The events listed below are organized by the Ethnic Studies Department and most take place on campus. Faculty, we invite you to offer ethnic studies events as extra credit as they provide excellent educational, cultural, and service learning opportunities.
Email fceths@gmail.com for more information. 

In the fall of 2019, I was approached by two students who wanted to start a program for formerly incarcerated (FI) and system impacted individuals at Fullerton College. Josue Pineda and Stephanie Jeffcoat became our inaugural co-Presidents. On September 17, 2019 they held the first meeting and Street Scholars was established. Street Scholars is currently comprised of both students directly impacted by the criminal justice system and many of their peers who consider themselves allies in the struggle. Over the course of the semester, the students organized critical and important dialogues for themselves and the campus community to learn about the issues that impact the FI population such as the School-Prison-Deportation Pipeline, women’s incarceration, and building pipelines for our FI students from Fullerton College to Cal State Fullerton’s (CSUF) Project Rebound. In the coming months, I am working with the leadership of CSUF’s Project Rebound to build a partnership between our campus programs so students can seamlessly transition when they transfer and find a community of folks who understand their needs and can provide guidance and resources. Additionally, through this collaboration, we are planning to create a pipeline from the local jails and prison education programs (PEP) to Fullerton College and ultimately to CSUF or any other institution our students plan on attending. This network and the structures we are working to create are aligned with larger initiatives being supported by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, University of California, California State University systems, and programs such as Underground Scholars Initiative. Across and state and country, institutions of higher education are investing in students impacted by the criminal justice system because these students have advocated for their community and created programs that have measurable positive outcomes, such as Underground Scholars Initiative (USI) at UC Berkeley. Ultimately, institutions of higher education have come to see that an investment in education rather than incarceration has the greatest positive impact on communities. This population is also currently being added to the list of disproportionately impacted (DI) students at the state level and will soon be formally recognized. Emerging data and the testimony of California Community College presidents suggest that these students often have higher retention, graduation and transfer rates compared to many of their peers. Given the fact that participating in these programs reduces recidivism up to 51% for these students, it is also a compelling argument that recruiting and supporting them has a positive impact on the students and our local communities. Developing an institutionalized program and space that will provide social, emotional, financial and academic support to this student population will allow Fullerton College to join one of the most important social and educational movements of the 21^st century. The driving motivation of my work supporting these amazing students is to be part of the effort to reverse the ‘school to prison pipeline’ into one which moves members of this community from incarceration to higher education while supporting their journey to re-entry and healing. I remind the students often that I am here to follow their lead, help them secure resources and power, and serve as an accomplice in the struggle to end mass incarceration and the immeasurable harm it has created in our communities. This semester we look forward to holding a fundraiser where the students can share more about their experiences and the vision they have for making Fullerton College a leader in these efforts.

In solidarity,

Ziza Delgado Noguera, PhD.
Street Scholars Faculty Advisor 
Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies at Fullerton College 

Image Above: Street Scholars’ First Meeting on September 17, 2019. Images Below: On October 15, 2019, we had Ginny Oshiro educate our students about the experiences of women who are incarcerated and system impacted. At the end of the workshop we wrote cards with messages of care and support to send to women who are incarcerated during the holidays.

Image Below: Street Scholars built an ofrenda and held their first fundraiser at Día De Los Muertos on October 24, 2019.

Images Below: Other events that Street Scholars sponsored during fall 2019.

Want to get involved? Support? Contact Street Scholars on Instagram & Email

As a new ethnic studies instructor you have made an agreement to embark on a journey to gift something truly special to your students. An agreement to teach young minds about their ancestral roots, their cultures, and most importantly–– to teach them about the contributions made to their communities by people who look like them. This takes love, commitment, understanding and is a great responsibility. I’m writing this letter in hopes of offering a little insight into the joys, the struggles and opportunities related to teaching students who are learning about people of color histories through the perspective of people of color. I want to emphasize the importance of ethnic studies by sharing my personal experiences as an ethnic studies instructor since 2017. 

