Week 4 Section 002 Christopher Esparza-Lezo

In Whistleblower by Amy Joy, I was shocked to learn the professor’s career was in jeopardy for exposing an embezzlement situation at the University. It was difficult to come to terms an experienced employee of over 30 years work experience in the University of California system became a prime subject in a criminal investigation. The embezzlement appeared to be organized amongst multiple staff members in high authority positions if there were no swift responses to the reports joy sent out in her emails.

Unmaking the Public University by Christopher Newfield held serious implications for the department of Chicano studies. Being a Chicano myself the history behind budget cuts within the UC system and research opportunities within the field felt troubling. Even though the student lead protests took place during the 1990’s I believe there would still be a strong response by students in the 21^st century motivated to protest budget cuts that hinder the Chicano studies department. If we examine previous student mobilization efforts, Chicano student motivation lead to the creation of Hispanic culture as a field of study through the creation of El Plan de Santa Barbara. In my opinion since the history of Chicano’s was founded on a Chicano movement which was an equal rights movement to integrate Hispanics into education, law and increased work wages of field work I am not surprised first generation students themselves protested proposition 187.

Proposition 187 hit home for many Chicano students since historically laws have been non-existential if not for the Chicano movement. Therefore, students protested the prop 187 by letting policy makers know ‘most stike supporters were first generation college students . . ., they had worked to get into public research universities and . . .were demanding resources for more academic work’ (Newfield 2008). Like our previous generation’s students fought for equal integration within higher education by stating ‘the need for more research into cultural and social issues – for cultural, social political, and economic knowledge that would not overlook or be biased against Latino communities’ (Newfield 2008)

It was admirable students fought for a set of principles to ensure equality in society through education. By voicing out the importance of Chicano studies as a field in graduate studies, research can be conducted to defeat or validate social issues facing the Latino community. In securing Chicano culture as a field of study within education students and future generation can now encourage institutions which produce knowledge to fight on their behalf. Lastly, by securing a strong foothold into education students like myself can ensure crucial fields about our culture is not hindered by the financial crises faced in the state. This means students do not have to worry about losing their department and crucial resources in the department due to less funding (Newfield 2008). All these principles set the stage and provide us the tools to fight conservative beliefs in a period of crisis. For example, president Trumps rhetoric on Hispanics depicts everyone as criminals causing an increase in funding for federal branches like the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

  

In the picture above, Chicano students protest prop 187. The proposition would deny undocumented immigrants from high education ensuring the fact this group remains marginalized. Attitudes about border security and nativism, classism probably contributed to the attitudes of conservative politicians decisions to create such a prop. 

One question I have about Unmaking the Public University is what factors caused the revenue shortfall in the California government?

Works Cited

De La Pena, A. (n.d.). Prop 187 protest – Downtown LA – 1994 [Photograph]. Downtown LA.

Joy, A. B. (2010). Whistleblower. Point Richmond, CA: Bay Tree Pub.

Newfield, C. (2008). Unmaking the Public University. The Forty Year Assult on the Middle Class. Retrieved January 26, 2019.