This is a time of year when many of us are gathering with loved ones, expressing gratitude and exchanging gifts. We are mindful that as these celebrations occur, we continue to bear witness to horrific violence in the Middle East and a resurgence of Antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate. We are reflecting on the importance of community — both as a means of healing and maintaining vital connections, and as a tool for continued learning.
Nearly a year ago, the executive vice chancellor and provost charged a committee to envision ways to model productive discourse on challenging topics. This committee developed into the Dialogue Across Difference Initiative, which includes a student leadership program that launched its inaugural cohort this fall. I am proud to represent the Alumni Association by serving on the planning committee for this initiative and am exploring ways to leverage the expertise of our alumni as next steps unfold.
Our featured alumna in this issue, Veronica Terriquez, M.A. ’04, Ph.D. ’09, discusses her work leading the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center and also highlights the critical role of community in advancing efforts to engage in social change. As this year comes to an end, we encourage you to reflect on the people and places who provide a sense of community for you and how you can connect with others across lines of difference to foster learning, compassion and understanding.
Please reach out to us to share your questions, comments or reflections at diversity@alumni.ucla.edu.
UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center: Research for Community With Veronica Terriquez, M.A. ’04, Ph.D. ’09
In this issue Denise Pacheco, M.A. ’04, Ph.D. ’11, Senior Director for UCLA Alumni Diversity Programs & Initiatives, connected with professor and Director for the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center (CSRC) Veronica Terriquez, M.A. ’04, Ph.D. ’09, to learn about her work with the Center and its impact on community. Read more about the impactful programs and research that the CSRC is supporting to advance ethnic and racial justice.
The UCLA Initiative to Study Hate is a three-year pilot project intended to foster cutting-edge research and high-level teaching to understand better and mitigate group-based hate. The Initiative is collaborative, bringing together university-based researchers (faculty and students), non-profit actors, government officials and private sector actors who share a common desire to understand and combat hate; it is innovative and bold, seeking to explore previously unexplored questions and using new sets of methodological lenses; and it is multidisciplinary, bringing together a unique constellation of scholarly prowess.
Read the Initiative's annual report to learn more about the large-scale research projects including Social Media and the Spread of Hate and Hating Homelessness: Understanding Stigma and Hatred Directed at People Experiencing Homelessness.
Watch
"Nuestros Esfuerzos" is a 10-minute video, created and edited by UCLA students in 1998 for the purpose of educating a new generation of students and community on the 1993 UCLA hunger strike that led to the creation of the UCLA César E. Chávez Department of Chicana/o and Central American Studies.
Offer Your Insight
Last year, the UCLA Alumni Association launched its three-year strategic plan aimed at aligning and amplifying our brand and reimagining alumni engagement. We are seeking volunteers to participate in a 45-minute virtual focus group to offer feedback on our proposed plans. Your input will help determine our next steps. Please sign up to participate.
Support
UCLA Alumni is currently accepting gently used cold-weather and professional clothing for students in Chancellor Block’s LINK program.
The UCLA Chancellor's Leadership, Innovation, Networking and Knowledge (LINK) program fosters the leadership development, critical thinking and self-reflection and career readiness of UCLA undergraduate students to best prepare to contribute to society with the passion, experience and skill sets necessary to thrive once they graduate.
Drop Off
Drop clothing off at the James West Alumni Center Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. You can also use the Gateway Plaza turnaround and call 310-825-2586 to request pick up from your car.
Mail In
c/o Sandy Nguyen, LINK Program
UCLA Alumni Association
James West Alumni Center
325 Westwood Plaza
Box 951397
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1397
