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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE Black and Brown CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE Black and Brown: The Impact of Chicana/o Studies on Chicanas/os’ Perceptions of African-Americans A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Arts in Chicano and Chicana Studies By Luis M. Rodriguez May 2016 ! Copyright by Luis M. Rodriguez 2016 ii The thesis of Luis M. Rodriguez is approved: __________________________________________ __________________ Dr. Theresa Montano Date __________________________________________ __________________ Dr. Rosemary Gonzalez Date __________________________________________ __________________ Dr. Rosa RiVera-Furumoto, Chair Date California State University, Northridge iii Acknowledgement I would like to thank Dr. Rosa RiVera-Furumoto for her continued patience in this writing process. Her passion and commitment to students and education encouraged and guided me during my darkest moments of writing this thesis. I also want to acknowledge the efforts of the entire Chicana/o Studies Department and their continued support. I want to thank previous, current, and future generations of Chicana/o Studies scholars and activists. May your efforts continue to grant access to higher education to marginalized communities. iv Dedication I dedicate this thesis to my mother, Francisca Rodriguez. May you rest in peace and live through these words. I dedicate this thesis to my beautiful wife, Elizabeth Gutierrez Rodriguez. This thesis represents the ups and downs that we consciously choose to relish and withstand. I look forward to a lifetime of holding hands. Te amo! To my beautiful children, you amaze me everyday. Your happiness makes everything better. Never stop smiling. v Table of Contents Copyright ii Signature Page iii Acknowledgments iv Dedication v Abstract xi Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Problem Statement 1 Goals of This Research Study 5 Need for Research Regarding Black and Brown Relations 7 Need for Research Regarding Impacts of Chicana/o Studies on RID 9 Overview of Chapters 11 Chapter 2: Literature Review 13 Why History Matters 13 Need to Understand Black and Brown Relations in Los Angeles 14 Black and Brown Relations in Los Angeles: Conflicted or United? 15 Competition: Access to Jobs & Education 15 Deconstructing Theories of Competition 16 Black and Brown Relations: A Colonial Context 20 Black and Brown Unity: A Historical Context 21 The 1960s: The Radical Left 21 The 1960s: Black and Brown Coalitions 24 Education: The 1968 Blowouts (Student Walk Outs) 27 Community Organizing 28 Mothers Reclaiming Our Children (Mothers ROC) – 1980s 28 Community Coalition 30 Environmental Justice 31 Wal-Mart in Inglewood 31 Los Angeles Uprising (Riots): April 24, 1992 32 2008: Our First Black President 34 Ongoing Tensions/Challenges for Black and Brown Unity… 35 The Media 36 African-American Views on Immigration 37 Ongoing Common Concerns 39 Jails 40 Economic Concerns and Job Opportunities 40 Lack of Public Space 41 Summary of Issues Preventing Black and Brown Unity 41 Examples of Black and Brown Sharing Community Organizations 42 The Black and Brown Brotherhood 42 Youth Action 43 SCOPE 43 Colorful Flags Program 44 Chapter 3: Healing: Popular Culture and Ethnic Studies Departments 45 Fusion(s) of Expression… 45 Examples of Black Brown Critically Sharing Popular Culture 46 Lowriders 48 Music 50 Brown-Eyed Soul 50 More Recent Musical Amalgams 51 Hip-Hop 52 Healing through Ethnic Studies 54 Ethnic Studies (Chicana/o Studies) v. Multicultural Education 54 Historical Context: A United Movement in Universities to Resist Oppression 57 Origins of Chicana/o Studies 60 Chicana/o Studies on Interracial Relations 63 Chapter Summary 66 Chapter 4: Theoretical Framework 67 Defining Race and Ethnicity 68 Debunking the Black and White Binary 69 Ethnic Identity Development Theory 71 Phinney’s Three Stage Ethnic Identity Model 72 Ruiz’ Chicana/o/Latino Ethnic Identity Model 73 Critique of Ethnic Identity Theories 74 Racial Identity Development Theory (RIDT) 75 An Overview of Racial Identity Development Models 78 Helm’s People of Color Racial Identity Model 79 Racial Identity Development and College 82 Explicitly Facilitating Racial Identity Development in the College… 87 Chapter 5: Methodology 90 Method of Analysis 90 Types of Interviews 91 Data Analysis Methods 94 Sample/Participants 95 Ethics 97 Chapter 6: Research Findings 100 Meet the Participants 102 Parental College Support 106 Defending Chicana/o Studies to Parents 107 Access to Language 109 Pathway to Attending College 110 High School Experiences 110 Familial Views Toward African-Americans 112 Friendships and Peer Attitudes Toward African-Americans 115 Social Justice 117 Student Activism 118 Student-Professor Relationships 120 Chicana/o Studies and Racial Identity Development 121 Racial Identity: Stage v. Status 123 Black, Brown, and Chicana/o Studies 124 Black, Brown, and Other People of Color 127 Chapter 7: Conclusion 130 Limitations and Implications: Tips for Future Research(ers) 130 Future Research 131 Recommendations: Tips from