With the 2023 elections for Associated Students Inc. having determined next year’s board of directors, Daisy Alamillo is ready to create more leaders for ASI. Alamillo, the current vice president, looks forward to the upcoming year.
According to Alamillo, she has been with ASI for three years but has devotedly advocated for students since she was in high school.
“Our goal really is to be that official voice for the students and uplift their concerns,” said Alamillo.
Alamillo is looking forward to reviving ASI in the upcoming school year.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, students had little interaction with each other and student organizations.
Having come out of that, Alamillo hopes to bring ASI back to life.
“Our advocacy will be for how to have students on campus,” said Alamillo.
Alamillo has already taken notice of concerns she plans to advocate for on campus, such as having more cultural centers on campus and better resources available to students.
Another concern Alamillo has noticed is the lack of initiative from Facilities. Recently, the fumigation of the squirrels on campus has resulted in many student
FACULTY ADVISOR
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voices to gather together in protest.
“Students see the need for Facilities to be transparent,” said Alamillo.
Alamillo believes Facilities should be “ensuring students’ rights to be protected.”
Alamillo is determined to advocate for students and teach more to be better student leaders.
According to a 2023 article by The Runner, the newly elected board are collectively concerned with advocating for student voices.
The incoming ASI board also share a coming goal to ensure the needs of all students and work to create better student leaders.
The 2023-24 ASI Board of Directors will be also be lead by gnasio Castillo as executive vice president, Alejandro Romero as the vice president of campus life, Taylor Thomas as vice president of legislative affairs, and Larry Gonzales as vice president of university affairs.
There was a runoff election to determine the vice president of finance between Kayla Medina, current ASI director of outreach and Coby Nguyen, current ASI chair, on April 12. Medina won the election with 55% of the votes while Nguyen took 45%.
“Without student opinions, we’re only a board of 26 when we are really 9,000,” said Alamillo.
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The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA, was put into effect by legislation more than ten years ago. Since then, it hasn't lived up to its potential due to numerous court districts threatening to end the program. DACA has stopped accepting new applicants which has led to many people being concerned about the program's future.
DACA is a program that was implemented by the Obama Administration in 2012. It provides undocumented immigrants with a two-year renewal work authorization and protection from deportation, according to Mariela Gomez the Coordinator for the Dreamers Resource Center at California State University, Bakersfield.
Luis, who requested to be anonymous, is a current DACA recipient, who was able to take advantage of the program by receiving assistance in finding stable work and funding for his college education.
Luis was born in México in Zacapu, Michoacán. He was only one year old when his parents brought him to the United States in search of a better life.
Luis is one of the 600,000 DACA recipients that were brought to the United States by their parents, according to the National Immigration Forum.
According to Luis, if it wasn’t for DACA, it would have been very discouraging for him to complete his college degree because without having a proper work permit, he would have had problems finding employment after college. He graduated from CSUB with a bachelor's degree in business administration
“For me personally, [receiving my degree] definitely gave me a prior
background in certain areas of management and business to where I could then apply those skills into the workforce,” Luis said.
After college, Luis was able to find a job as a manufacturing operator at a drainage system company where he is responsible for overseeing the products and making sure they are ready for customers to purchase the materials. He stated that the skills he gained from his college years helped him collaborate with numerous employees to make business decisions for the company to make the products accessible.
According to Luis’s mom, she feels very happy and grateful that he was able to finally earn his degree and to receive a job where he can be financially stable. Due to her immigration status, Luis’s mother chose to maintain her
anonymity.
Luis’s mom also shared her thoughts on her son being able to apply for DACA.
“Es una ventaja que tiene su DACA porque así no se siente muy ilegal y tan desprotegido / It’s an advantage that he has his DACA because that way he does not feel so illegal and unprotected” she said.
DACA recipients also have the opportunity to fill out the California Dream Act Application also known as CADDA, which helps undocumented students to request state financial help to pay for their tuition.
