Message from the Chair; Senior Recognition; Gabe Fallis Receives Ethnic Studies Community Scholar & Dr. Judy Rauner Social Justice Awards; Elie Nyembo Honored with the L. Reuben Mitchell Award for Campus-wide Impact; ETHN Senior Spotlight Kemiya Jenab-Nutter; ETHN Senior Spotlight King Elie Nyembo; Faculty & Staff Updates, Executive Assistant Esther Aguilar: We Got You!; Dr. Jesse Mills: Being Together; Professor of Practice & Tribal Liaison Perse Lewis: Desert Blooms and Pitbull Love; Congratulations to Our Amazing Class of 2020!.https://digital.sandiego.edu/ethn-newsletters/1004/thumbnail.jp

Department of Ethnic Studies,

English

University of San Diego

University of San Diego Digital USD Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters Department of Ethnic Studies Spring 5-2020 Congratulations, Class of 2020! 1:5 Department of Ethnic Studies University of San Diego Follow this and additional works at: https://digital.sandiego.edu/ethn-newsletters  Part of the Ethnic Studies Commons Digital USD Citation Department of Ethnic Studies, "Congratulations, Class of 2020! 1:5" (2020). Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters. 5. https://digital.sandiego.edu/ethn-newsletters/5 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Ethnic Studies at Digital USD. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters by an authorized administrator of Digital USD. For more information, please contact digital@sandiego.edu. View in browserCongratulations, Class of 2020!Message from the ChairDear Friends,With the closing of this unprecedentedacademic year, I reflect on the unexpectedmix of uncertainty, humor, difficulty, andgenerosity that we have experienced forthe past two months. Amidst theinstability, I have been grounded by the strength of our most impacted communities toface this current iteration of racialized and class violence with such love, tenacity, and on-the-ground care. I am especially energized by the students in our ETHN classes whocontinued to show up for each other, grappled with material that is more relevant thanever, and produced stirring final projects. I am most proud of our stellar graduating majors and minors who celebrated thecompletion of their undergraduate education this past weekend. (Watch the beautifulgraduation celebration here!). This cohort of ETHN graduates is an exceptional group ofscholars and community activists. Their senior capstone papers examined food justiceGabe Fallis Receives EthnicStudies Community Scholar& Dr. Judy Rauner SocialJustice AwardsElie Nyembo Honored withthe L. Reuben MitchellAward for Campus-wideImpactapproaches to hunger, devised abolitionist approaches to prison re-entry programs,deconstructed anti-gang legislation, and analyzed the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and Brown communities. They worked with local organizations to exoneratepeople who were wrongfully convicted, assist social workers with bilingual clients, anddevelop pathways to reduce recidivism. They were central members of MEChA, AfricanStudent Union, American Indian Student Organization, Black Student Union, Students ofColor in STEM, and organized support for their DACA peers. They theorized studentactivism and materialized those ideas with the creation of Third World Coalition, a newUSD student organization grounded in a politics of intersectionality, social justice, andsolidarity. It has been an honor to watch each of them sharpen their thinking, hone their voices, andgrow more fully into their sassy selves. Please join me in congratulating our fantasticgraduating class!Wishing you a beautiful summer,May FuAssociate Professor & ChairDepartment of Ethnic StudiesSenior RecognitionsThe Department of Ethnic Studiesand the United Front MulticulturalCenter presented Gabe Fallis withthe Christopher Wilson CommunityScholar Award and the Dr. JudyRauner Award for Social Justice,respectively! The Wilson Awardhonors the first ETHN major at USDand their dedication to outstandingcommunity-centered research andengagement. The Rauner Awardhonors a student who establishedcommunity partnerships, ledcommunity projects, and engagedstudents in social justice work. Gabe is a powerful force at USDand in the larger San Diego CountyNative American community. Anenrolled member of of the HoplandBand of Pomo Indians, he was astudent leader in the AmericanIndian Student Organization (AISO),raiseing awareness and educatingthe campus about Native Americanissues, the history of the Catholicmission system, and its impact onCA Native American peoples. Gabeis a tireless advocate, studentleader, mentor, and member ofROTC. He played a critical role inrenaming Serra Hall, builtrelationships with non-Nativestudents, worked in coalition withfellow student organizations, andhas also spoken with and inspired200+ Native students from localurban and tribal communities. Congratulations, Gabe!Elie Nyembo was chosen to receivethe L. Reuben Mitchell Award forCampus-wide Impact from theUnited Front Multicultural Center!This award honors a student whohas contributed to the Universitythrough their exemplary leadership,active involvement, andcontributions to diversity, equity,and inclusion across campus. King is a game-changing campusorganizer who found ways to flipand recreate the script. Hecreatively created the conditionsneeded to make space and build acommunity rooted in social justiceand solidarity. This is no easy feat;however, King’s contagious fire,hilarious wit, and steadyperseverance pierced many bubblesand had people taking manyseats. He has been an integralmember of the African StudentUnion, Students of Color in STEMM,Black Student Union, Black MenInitiative, Public Health Club, andinterned at the UFMC for severalyears. Most recently, he co-foundedthe Third World Coalition withETHN majors Sarah Gueno andMichaela Tyus which sought tocreate a