Hierarchies of Color Conference

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Hierarchies of Color Conference University of California, Berkeley Spring Edition 2006 Vol IV, Issue 2 Hierarchies of Color Conference WORDS FROM THE DIRECTOR The CRG Presents Transnational Perspectives on Modern Day the Social and Cultural Significance of Skin Color Slavery: In Our Own Country? he mandate given to T the Center for Race and Gender by UC Berkeley was to focus on two intertwined dimensions – race, and gender. In recent weeks and months, a truly shocking situation has Participants included (from left to right): Tanya Hernandez, Philomena Essed, been uncovered, layer by rot- Trina Jones, Verna Keith, Evelyn Nakano Glenn, Waldo Martin, Taunya Lovell ten layer, which shows how Banks, David Palumbo-Liu, Lourdes Martínez-Echazábal, Aisha Khan, Eduardo race and gender have been Bonilla-Silva, Paola Bacchetta, Kamala Kempadoo, Jyotsna Baid, Edward Telles, Chancellor Birgeneau gives the -- and still are -- manipulated Joanne Rondilla, Maxine Leeds Craig, Percy Hintzen and Robyn Magalit Rodri- opening address at the CRG’s Dec guez (Jim Block) by the most powerful political 2-3 Hierarchies of Color Conference. and commercial groups in our Coverage on pp 12-17. (Jim Block) O n December 2-3, 2006, as Prop 209 have created. society for their own greedy the Center for Race and Birgeneau emphasized the monetary purposes. Unfortu- Gender hosted “Hierarchies of importance of the CRG’s work nately, this incredible situation Color: Transnational Perspec- in collaboration with the newly has been in part enabled by tives on the Social and Cultural initiated Berkeley Diversity persons in our own backyard. WHAT’S INSIDE Significance of Skin Color,” a Research Initiative for sup- My guess is that a poll of conference that emerged from porting diversity, equity and UC Berkeley students asking, 2 - New Works by the work of the CRG sponsored inclusion on campus. “This “what is the Commonwealth of Affiliated Faculty Colorism Working group. The conference is an absolute para- the Northern Mariana Islands?” working group, made up of digm for the research needed to 3-5- Thursday Forums would produce mostly vacant faculty and graduate students move us forward on diversity.” stares and shrugged shoulders. from various UC campuses, has 6 - Book Talk Coverage of the Colorism Con- The same would be true of the met over the last several years ference continues on page 12. vast majority of Americans. 7 - Alondra Nelson to explore the societal impact of Rachel Quinn Yet thousands, even millions of skin color. The conference grew us, unknowingly are wearing Faculty Spotlight: 8 - from the research and discus- garments made in this “com- Sandra Smith sions that resulted from this monwealth” – made by young interaction. 10-11 - Undergraduate Asian women, held in condi- Chancellor Birgeneau Grant Recipients tions of virtual slavery, subject opened the conference by re- to sexual and physical harass- 12-17 - Hierarchies of marking on the necessary work ment, unprotected by wage, Color Conference of racial inclusion that lays hour, health or other protec- ahead for Berkeley--in particu- tions--all working long hours 18-19 - Filipino Sympo- lar he noted that September’s under grim circumstances. sium incoming class of 800 engineer- The Commonwealth of ing students did not include a 23 - Announcements the Northern Mariana Islands single African American. He (CNMI) is a United States went on to say that the dimin- territory in the mid-Pacific ishing diversity on campus is about 1,200 miles north of the CRG Director Evelyn Nakano Glenn an example of the “educational Philippines. It consists of 14 apartheid” that initiatives such speaking on skin-lightening at the Hierarchies of Color Conference. Jim Block —continued on page 21 CENTER FACULTY AND STAFF Center for Race and Gender New Works by CRG Affiliated Faculty University of California, Aihwa Ong, Anthropology pace with these changes. gender, and American Berkeley Neoliberalism as Exception: We still tend to believe that citizenship in the first third 642 Barrows Hall Mutations in Citizenship and police behavior is shaped by of the twentieth century Berkeley, CA 94720-1074 Sovereignty, a monolithic professional with a particular focus on Phone: 510-643-8488 Duke University Press, 2006. subculture, to which all recruits the experiences of Asian Fax: 510-642-9810 This book offers either assimilate or fall victim. American women in http://crg.berkeley.edu an alternative view of That belief has made it hard accessing and losing formal neoliberalism as a malleable for us to see the ways in which citizenship. EDITOR & LAYOUT technology of governing that the new diversity of police Johnny George is taken up in different ways workforces has altered the (2) (Editor with Mary by different regimes, be they