However, because DACA recipients are only able to receive financial aid from the state, they receive less money compared to students who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is because students who
receive FAFSA are awarded with state and federal aid, according to Gomez.
Luis stated that while he was going to college, he was able to receive financial aid. However, he was only granted $600 per semester. Because he was not able to pay for the rest of his tuition, Luis worked at Vallarta Supermarket during his time at college.
Gomez mentioned that it also depends on people’s family income, financial needs, and on how many units a student is taking per semester in order to see how much a student will be awarded financial aid.
Despite the benefits that come from the DACA program, there have been some challenges that have been implemented towards the program.
In October 2022, the Texas District Court ruled that the U.S
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will no longer process requests for new DACA applications and will only accept DACA renewals from current eligible recipients, according to the National Immigration Law Center.
Luis feels very grateful that he still gets the chance to renew his application. He makes an effort to take advantage of the different sacrifices that his parents made in relocating to America to provide him with a better life by completing his education and finding a stable job.
In October 2022, the Fifth Circuit Court house ruled DACA as unlawful. Due to this ruling, it’s uncertain whether the program will continue in the near future.
When asked what he would do if the program ended, Luis is unsure. If they do, he would need to find work under a different name or work with a different Social Security Number. He would also consider returning to México and moving to a city where he could find a job with his degree.
Despite the possible ending to the program, on February 9, 2023 senators Linsey Graham and Dick Durbin proposed a possible bill called the Dream Act 2023. The bill will provide young undocumented immigrants a pathway to legal residence. They will be able to lawfully work in the United States and travel abroad without worrying about the possibility of not returning, according to the National Immigration Forum.
To read the full article, visit therunneronline.com.
The student housing shortage has reached California State University, Bakersfield, with with multiple accounts of students sleeping inside of their vehicles on campus.
Concerns over housing insecurity at CSUB were frequently brought up during the Chancellor Search Open Forum on Feb. 8, 2023, where students, faculty and members of student leadership had the opportunity to bring attention to critical issues within the university campus.
During this event, it was brought to Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester that some students at CSUB are unhoused due to the lack of housing resources. With no support system to lend assistance, some of these students are even living in their own vehichles.
Marty Williamson, the chief of police for the University Police Department, said that students sleeping in their cars was not a criminal issue.
In the event that a student is found sleeping in their car, they would be directed to one of the support teams on campus, such as the Caring Advocates Responsive Engagement Program, according to Williamson.
Williamson said the CARE program takes a “multi-disciplinary approach providing the students with the resources to be successful.”
Jada Cantrell, CARE case manager, informed that there are no exact statistics of how many students are sleeping in their cars.
“Particularly over break times like holiday breaks, so winter break for example, and times when campus is closed, that’s when you see that a little bit more,” said Cantrell.
Jason Watkins, the director of basic needs and a psychology professor, echoed Cantrell.
“What we do know is that in a system-wide study approximately 10% of our students are either homeless or at risk of homelessness,” said Watkins.
Maria Espinoza, executive vice president of Associated Students Inc., said she attended the Chancellor Open Forum and heard these concerns as well.
Espinoza said she learned more about
food and housing insecurity through ambassador training given by Watkins.
Espinoza desires to see student’s needs being met.
“I would like to see more sponsorships within the community, more collaborations, to see if there are more programs we can get students in,” said Espinoza.
Cantrell defined the CARE Program as a wrap-around care service.
“Usually, when a student is experiencing a concern of any kind, it is usually nuanced and layered. Sometimes there’s more than one thing happening at a time,” said Cantrell.
Cantrell explained how CARE works with other programs on campus to assist students with more than one central issue.
“Addressing student housing and homelessness is at the forefront of the chancellor’s office,” said Watkins.
With advocation for more basic needs funding, the legislature provided money to the chancellor’s office, which was distributed to the individual campuses. Up until two years ago, there was no budget for basic needs.
“Beginning in the fall of 2022 into 2023, funding was provided to campuses to address housing solutions for students on and off campus,” said Watkins.
