Dear future student of HIUS 120/ETHN 120,

Well first off, congratulations on choosing a really fun and interesting class outside of the scope of most classes here at UCSD, certainly most History courses. Race and Oral History has been one of the most enlightening and eye opening courses I have yet to take at UCSD, and I am sure you will find it similarly engaging.

If you are a student who is either interested in pursuing an academic career, or a career based around service to marginalized communities this course is especially useful. Going outside of reading about systems of marginalization and oppression into the real world community work of assisting and uplifting folks doing the organizing, the service, the education has changed the way I think about History as a discipline and a practice, but also the way I think about the hard work of organizing and fighting for change. So if either of those paths interests you, this class is for you.

This class is also more than that. If you apply yourself to working with the community you choose, you can get a really enriching experience that teaches you lived experiences in ways one couldn’t ever get purely in the classroom.

For nuts and bolts advice, I would highly recommend planning your oral history interview out in advance, especially giving yourself a lot of time to write up the transcription doing a little bit each day in order to make the work less tedious. Also practicing a couple of times beforehand with the recorder is highly recommended, and make sure you watch the video provided explaining how to use the recorder.

Otherwise, enjoy the chance to meet tons of cool people doing good work and learn from them.