According to Third-World feminist scholarship, particularly through the writings of Uma Narayan, national cultures do not exist but are actually constructed through distinguishing the colonizer and the colonized. Culturally responsive pedagogy provides a theoretical framework that attempts to remedy the issues of multicultural education. However, it fails to separate itself from …

Gathering Space: Building Community, Cynthia Carmina Gomez, Stacie Taniguchi, Melissa Bennett, Shanice Clark, Makerusa Porotesano, Maria Lieu, Kevin Thomas, Alex Herrera, Francisco Zamora-Flores

Cultural Resource Centers Reports and Resources

The Cultural Resource Centers (CRCs) at Portland State University (PSU) create a student-centered inclusive environment that enriches the university experience. The CRCs value diversity, social justice, cultural traditions, student identities, success and leadership. On November 2, 2016, PSU held a grand opening celebrating the expansion of the CRCs with the addition of two new centers, the Pan-African Commons (PAC) and the Pacific Islander, Asian, and Asian American Student Center (PIAAA). The growth of the CRCs marks a milestone in PSU’s commitment to social justice and equity. The Gathering Space, Building Community Report not only documents this growth, but also aims …

Pan-African Commons 1-Year Comprehensive Assessment Report, Shanice Clarke, Cynthia Carmina Gómez, Cece Ridder

Cultural Resource Centers Reports and Resources

The Cultural Resource Centers (CRCs) at Portland State University (PSU) create a student-centered inclusive environment that enriches the university experience. The CRCs value diversity, social justice, cultural traditions, student identities, success and leadership. On November 2, 2016, PSU held a grand opening celebrating the expansion of the CRCs with the addition of two new centers, including the Pan-African Commons (PAC). The growth of the CRCs marks a milestone in PSU’s commitment to social justice and equity.

The purpose of the Pan-African Commons 1-Year Assessment was to measure how student experiences and needs within institutional memory related to the experiences of …

My Story, My Identity: Doctoral Students Of Color At A Research University, Audrey J. Jaeger, Karen J. Haley

Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications and Presentations

We are deeply concerned about the small representation of faculty of color in the academy; thus, we address the question of how and why doctoral students of color choose a particular career path. This qualitative research study, through the voices of the doctoral students of color, identifies and explains both the overt and covert obstacles encountered by graduate students of color in their consideration of academic careers. The stories of leading change efforts through the pursuit of an advanced education are stories of individual agency. At the same time, their education was not an individual effort; rather, these students of …

Sisters In Action For Power: How Youth-Adult Partnerships And Popular Education Can Facilitate Girl-Led Community Organizing For Equity And Justice, Samantha L. Taylor

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

“Sisters in Action for Power: How Youth-adult Partnerships and Popular Education can Facilitate Girl-led Community Organizing for Equity and Justice” examines how grassroots community organizing has impacted women of color in Portland, Oregon. Using a case study of the non-profit organization, Sisters in Action for Power, this paper addresses the question: how do women who were youth organizers with Sisters in Action relate to the broader significance and personal impact of the community organizing work they engaged in as youth? This paper offers three critical aspects of the practice of youth-adult partnerships at Sisters in Action: (1) civic engagement, (2) …

Got Hair That Flows In The Wind: The Complexity Of Hair And Identity Among African American Female Adolescents In Foster Care, Lakindra Michelle Mitchell Dove

Dissertations and Theses

African American children are disproportionately over-represented in the child welfare system. Many of these children linger in the system and experience disconnection from their biological families, communities, cultural beliefs, values, and practices. Familial socialization and cultural exposure are essential to developing a positive ethnic identity and self-concept. For African American female adolescents, hair and hair care are critical areas for such socialization and support. This qualitative study explored the hair and hair care perceptions and experiences of African American female adolescents in foster care. The goal was to examine hair and hair's connection to, and influence on, sense of self …

Most Americans Are Now Opposed To Laws Against Interracial Marriage, But Their Behavior Does Not Yet Reflect These Attitudes, Ginny Garcia-Alexander, Richard Lewis Jr., Joanne Foed-Robertson

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent decades have seen a dramatic fall in the number of people that support laws which prohibit interracial marriages, and an increase in the number of these marriages. But why does the rate of interracial marriages remain so low, when compared to same-race marriages? Using national data from the past three decades, Ginny E. Garcia, Richard Lewis Jr., and Joanne Ford-Robertson show that while attitudes towards interracial marriages have changed, many groups still have negative attitudes towards Black-White unions. They find that those who perceive social and economic competition with Blacks, such as those with lower levels of education, were …