Watkins explained that since the Chancellor Open Forum, nothing has come from that. However, there are things already happening that students are often unaware of.
The CARE team is currently discussing new ways to help students facing housing instability.
“Some students are either not eligible or not a good fit for student housing,” said Cantrell. According to Cantrell, students not eligible for housing are those with children or pets.
“One of the things we’ve discussed was hotel stays…if the student needs just a short amount of time to get back on their feet,” said Cantrell.
Also mentioned in the Chancellor Forum, 30-day emergency housing is still available to students as well.
“First and foremost, we check in with the student and see what their needs are,” said Watkins. “Once they move in, they have 30 days at no charge, and they get a small meal plan with that and throughout that time, Jada, our case manager, is working with them to see if they want to be a full-time resident or to look at other solutions.”
Watkins said they are actively spreading information about student resources in the community through email and social media.
Religious studies and psychology major Madelyn Gaines is the recipient of the Outstanding Undergraduate Award for religious studies. This came with much hard work since Fall 2019, which is when Gaines started college.
Gaines is interested in the study of different religions. Growing up, she wasn’t raised in a religious household. Gaines found herself to be more spiritual and believing in a higher power.
“I say I’m lucky because I didn’t grow up in a religious household. So, I had a neutral and unbiased opinion on religion,” said Gaines.
Gaines, who originally wanted to major in biology and pursue medical school, quickly switched to psychology. After being advised by Associate Professor Steve CampagnaPinto to take a religious studies course, she eventually made it her major as well.
Gains chose psychology and religious studies because of the connection that the subjects had on a mental level. Throughout the courses she took, she said she learned that most major religions advocate for the same things, such as equality, freedom and peace.
“I really found out that psychology and religious studies are connected on so many levels. I’m really interested in understanding how religion specifically plays a role in social thinking and behavior, then also individually and on a social level,” said Gaines.
Gaines’ four years at California State University, Bakersfield have been nothing but great with the staff, students and faculty. There have been multiple opportunities that she said she has taken to further her education. Last summer, Gaines went to Paris for 10 days on a Beaver Scholarship, and
Vanessa Beltrán, a student who enjoys the macabre, and isn’t afraid to touch the risque or be antitraditional with her plays, has won the Outstanding Undergraduate Award in Theatre at California State University, Bakersfield.
Beltrán described her time obtaining her degree as hard but satisfying. She has learned and experienced many opportunities she feels wouldn’t have existed if she went to a larger university.
before going, she took a French class. Gaines said that she really appreciated the experience.
Now, she has a job opportunity to travel to Morocco after graduation.
“Steve Campagna-Pinto encouraged me to apply for the Peace Corps and I did so now. I’m actually going to Morocco for two years after I graduate to work in youth development,” said Gaines.
Now that the semester is coming to an end, looking back, Gaines’ said that her biggest accomplishment is “just who I have become as a person through my college education.”
Gaines said that getting involved and finding what she wants to do early on was beneficial to her during college.
Gaines said that receiving this award makes her feel humble but also grateful that she was chosen among so many other amazing students. The next two years of her life will be full of learning opportunities when leaving the country to teach in Morocco.
“Don’t be afraid to be yourself and put yourself out there,” said Gaines
“I didn’t get into it [theatre] until I was older, but I always liked reading books and writing. When I discovered you can make that into a real-life thing being on a stage, I knew that’s what I would want to be doing for the rest of my life,” said Beltrán.
Theater Professor Mendy McMasters said Beltrán was one of the hardest-working students she’s ever had.
“Vanessa was my actor in our Spring 2022 production of Shakespeare Unmasked. She was my student in an audition for the theatre class, and I was her mentor for the Student Research Scholarship Creative Activity. During each of those projects, I have found her to be one of the most hardworking, and driven students I have ever had,” said McMasters.