space forintersectional and relationalcoalition building to transformstudents’ lives at USD. Congratulations, King!ETHN Senior SpotlightKemiya Jenab-NutterHello hello! My name is Kemiya Nutter, and Iam a graduating Ethnic Studies and Sociologydouble major. As my final semester comes toa close, I have spent a significant amount oftime reflecting on my academic, mental, andspiritual growth over the past four years. In aconversation with the king himself, Dr. JesseMills, I realized that I have the Ethnic Studiesdepartment to thank for both saving andshaping my life. This major equips students with the necessarytools to navigate the complex realities of individual identity formation and examine thedynamics of greater social structures. An Ethnic Studies framework reveals the intrinsicties between the personal and the political. This lens holds a particular significance to theuncertain circumstances in which we - as individuals, as a community, and as a society -are currently immersed. It is critical for all of us to apply our knowledge and discoursefrom the classroom towards advocacy and action in our communities, as this pandemic isonly highlighting the detrimental impact of the socio-political disparities that are rootedin the foundation of this country. Amidst the chaos of the pandemic, finals, graduation, and so on, I encourage everyone toground themselves in practices of both self and collective care. It is imperative that we allstand in solidarity with one another, listen to and uplift the voices of those who are oftensilenced, and continue our ongoing work towards dismantling systems of oppressionand collectively constructing a path towards liberatory social change.ETHN Senior SpotlightKing Elie NyemboMy name is Elie Nyembo, but you can callme King! I am the current President ofAfrican Student Union and the VicePresident of Students of Color in STEM/M.Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Imigrated to the United States of AmeriKKKain 2003. Ethnic Studies has given me the voice Iwished I had growing up. It has changed themanner I look at the world and now allowsme to be able to critically evaluate issues onrace, class, migration, sexual orientation,gender and policy making. I am excited togo into the world, enact change, and keepgrowing as a person and an activist. I willcontinue everything I have learned this fallas a graduate student in the Ph.D. programin Global Health at Arizona State University.I am thankful for and to the Ethnic Studies department, because they were what I neededto feel seen and heard while at USD. I learned that my voice matters and any silence Ihave on any issues is a form of violence towards the impacted community. During thesetrying times of COVID-19, I have been watching a lot of Netflix, reading articles on currentevents, and staying up to date with the virus that is nowhere near being an equalizer. Thisvirus exposes everything we knew is wrong with this country.To whomever is reading this, take care of yourself and know that your life matters andthat you are deserving of every opportunity that comes your way. Your worth is not tiedto your productivity but rather to the mere fact you are a human being who is navigatingbroken systems to the best of your ability. You are important. You are seen.  You arevalid. You matter.King Out. ✌Faculty & Staff UpdatesExecutive Assistant EstherAguilar: We Got You!Greetings from Maher Hall! I wantto wish you a happy and safesummer break. We miss everyone,but please know that we are herefor you. Congratulations to ourseniors!Dr. Jesse Mills: BeingTogetherWorking from home, I’m so gratefulfor the family time and the fortuneof our health and wellness. I'vemissed our community in theclassroom, the office, and oncampus, and I look forward to beingback together!Professor of Practice & TribalLiaison Perse Lewis: DesertBlooms and Pitbull LoveHello, beautiful people! I have missed yourshiny faces and can't believe that we havebeen in this new, not-normal normal forover 2 months. The week that we weretold to shelter in place, me and my familyleft San Diego and headed to my partner'stribal community, Gila River IndianCommunity. We have a family house onthe reservation with a big yard and a hugedesert that was in full bloom during that time. Also, because we didn't know what toexpect, we thought it was best to be by family and the community.After the first week of being at the house, a cute, stocky pitbull started visiting us whenwe were outside. We're used to dogs on the reservation, but this one was exceptionallysweet and friendly. We tried closing up the yard, so he couldn't get in, but he would justpush through the gate with his big muscles. It was shocking how little of a space he couldsqueeze through! Normally, there are rules to rez dogs, but all those rules were quicklythrown out the window. We pet him whenever he walked up to us. We named him"Rocky." Then, we broke the biggest rule: we fed him. He soon found a spot in front of ourdoor and would sleep there day and night.Rocky has since moved to his grandma's house, so we don't see him anymore.... oh, andhis name is actually "Harley." We are all thankful that he chose to be our friend at a timewhen we were full of uncertainty and sadness at the sudden life changes. I hope you allhad a "Rocky" in your life that was able to bring some joy during the uncertain time. I amkeeping all of you and your loved ones in my thoughts. Congratulations to all thegraduates!Congratulations to Our Amazing Class of 2020!University of San DiegoDepartment of Ethnic Studies5998 Alcala Park, Maher Hall 210San Diego, CA 92110(619) 260-4132https://www.sandiego.edu/cas/ethnicstudiesUnsubscribe

Congratulations, Class of 2020! 1:5

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Congratulations, Class of 2020! 1:5

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