from a 3rd year, women and gender studies + education majoring, first generation, queer chican@ student at UC Davis.

OPEN LETTER TO THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT AT UC DAVIS:

I want to acknowledge the dedication and work the students participating in the Occupy Movement at UC Davis have done in bringing awareness to current issues affecting higher education. But I also want to acknowledge other student activism at UC Davis, that which might not make national or international news. I want to acknowledge how we can critique how the occupation has been represented, as well as discuss issues of representation within the occupation.

Starting with the rhetoric of ‘occupation,’ its seen by problematic by many the way the Occupy Movement in general seems unaware of the discourse surrounding its own name. When we think of occupations, its important to be aware of how occupation is framed in the political, cultural, and social contexts. Aware of how third world lands and areas in the global south are occupied by First world, imperialist nations, how can we critically analyze what it means to Occupy UC Davis – and to occupy a land where there are more dead Indians buried underneath campus than Native American students attending. Almost, from the outright, the Occupy Movement seems to be exclusionary of certain groups. I’ve actually heard it said at the General Assemblies before that the Native American student community at Davis is too small a community to cater to.

As educated activists at this University, we should be particularly aware of how perpetuating marginalization curtails organizing movements and has historically resulted in more limitations than liberation. Furthermore, as students of the University of California – an institution that has made its reputation on excellence, accessibility, and diversity – we need to be aware of how the discourse we create in this cultural and historical moment will have consequences for generations of students to come. The history of Student Movement in California includes memories of free speech activism and high school and university walkouts from the sixties, all the way to the rallies and protests now, and we should make sure to contextualize the Occupy Movement at UC Davis.

The Occupy Movement at UC Davis is part of a history of student activism and student critique of the privatization and neoliberalization of the University, but the California Student Movement has been active for years. In Davis, the occupation of Mrak in the Fall of 2009, and in the marches seen throughout the UC system in the Spring of 2010, students have been highly active in education reform, as well as economic reform. At Davis, students from marginalized communities have been active in those actions as well, particularly on March 4th, when some questioned whether it was a protest or a pride parade.

This was also affected by how the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center was vandalized in the weeks leading up to those protests. Seeing the intersections of marginalization, community repression, and student activism, it’s interesting to note how, a week before the police violence at UC Davis, and the weekend before massive statewide actions are called in support of higher education, the 23rd Annual Student of Color Conference was held at UC Davis to much less less media coverage and mass representation. Furthermore, when racist vandalism occurs, and the UCD Police Department inadequately address students concerns at the conference, it seems to not require as much UCDPD reform as when it becomes apparent campus police don’t know how to appropriately address student protestors either, and receives much less attention.

If the Occupy Movement and the Student Movement are calling for the reform of the police department at Davis and across the UC’s, what would it mean, then, to take a holistic approach; an approach aware of how pepper spray at UC Davis is a specific representation of a systematic problem of militarization of communities, particularly low-income communities and communities of color. We should pay attention then, when our departments and faculty active in social justice organizing and community activism offer their expertise and suggestions, such as the appointment of immigration rights lawyers at the UCD King School of Law to the UCDPD investigation task force, or condemn the appointment of pro-militarization, former NYC police Chief Bill Bratton to the University of California Office of the President’s advisory committee for overall UCPD reform. The UC Davis Women and Gender Studies department, Chicano/Chicana Studies, and Asian American Studies have offered amazingly astute and educated analysis of how we can further education reform.

If we are to affect any lasting institutional and structural change, its important to be aware, then, and to be educated – on how organizing movements have worked, what hasn’t worked, and how we as a community can work together to build coalitions across difference, towards our common goals of educational equality and accessibility for all.
———————————————————————————————————————————-

amblingwritingspresentedForWMS70yIsabelPorras- graciasportodo <3