Beltrán doesn’t consider herself an actor, but a playwright and arts manager. She is currently a student research scholar, which has given her the opportunity to write a full-length play that won her an award in the campus-wide competition. Beltrán will compete in the California State University state-wide competition, where she will present her play titled, “When I Was Your Age.”
“It’s a love letter to my community focused on breaking the generational trauma cycle in first-generation families. We’re all passing down some form of generational trauma, and this story, in particular, does deal with a first-generation family in a household where there is the children, parents and grandparents and how each group deals with issues like machismo, mental illness and substance abuse,” said Beltrán.
Beltrán feels extremely grateful for being chosen as the recipient of this award, and described the feeling as “surreal.”
Beltrán plans to continue her education by obtaining her master’s in playwriting, and her Ph.D. in theatre to be an educator at the collegiate level. Beltrán also hopes to become a playwright and continue to bring the anticonventional in a society that she explained is commercialized.
Thinking critically and diving deep into analysis has become a joyous study for Nicholas Torres, the Outstanding Undergraduate for Philosophy at California State University, Bakersfield.
Torres said that his time in the program has been amazing, and he really enjoyed how small the department was.
The size allowed for more one-onone time with faculty that cultivated a supportive and personal environment.
“I took race, class, gender, and sexuality with Dr. Palaiologou and I just enjoyed the conversations that we had, along with the dialogue back and forth between students. I also like all the different avenues you can take as a philosophy major,” said Torres.
Nate Olson, assistant professor of philosophy, described Torres as impressive and dedicated.
“I really saw this skill when I coached Nicholas on the CSUB Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl team in the fall of 2020. Both during class and when we competed against other universities at the California Regional Ethics Bowl, Nicholas effectively defended our team’s positions and was charitable and positive in his questions of other teams,” said Olson.
Torres said his time at CSUB was challenging, being a double major in philosophy and psychology. It took him much effort to formulate concepts for his classes.
However, it’s also what he enjoys most about the program.
“I didn’t think it would be me. I didn’t expect to win the award, but I’m very excited and it feels great to be recognized by different faculty members who I wanted to show I really
wanted to be involved in the program,” said Torres.
Torres said that winning the award has been a big accomplishment, and that he appreciates the courses he’s taken, having earned A’s and B’s in classes that have allowed him to dive into different areas of philosophy.
Torres said that, to students who plan to pursue philosophy, any feeling of misinterpretation is okay, and so is feeling lost.
He also said it is important to reach out to professors for clarification, as the topics can be very abstract and complicated.
Torres said that students shouldn’t be afraid to explore the different philosophical concepts and find something they really love.
Torres plans to take a gap year and pursue a graduate program soon after.
Torres would like to become a philosophy professor or lecturer that will emphasize the importance of ethics and applied theories in environmental and biological philosophy.
By Autumn Layton Features EditorMom, dad, uncle, and both sisters all have their bachelors degree from California State University, Bakersfield. Now, it’s Music’s Outstanding Graduate Award recipient Samuel Devin McGee’s turn to add to the family of ‘Runner alumni.
With a family full of teachers, McGee wanted to follow in their footsteps. So, at the beginning of college, he majored in music education. That soon changed to just music, along with economics.
“As much as I enjoy teaching, that’s not what I want to do for a career. Then, later, I stumbled into economics and fell in love with that, too. I decided to be a music major because I wanted to be able to appreciate music at a higher level and be able to understand the complexities and be able to compare and contrast different styles of music in a way that is thoughtful,” said McGee.
McGee said the music program at CSUB has been nothing but helpful and caring towards him. He started singing at CSUB two years before attending the school. The journey has been an eyeopening experience for McGee.
“The music faculty is very intentional with the students and I think one of the benefits of the CSUB music program is you get a lot of individual time with professors where they can pour into you as a student,” said McGee.
Associate professor Angel VazquezRamos had the greatest impact on McGee. They’ve known each other since McGee was in high school and their college relationship has grown even stronger throughout the years.
