UCLA International Institute Committee for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

 
Diversity StatementEquity, diversity and inclusion are essential values of the UCLA International Institute. These professed ideals guide us to provide the kind of broad, global, multicultural educational experience that is at the core of the Institute’s academic programs and research centers. We welcome faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and strive to ensure everyone at the Institute feels respected and valued. The Institute is proud of its over 60-year legacy in preparing individuals who have gone on to make contributions to the business, nonprofit, government and education sectors. As a gateway to the world for the UCLA campus and the greater Los Angeles community, the Institute considers equity, diversity, and inclusion essential to its mission of educating global citizens and preparing them for collaborative problem-solving and a multicultural world.

 

The Committee

 Jennifer Chun (Committee Chair) 

Associate Professor

Department of Asian American Studies
International Development Studies IDP Chair 


   

 Jeanine Chen

Center Administrator

Asia Pacific


 Ron Sugano

Assistant Vice Provost
Chief Financial & Administrative Officer

Bryan Pitts

Assistant Director

Latin American Studies Institute



Sandy Valdivieso

Associate Director of Advising & Engagement
Academic Counselor, Global Studies and
International Development Studies 
 

 

 


Standing with our Asian/Asian American and Pacific Islander Community

 

We are outraged and horrified by the recent spate of violent attacks against Asian Americans in the United States. Although our country has a long history of intolerance against Asian Americans, the recent attacks in Georgia also reveal a toxic mix of sexism and racism that is unique to the history of sexual imperialism that emerged during WWII. We stand in solidarity with our Asian American sisters and brothers those who have been victims of these vicious attacks, and we pray that all members of our community remain safe during these trying times.


Resources and Ways to Support the Asian and AAPI Community

Learn: Stop AAPI Hate Report is a national report on incidences of xenophobia and bigotry against the Asian and AAPI people made possible by a collaboration between the Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University.
Movement Hub.org: UCLA's centralized platform created to amplify the on-the-ground activism and organizing within Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities across the country.

 
Support: List of mental health resources from the Asian Pacific Islander Knowledge Community.

Act: List of action items to support the Asian and AAPI community from Stop Asian Hate.

 

 

 

 

 

Black Lives Matter: Our Promise to the Class of 2020 & Our Community

To the Class of 2020: 

The UCLA International Institute stands unequivocally against the egregious and disproportionate violence faced by black people in America and the systemic disenfranchisement and oppression of marginalized communities across the world. As the home of international studies on the UCLA campus, it is the Institute’s mission to embolden people to connect on their shared humanity and think transnationally and across borders. Yet, these past few weeks have humbled and reminded us of our duty to listen to our community so that we can learn how to be the ally that they deserve in this moment and beyond. 

The tragedy of George Floyd’s death, which was only the latest in a succession of incidents of police brutality against black people, has sparked worldwide demonstrations of solidarity from Mexico City to Karachi to Seoul. Floyd’s untimely murder at the hands of the police resonates deeply in part because the story of US police brutality, unfortunately, is an international one. Anti-racism activists across the world have seen US protests as a beacon of hope that speak to conditions of structural racism and inequality in their own countries. To name just a few examples, Brazilians marched in honor of João Pedro Mattos Pinto, a 14-year-old killed by the police, just as Australians marched with placards demanding justice for aboriginal deaths in police custody. 

 

We are inspired to see Black Lives Matter flourish globally and find allies in other movements just as important police reforms are underway in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and across the US. A few reforms will not solve the problem of structural racism, however. We must continue to examine our own role within the systems that perpetuate racial inequalities and injustices. We must remain vigilant and serve as witnesses to ensure that change continues locally and globally. 

As Alexis de Tocqueville has said, “The greatness of America lies in not being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.”  As we celebrate the Class of 2020, we are committed to ensuring that black students, staff and faculty in our community—and everyone who has been made to feel othered, vulnerable and marginalized—feel appreciated, respected, seen, and heard during this transformative moment in US history. We will continue to learn from you and work with you so that, “We stand with you,” are not mere empty words but a promise to create safe and inclusive spaces in which we thrive together.

In Community, 

The UCLA International Institute Committee for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion


Resources: 

UCLA EDI Office’s Resources for Racial Trauma

USC Library’s Anti-Racist Pedagogy Guide
 
Black Minds Matter: Previously recorded public course with the goal of raising awareness on issues facing Black boys and men in educational institutions led by Dr. Jonathan Woods (San Diego University). Description of the course and syllabus can be found here. Video recordings of each session can be found here.
 
Black Lives Matter Syllabus offers teaching guides and resources developed by Frank Roberts (NYU) 


 

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