The opportunities. When you introduce students to dynamic historical material and courageous individuals who they can relate to, some will react in awe and surprise, while others question why this information was never shown to them until now. Most students express that throughout their education they have felt disengaged in the classroom, that they did not belong. Teaching students about their communities and the relations between different ethnic/racial groups (Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander) connects them to the curriculum and to their cultural roots. Learning about their ancestry teaches them that they have always belonged. This changes their outlook in ways they could have never imagined. They begin to appreciate their family history, and in turn they develop a deep sense of pride in their families and in themselves. This cultivates closer relationships with loved ones and sometimes it facilitates intergenerational healing processes. Students develop a deep and critical way of thinking and enhanced problem solving skills. You will have an opportunity to step into their world and share a wealth of knowledge that helps students identify a void they too often experience in their life journeys. Student leave class motivated to further investigate their familial ties and cultures and they embrace newfound identities. The opportunity to experience this transformation in students is amazing and beyond explanation. 

The struggles. Students often struggle with juggling employment to help out their household or being the caretaker of siblings or adult family members––this is now the norm for most first-generation non-traditional college students. Coming to the realization that history is directly related to their current life experiences can be a struggle for them to comprehend at first. We cover topics that can be hard hitting such as: conquest, colonization, slavery, immigration, land occupation, war, gentrification, mass incarceration, intergenerational trauma, social movements, and the negative educational outcomes related to race, ethnicity, class, sexuality and, birthplace to name a few. Students themselves or people they know have experienced deportation, incarceration, displacement, homelessness, food and housing insecurities, and lack of access to health care. It is ethnic studies that gives them insight into the systemic reasons they and/or their families are struggling under multiple institutions. Students are able to examine their current situation and they strive for more knowledge and success in education. 

The joys. I recall a time when staff members shared with me that they noticed a tremendous change in my students. They looked forward to attending class so much that their attendance records improved dramatically. Their grades in other classes improved as they became more engaged in their own learning and they became more confident in themselves. Some expressed that they were too shy to ask questions in other classes, but found themselves raising their hands in just about every class. This is a joy! Admin and staff often took notice that these students were opening up and maturing before their eyes. Getting to the joys depends on what you teach and how you approach students. As an instructor you are building a community; creating a safe and encouraging environment. We need to meet students where they’re at. Often times the educational system has pushed them out. Many arrive to class with so many other stressors be it social, economic or familial. Therefore, as an instructor, you have to be firm enough to help them learn to be responsible human beings but, gentle enough to understand a problem or situation they may be facing. Be invested in your students and respect their journeys in order to experience the joys. In return, they will teach you a few things too. 

The Importance. Ethnic studies is real and truth telling. Our field is blatant and transparent about history and about how and why we are placed within societal structures. We guide students to embrace history with all of its flaws in hopes that they will create a legacy that they can be proud to leave behind. I’m reminded of the question that frames their final class projects: “Which type of ancestor do you want to be?” As an instructor, you have to lead by example. Someone who teaches ethnic studies must be committed to social justice and demonstrate a deep moral standing by returning to their community and intentionally invest their time, talents and knowledge to create a better world.

All in all, the opportunity to step into the classroom and teach our histories is a privilege. Even though there is a considerable amount of research-based evidence demonstrating how beneficial ethnic studies is to students (grades and attendance improvements, higher graduation rates) [1], not all California high schools and colleges offer ethnic studies, and the ones that do, offer it as an elective and not a requirement. If ethnic studies were a requirement so many more students from every background would be positively impacted. Imagine how transformative and understanding our world would be? Students would invoke unapologetic conversations, make significant impacts in their communities, and proudly take their place in society as more confident, dedicated and viable global citizens. Everyone needs ethnic studies!

My warmest wishes to you as you become a member of our teaching community and embark on a fruitful journey. 

Faithful to rising conscientious minds & rooted in community,

Professor Patricia M. Gomez
Ethnic Studies Department
Fullerton College, CA // Spring 2020

[1] http://www.ethnicstudiesnow.com/research

Womnx of Color Conference at UC Santa Barbara. Click here to go to the Facebook event page. 

Queer is Love Community College Student Conference. Friday March 27, 2020 at El Camino College. Click here to go to the conference website.

1/27 Classes begin
2/3 Ethnic Studies Open House 11:45-1:45 PM Room 224/226/228
2/9 Last day to add classes, drop classes & qualify for refund, drop classes without a “W”
2/13 Last day to apply for spring graduation
2/14 Deadline to apply to the Empowering Womxn of Color Conference 
2/14-2/17 Presidents Day holidays, campus closed
4/6-4/12 Spring Break
4/26 Last day to withdraw from classes
4/30 Ethnic Studies Summit 11AM-6 PM College Center 200 Building 
5/23 Commencement