“He just took me underneath his wing and he has done a lot to pour into me and give me so many opportunities,” said Mcgee.
McGee says his biggest accomplishment at CSUB is his final
music project for his senior seminar class. He is a Tenor 1, and decided to do a 45-minute recital singing multiple songs in German, Italian, English and French. McGee invited family and friends to watch him perform. He expressed his gratitude for the love and support he was shown throughout the process.
McGee’s involvement helped him build connections throughout the university. He tutored music theory for two years and music history for one year. Now, McGee has an internship with the oil and gas corporation Truitt. He helps them with accounting and database building.
McGee said that he didn’t know the Outstanding Undergraduate Award existed until last spring, when his friend received it.
“It feels rewarding to be recognized for the hard work. I have put in a lot of time and sacrificed a lot and those experiences have been valuable,” said McGee.
McGee hopes all continues to go well with his internship and that it opens up more opportunities.
“When the opportunity arises, jump on it. Be looking for the next thing that propels you forward,” said McGee.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is in May, but California State University, Bakersfield decided to celebrate early with an important panel discussion to explore the diverse experiences of the different Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
The panel discussion was on April 19, 2023, in the Student Union MultiPurpose Room at 12:00 p.m. Upon arrival, lunch was provided and Panda Express was on the menu, along with water.
Before the discussion began, Asian Faculty and Staff Network CoChair Aaron Wan gave an amazing introduction to the event.
Then followed International Student Center Director Sonia Siva, who introduced herself and then allowed the panelists to provide background about themselves.
The six panelists were of different ethnic backgrounds, including Samoan, Taiwanese, Mexican, Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern. Some were from CSUB while others were from the broader Bakersfield community.
Each of the panelists’ experiences were different, and they each answered questions with much depth. They were asked about important traditions, advice to give other international students, childhood experiences and social justice
issues.
“The Stop Anti-Asian American Hate helped bring attention to the issues in the community,” said Nina Ha, a member of the Bakersfield Chinese Women’s Club.
The panelists shared that the different crimes that occurred in the Asian community affected and hurt them.
Dr. Patrick Leung, a Bakersfield physician, shared his experience with visiting the Bay Area and wondering why all the Chinese shops closed early. This was due to the community vandalizing and stealing from Chinese
restaurants and shops. The reason for all the hate was that they preyed on the most vulnerable community.
“The Chinese not fighting back, but the Koreans will,” said Dr. Leung. By not fighting back, the Chinese community became a target, which caused them financial loss when closing businesses early.
Each panelist agreed that cultural traditions, including food, family, and dances are what’s the most important to carry on throughout generations.
CSUB junior Wefaq Alshami, who is Yemen and Middle Eastern, shared her
family’s experience with Ramadan.
“At the end of the month they celebrate with a party, we don’t focus on individualism, we do things as a collective.” said Alshami.
Taking pride in your background and culture is also important when coming to a foreign place.
Each panelist shared that showing up and speaking is the only way for them to be heard and bring change to the different Asian communities.
Sarah O’Leary, studio arts major and anthropology minor, celebrated their graduation milestone by decorating a Princess Daisy-inspired graduation cap.
O’Leary said the character Princess Daisy has always been important to them because their two daughters love Princesses Peach and Rosalina from the Mario Series.
“I wanted to make sure I had, ‘I’m the winner!’ somewhere in there because that’s engraved, also, in my engagement ring,” said O’Leary.
O’Leary said Princess Daisy also says this phrase when she hits a milestone.
O’Leary is also a graphic designer and artist. After graduation, they plan to improve their portfolio and work on applying to a Master’s program.
According to the California State University, Bakersfield website, graduates may decorate their caps as long at they remain respectful.
For more information about Spring 2023 Commencement, visit https://www.csub.edu/commencement/
Contact
Rafael Guevara- Computer Science Major
“It’s my first year here. I’m a freshman. It’s amazing, I learn new things, I meet new people. The feeling of being in person is so amazing.”
