I was born in Los Angeles and raised in Koreatown, a diverse Latinx community. My parents moved us to the suburbs of Orange County when I was six years old, where I was one of the few Asian kids in my neighborhood. As an innocent child, I didn’t see a person through the color of […]
A Cal State Fullerton professor of education and other researchers are studying challenges for undocumented students in the California State University and University of California systems.
My anti-racism journey is just beginning. Growing up, I never had “The Talk.” Instead, when I had an experience that left me confused or despondent, I chatted with my parents, specifically my mother, to understand the world I lived in. My mother frequently had conversations with me to prepare me for possible obstacles I might […]
I received my driver’s license at 16. Having a car and the freedom it brought was my indoctrination to the police in my city. The next six years consisted of constant interactions with police officers. At first, I didn’t know what to think, and I would get out of my car with no hesitation and […]
With the Asian Pacific Islander community continuing to face discrimination, racism and violence, the university is challenging faculty, staff and students to take a pledge of solidarity.
Campus members are invited to a special virtual presentation featuring sitting U.S. poet laureate, Joy Harjo, Tuesday, April 6, 3-5 p.m. The event is sponsored by “We Stand Together,” a national coalition of presidents and chancellors from 14 universities, of which President Virjee is a member.
I was fortunate to be born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where it’s so diverse. Growing up, it felt good to see people who looked like me and to get to know those who were different. My parents also instilled in me the idea that it’s OK to have friends that don’t […]
As a college student, my life changed after reading Peggy MacIntosh’s powerful article called “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” Her article discussed white privilege and helped me to break it down into sizable chunks that I could explore in my own life. I finally had the words and the tools to do the critical self-work and […]
The Talk: A Journey Toward Anti-Racism is a video series that invited campus community members to talk about their personal journey to anti-racism, their concerns and their hope for a world that no longer divides by color but instead celebrates the commonality of our humanity. Participants from the project will be featured in a March 18 panel discussion during Social Justice Week. The project is a collaboration between the university’s Strategic Communications and Brand Management department and the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Programs.
My journey to anti-racism has been long, colorful, and of constant revelation. For many years, I was blind to just how deeply racism is rooted in our society. Throughout my life, I have been subjected to interpersonal acts of racism. I remember being a teenager, shopping in the grocery store with my mother. There was […]