Course Description and Goals:
This course took place in a moment marked by the ongoing criminalization of migrants and refugees at the US-Mexico border and structural violence impacting Black and brown communities. In the San Diego neighborhood of City Heights, the cherished community space of United Women of East Africa on Fairmount Avenue closed and relocated due to gentrification. The class had the unique opportunity to put together its end-of-the-quarter project showcase and bring our community partners together to celebrate this space one last time. Throughout the course, students worked closely with their partner organizations to meet the needs of their communities, including providing after-school tutoring and college prep workshops, corresponding through letters with detainees at Otay Mesa Detention Center, staging conversations about mental health in the Filipino community, and amplifying the role of community leaders of the Refugee Health Unit. By the end of the course, students conducted oral histories with community members and contributed projects that highlighted their collaborations.
Community Partners for Spring 2019:
- Barrio Logan College Institute
- Detainee Allies
- Filipino American National Historical Society – Greater San Diego Chapter
- United Women of East Africa
- Refugee Health Unit – UC San Diego Center for Community Health