“I feel better than I did on Zoom because it is a lot easier to concentrate. I feel like if you need help from any other professors, they’re easier to access.”
“I would definitely say it’s a drastic change, but it’s a good drastic change.”
“It feels better. It’s easier to connect with my classmates and teachers.”
“As a freshman, you don’t really know what to expect, but it was alright. It was pretty awesome. I did kind of feel like the spirit was kind of dead. I have a lot of older siblings and cousins who have gone here. They said it was more spirited and now it just died down and everyone is to themselves.”
“It’s really amazing. All of the instructors are really good to me. I’m an overseas student and everyone knows that English is my second language and so they really help me a lot.”
Jennifer Vandever- Philosophy and Psychology Major
“It feels, honestly, really good. I’m really happy how CSUB has regulated the procedures to keep most people safe. I like that in this campus, most of the time, people do follow the procedures, and it’s just been really fun getting to interact with people sociably again and getting to go to the events and just having a fun time at school besides just studying.”
“My department, we’ve been back for a little while. We didn’t take too much time off because a lot of our labs are hands-on. Having more people back feels more normal, higher energy and more enjoyable working here seeing more students and more things going on.”
Why is it that I don’t feel like graduating and getting my degree is a big deal? I should feel proud and excited to be a first-generation Mexican woman receiving her bachelor’s degree, but instead, I feel nothing.
Is it because going to school is all I’ve known since I was 5 years old and don’t see finishing as the huge accomplishment everyone makes it out to be?
For most, when we graduate high school, we go straight to college because it’s the lifestyle that is promoted to us all throughout our years at high school. There hasn’t been a time where I thought and felt that I had the option to do anything else.
Is it because there is some sort of burnout that I don’t even realize I’m experiencing? All of my days consist of going to school, driving 30 minutes home, changing into my work clothes and then driving straight to work.
In a research article about burnout, faculty of Psychology and Education Science at Transilvania University of Braşov found that there is higher potential for burnout and depression in students who have jobs because they are juggling the demands of work and school. The effects are more prevalent in students who work 20 hours or more per week.
I haven’t necessarily felt stressed –up until the past month – but I do feel it is extremely repetitive: It doesn’t give me any time to do the things I want to do, like stay at home all day without worrying about when the next assignment is due or what time I have to be at work.
I don’t feel that my situation is severe
enough for it to even be considered exhaustion or, let alone, burnout.
Could it be the lack of support from the people in my life? It’s not that the people in my life don’t support me or are against me going to school, but it seems like they don’t care.
My parents don’t know anything about my academic career, not even what my major is. All my parents know is that I’m going to school and spend all my time either there or at work.
I feel like I have been on this entire journey on my own and even though it had no impact in the moment, my
thoughts are spiraling as I write this.
“I did have a support system through tough times. It was my friends. Their support meant a lot to me since we were going through the same situation,” said upcoming graduate Yosemiri Valenzuela who’s majoring in human development, and child, adolescent, and family studies.
It doesn’t feel fair to say that my family doesn’t care because I’m sure they do, it just may be hard for them to relate to my experience.
A fellow graduate in my senior seminar class is doing their final project
on students who are first-generation graduates that experience imposter syndrome, and it made me think: Is this why I don’t feel like I’m accomplishing anything major?
In the article “CSULB’s firstgeneration students overcome ‘imposter syndrome,’” first-year graduate student Cristy Tran said that the biggest struggle she faced was the disconnect between the differing experiences her and her family had.
As a first-generation student, I have no reference to what going to college and getting my degree should look like. Neither of my parents went to high school due to lack of resources in Mexico, while my older sister dropped out after a semester.
No one in my household knows what it is like to be a university student. They also don’t know what it is like to be a full-time student who is working 5-6 days of the week.
Maybe they all play a factor into why I don’t feel like I’m completing a major milestone in my life, but feeling this way is making me have a sort of existential crisis days before graduation.
I, at no point, felt like getting my degree was pointless. I just simply don’t see it as a monumental achievement.