dynamics of law enforcement. Dudziak) Legal CONTRIBUTORS authoritarian, democratic, Borderlands: Law and the Michael Barnes, Ruha Benjamin, or communist. Ong argues Margaret W. Conkey, Construction of American Jim Block, Iyko Day, Janet that an interactive mode of Anthropology Borders, Johns Hopkins Duong, Johnny George, Donna citizenship is emerging, one “Dwelling at the Margins, University Press, 2006. Hiraga-Stephens, Evelyn Nakano that organizes people—and Action at the Intersection? Where legal rights are at Glenn, Diana Halog, Gladys distributes rights and benefits Feminist and Indigenous issue, borders and territory Nubla, Jeff Packman,Tianna to them—according to their Archaeologies, ”Archaeologies, continue to play a powerful Paschel, LyFranshaua L Pipkins, marketable skills. As the v.1 n. 1, 2005, 9-59. role, especially as certain Trisha Tiamzon, Rachel Quinn, seam between sovereignty This article is about the spaces, such as Guantanamo Glenn L Robertson and citizenship is pried apart, possible intersections between Bay, Cuba, are marked To sign up for our mailing list: a new space is emerging what may be considered by the US government as e-mail majordomo@listlink. for Non-Govermental feminist and indigenous outside legal restraints on berkeley.edu with the following Organizations (NGOs) to archaeologies. Two dimensions government power. Yet command in the body of the advocate for the human of archaeological interpretation the law also extends the message: rights of those excluded by that are integral to both United States beyond its subscribe centerrg-list neoliberal measures of human feminists and indigenous literal borders, through, for worthiness. scholars are the place and role example, efforts to export To subscribe to Faultlines of “experience,” and the uses democracy. This edited send an e-mail to: David Alan Sklansky, Boalt of oral traditions and story- collection focuses on the [email protected] with School of Law telling. Two additional aspects relationship between Law your mailing address “Not Your Father’s Police of archaeology are discussed and American Studies to ask Department: Making Sense where intersectionality once territory becomes less of the New Demographics of and collaboration may be critical to scholarship in the ADVISORY COMMITTEE Law particularly fruitful: the discipline, what constitutes Alice Agogino Enforcement,” Journal understanding of gender roles the frame of American Thomas Biolsi of Criminal Law and and in the archaeology of Studies? Steve Crum Criminology, v. 96, Spring space. By suggesting that both Angela Harris 2006. archaeologies are working Rachel Moran, Boalt Charles Henry This article explores the towards the transformation School of Law Percy Hintzen nature and extent of the of archaeological practices, (1) “Whatever Happened Elaine Kim demographic transformation this review aims to encourage to Racism?” St. John’s Law Colleen Lye of the police workforce. The further development of Review, v. 79 n. 4, 2005, 899- Beatriz Manz virtually all-white, all-male transformative coalitional 927. Laura Pérez police departments of the consciousness. At the height of the Martin Sanchez-Jankowski 1950s and 1960s have given civil rights movement, Tyler Stovall way to departments with Leti Volpp, Boalt School of anti-discrimination laws Charis Thompson large numbers of female and Law focused on eradicating Barrie Thorne minority officers, often led (1) “Divesting Citizenship: On racism, that is, individual Nelson Maldanado Torres by female or minority chiefs. Asian American History and animus toward members of Khatharya Um Openly gay and lesbian the Loss of Citizenship through other racial groups. Today, officers too, are increasingly Marriage,” UCLA Law Review, surveys of public opinion becoming commonplace. But v. 53 n. 2, 2005. our beliefs about the police The article examines the have had trouble keeping intersection between race, —continued on page 20 FEBRUARY FORUM Martin & Raiford: Revolution’s Media and Cultural Affect n February 9 the over the signs of blackness. O Center’s Afternoon One of the primary Forum featured presentations features of photography by Leigh Raiford, Assistant Raiford emphasized was its Professor of African ability to record rather than American Studies, and simply depict reality—to Waldo Martin, Professor of serve, according to poet and History. Their papers shared physician Oliver Wendell a focus on the historical and Holmes, as a “mirror with political capacity of media— a memory.” What this specifically photography means, she explained, is that and music—to negotiate a photography is a medium complex dialectic between that is always in dialogue radical Black cultural politics with the past. Therefore, Leigh Raiford & Waldo Martin (J George) and commodity-based popular
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