Catching Up with Kathy

As we celebrate Native American Heritage Month, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion would like to share a video of the powerful and instructive words of Chairwoman Charlene Nijmeh and Vice Chairwoman Monica Arellano of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. Their words were shared with our campus and local communities at the opening keynote address of “Transforming Communities: A Movement to Racial Justice.” Vice Chairwoman Arellano gives a detailed context to understand our presence on the ancestral lands of the Muwekma Ohlone, land on which our institution and the city of San Jose occupy, an important background for the land acknowledgment many of us use on our campus at events. Chairwoman Nijmeh gives a powerful detailed accounting of the specific steps and history of the disenfranchisement of the Muwekma Ohlone peoples, as well as the strength and presence of their community today. Their leadership reminds us of how much further we have to go, and that the land acknowledgment given to us by their tribe to share at our campus events is a very small step on our part. The keynote speaker, Dr. Andrew Jolivette, also shares the importance of building relationships between institutions such as SJSU with its local indigenous communities in ways that do not mirror historical abuse. I urge you to watch this video. We also want to acknowledge one of our several Employee Affinity Groups, GAIN, Gathering of Academic Indigenous and Native Americans and the work that they are doing to build community, promote visibility, and provide support for SJSU’s Indigenous and Native American faculty and staff through campus activities and initiatives. Lastly, we look forward to the future establishment of a Native American and Indigenous center to support students and community.

On a final note, the Spring 2021 report of the Campus Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (CCDEI) was submitted over the summer, accepted by the President and released. This is the first report produced by the inaugural CCDEI. The chairs of the CCDEI and the staff of ODEI are putting together rubrics and a soon-to-be launched dashboard to monitor progress on the priority recommendations in the report. The CCDEI continues its work on developing recommendations this academic year.

Share Your Spartan Heart: Nov 8 - Dec 10

We have many Spartans facing unforeseen financial challenges—from Nov. 8 - Dec. 10, join SJSU Cares, Spartan Eats, and the Spartan Food Pantry to help raise funding to ensure students have the basic needs they need for peace of mind.

LEARN MORE

The readings and resources in this section are designed to help our campus learn about theories, frameworks, research and resources that are helpful in addressing our key goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion by building our intellectual muscle to help us see our world, analyze our world, and apply this learning from where we are to increase equity. The readings are chosen because they are able to overview or introduce complex concepts in ways that promote understanding among a wide variety of readers, occupational foci, and time constraints. 

Psychology Today
When Workplace Mindfulness Training Is Worse Than Nothing
Offering a token gesture of help can be seen as worse than offering nothing.

The New York Times
BIPOC or POC? Equity or Equality? The Debate Over Language on the Left.
For those pushing for changes in society on race and other issues, words matter. They can also muddle.

Poetry Foundation
Prints by Joseph Bruchac | Poetry Foundation

Los Angeles Times
The pioneering Chicano series stored 50 years in a garage
Shockingly relevant 50 years after it aired in 1971, a Chicano TV series is digitized after its host rescued it from a box in his Orange County garage.
“Chicano I & II: The Mexican American Heritage Series” was a groundbreaking television series that first aired in July 1971 on KNBC-TV in Los Angeles.

Diverse: Issues In Higher Education
25 Years Later, What California’s Affirmative Action Ban Means for Higher Education
It's the 25th anniversary of Proposition 209, which banned affirmative action in public institutions across California.

NBC News
Study: Facing racism depletes young adults' mental health
People aged 18-28 exposed to consistent discrimination are 25 percent more likely to have mental health issues.

NPR.org
A new question for an old religion: Should non-Jews play Jewish characters on-screen?
A new Apple TV+ show, The Shrink Next Door, seems to reflect a trend of non-Jewish actors playing emphatically Jewish characters, which recently caught the ire of comedian Sarah Silverman

The New York Times
First Asian American Muppet Arrives on ‘Sesame Street’
Ji-Young, a guitar-playing Korean American character, will bring rock music and conversations about racism to the long-running children’s show starting on Thanksgiving Day.

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