To me, it feels like it’s a part of living and something we have to do. The only thing I am certain of is that I love communications, and everything related to communication studies. I may not find personal value in my degree, but I truly value everything I’ve learned about the communications field.
The Jewish community is far more diverse than many people realize. When most non-Jews think of what a Jewish person looks like, the default answer seems to be a person of European descent, with a last name like Cohen or Goldberg.
This is often an Ashkenazi Jew, who, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, is a “member of the Jews who lived in the Rhineland valley and in neighboring France before their migration eastward to Slavic lands (e.g., Poland, Lithuania, Russia) after the Crusades (11th–13th century) and their descendants.”
In films such as “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” “Jojo Rabbit,” and “Everything is Illuminated,” the main Jewish character fits this vision and is an Ashkenazi Jew. While those movies are great in their own right, it brings up an important recurring issue within the Jewish community: Ashkenormativity.
Ashkenormativity, according to the Jewish English Lexicon, is the act of “assuming that all Jews are Ashkenazi, not considering Jews with other backgrounds.”
Ashkenazim have had a fair share of grueling trials in the past, especially since Ashkenazi Jews in Europe were the main target of the Holocaust in 1941. The Ashkenazim continue to face antisemitism, prejudice or discrimination against Jews, but they don’t face this hardship alone.
Other Jewish communities also have to overcome discrimination, in addition to being left out of Jewish conversations,
and their stories deserve to be told, too.
Matt Bernstein is an example of a great Jewish American and LGBTQIA+ activist. However, my main criticism of both him and other American Ashkenazi figures is that they don’t really acknowledge Jews who are nonAshkenazi and or live outside of the United States.
I am an Ashkenazi and Mizrahi Jewish mixed person. Mizrahi Jews are descendants of Jewish people who settled in the Middle East, but many people don’t even know that our ethnic group exists.
My identity is often overlooked because I do not have a stereotypical
Ashkenazi last name. The name that our Jewish family has always carried, Soren, is of Persian origin.
Besides Mizrahi, other forgotten Jewish ethnic groups include, but are not limited to: Sephardic Jews, Ethiopian Jews, Mountain Jews, Kaifeng Jews, Bukharan Jews, Georgian Jews and Indian Jews.
“As an Ethiopian Jew living in America, it can be frustrating having to constantly feel like your identity is under suspicion by not only other Jews but also people who have absolutely no knowledge of Jews or Judaism… For a lot of people, the idea of ‘Jew’ equals ‘white,’ and that leads to a range
of annoying to downright insulting encounters while navigating the spaces where we should feel we belong,” said Isaac Ofori-Solomon of Hey Alma in an opinion piece.
There is also giyur--a process allowing any person, regardless of color, to convert to the Jewish faith. This is usually done at a synagogue in accordance with a rabbi.
The Jewish convert agrees to study and observe the Torah before performing mikveh, which is the act of being immersed in purified water for transformation. Afterwards, the convert earns the Shtar geirut, or the certificate of conversion.
Additionally, Jewish people of color are, unfortunately, no strangers to racism from their own community, whether they are converts or ethnic Jews.
According to the Religion News Service, “A groundbreaking study of the experiences of more than 1,100 American Jews of color finds many feel a strong sense of belonging to the larger white Jewish establishment but 80% said they have also suffered discrimination or racism in Jewish settings.”
The Jewish identity is fluid. There is not a certain physical appearance that makes a person Jewish. Whether someone is an ethnic Jew of color or a Jew of color via conversion, they are valid. Every Jewish story, Ashkenazi or not, deserves to be told.
Only together as one can we defeat antisemitism. It’s time to change our perspectives on the Jewish identity and break the stereotypes.
California State University, Bakersfield’s Sustainability Committee dedicated a week to learning about climate action and sustainability. From the Low-Footprint Lifestyle Fair to serving their own backyard at the Kern River Service Project, the week was filled with educating the CSUB community.
