AAPI Heritage Month and Challenging Reactionary Solutions It is becoming a grim tradition this time of year to review the Stop AAPI Hate data and acknowledge that the issue is continuing to get worse. When you factor in particularly tragic spectacles such as the mass shooting in Monterey Park, California in January where a gunman killed 11 Asian American people at a dance hall, it’s even more distressing. Frustrating but unsurprisingly, far too many people attempted to minimize this tragedy by implying that the fact that the gunman was an Asian American man invalidated any reasons to treat it as an instance of the systemic danger Asian Americans face. In many ways, this is a reflection of how the national discourse has been oversimplified and often weaponized to obscure and divert energy away from a glaring problem: increasing anti-Asian hate crimes.
Women’s History Month 2023: Uplifting Hidden Histories and Roots in Resistance Women’s History Month, like many history month celebrations, seems to feel increasingly like a balancing act between celebrating the contributions of women to all aspects of life in the United States, while also acknowledging and resisting Draconian systemic attacks on women’s health and civil rights.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2022: From Symbolic Gestures to Substantive Action Actor and activist Sacheen Littlefeather passed away at the age of 75 on Oct. 2, 2022 after battling cancer. Apache and Yaqui, Littlefeather made history as the first indigenous person to speak at the podium at the Oscars and drew national attention to the American Indian Movement’s Wounded Knee protests. She went on to found the National American Indian Performing Arts Registry.
Happy Rosh Hashanah from the University of Oregon! The Division of Equity and Inclusion would like to wish a happy Rosh Hashanah to members of the Jewish community on campus and throughout Eugene and Lane County! Rosh Hashanah is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days, which comprise both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah begins on Sunday, Sep. 25 at sundown and concludes at sundown on Tuesday, Sep. 27.
Latinx Heritage Month 2022: Sending a Message With so much happening in the world, many of us are looking for reprieve wherever we can find it. Yet, it is becoming increasingly impossible to separate our celebrations from the politics of the moment. Latinx Heritage Month 2022 is no different.
The Title IX Fight is as Relevant as Ever 50 Years Later Title IX officially turns 50 on June 23. Congress passed the landmark piece of legislation in 1972 behind the efforts of lead author and sponsor Rep. Patsy Mink, the first Asian American woman to serve in Congress. The law prohibits sex-based discrimination in all education programs and activities that receive federal funding and mandates that they actively protect students and employees. To this day, Title IX continues to be one of the strongest deterrents of discrimination against women.
On Freedom Day, Reflecting on How the Second Amendment Became a Race War Proxy Throughout Oregon and many parts of the country, Juneteenth celebrations are getting unprecedented visibility and recognition. Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas received the news of their freedom. It’s celebrated annually on June 19, but up until being recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, you would rarely see Juneteenth celebrations in Oregon outside of a few pockets of the state.
Embracing Intersectionality to Reconnect with the Foundations of Pride 2022 We cannot talk about Pride Month without talking about its foundations in the Stonewall Riots. This series of uprisings, led by transgender women of color, against police raids on the Stonewall Inn that began in June of 1969, are widely considered to be the spark for the modern LGBTQIA+ movement in the US. At the time, “homosexual activity” was widely deemed illegal and these violent raids on gay bars and clubs were a common form of institutional terrorism.
Jewish American Heritage Month 2022: Embracing the Rich History of Jewish American Activists Over the last several years, we have witnessed a rise in white supremacist sentiment throughout the United States and as such, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this has included a significant uptick in antisemitism. Our Eugene community hasn’t been exempt either. Most recently, several Eugene residents were targeted with anti-Semitic and anti-trans flyers in a clear act of intimidation.
Cinco de Mayo and Institutionalizing Equity at UO? One of the most common misconceptions around Cinco de Mayo is that it is a holiday commemorating Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16. In actuality, Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of the Battle of Puebla, where Mexican forces defeated the French on May 5, 1862.