Aztlan 134 Popular Culture as a Means to Improve Racial Identity 136 Works Cited 139 Appendix A: Interview Questions 157 Abstract Black and Brown: The Impact of Chicana/o Studies on Chicanas/os’ Perceptions of African-Americans By Luis M. Rodriguez Master of Arts in Chicano and Chicana Studies This study examines the relationship(s) between African-American (Black) and Chicana/o (Brown) communities. The study provides positive, negative, historical, and contemporary examples of Black and Brown interactions. The study presents a discussion of Chicana/o Studies and Racial Identity Development in order to expand existing discussions of Black and Brown relations and discussions of the benefits of Chicana/o Studies. The following queries helped guide this research project: 1) What spaces do Chicanas/os and African-Americans share?; 2) What specific factors found in Chicana/o Studies impact the Racial Identity Development of Chicana/o Studies majors; 3) How does participation in Chicana/o Studies impact Chicanas/os’ perceptions of African-Americans? This research was, in part, conducted in an attempt to explore the idea of Chicana/o Studies serving as a medium for improving relations between Chicanas/os and African-Americans. Six recent Chicana/o Studies graduates were interviewed to explore how Chicana/o Studies impacted their Racial Identity xi # Development. Results suggest a positive relationship between Chicana/o Studies and Chicanas/os’ perceptions of African-Americans. Furthermore, the findings suggest that students who completed their Bachelor of Art’s in Chicana/o Studies also showed a positive relationship with their own individual Racial Identity Development. Suggestions for future research are presented at the end of this study. xii # Chapter 1 Introduction Problem Statement Black and Brown students are denied access to an education that teaches them their inherent dignity and hence know how beautiful they are. They are denied the necessary tools to understand and deconstruct racism in their lives, and they are not in an environment that fosters a healthy racial identity. The result can be feelings of shame, guilt, hate, and sometimes, even violence. Too often, throughout my childhood other Chicanas/os and used the term nigger around me in reference to African-Americans. They assumed it would not bother me because, well, it must not have bothered any other Chicanas/os they used it around. For a while, the word did not bother me. In fact, for a part of my adolescent years, I also used the word as a term of endearment with my friends. How I used the word did not justify its usage. Later, as an educator at a Middle/High Non-Public School, my young Chicana/o students continue to call African-American students niggers. They use the word in a negative and hateful context. They call young African-American students this word because racism is so undeniably existent in all facets of public life of the United States, including education. Young Chicanas/os are left with almost no option but to grow up learning to hate the color of their own skin and any skin that is darker than theirs (often African-Americans). 1 As a Los Angeles born and raised individual, I grew up thinking of myself as a part of an international and multicultural community within a much broader Los Angeles. The rich abundance of diversity in Los Angeles has influenced my personal experiences in and outside of school. However, my earliest vivid memory of diversity is a traumatic one; nonetheless, it is one worth explaining in order to contextualize my passion for understanding and embracing diversity. For my entire four years as a student at Inglewood High School from 1997 to 2001, there were annual race riots between Black and Brown students. Every May 5th, the racial tension in my school reached a level that ended in fighting and police intervention. This memory continues with me today as a constant reminder of the importance that respecting and critically understanding diversity has within an educational environment. I could speak volumes about personal instances where racist comments were made towards African-American in front of me. However, what is more important is how I was able to overcome my internalized racism and understand the importance for Chicanas/os to challenge a colonial mentality. Students of color are systematically denied the opportunity to engage with and experience a curriculum that reflects their histories and styles of learning. Furthermore, the educational system that is currently in place habitually ignores social justice issues. The traditional liberal approach to education in the United States has promoted a pedagogy that does not encourage students to use the classroom as a space to resolve or improve societal issues. Chicana/o Studies and all Ethnic Studies were intended to change this. Acuña writes, “The role of Chicana/o Studies is to organize and systemize 2 the knowledge of people of Mexican descent, as well as to serve as a pedagogical tool to educate and motivate the massive numbers of Mexican Americans and Latinas/os in the United States” (xxi).
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