SCOR Meeting Minutes

10 March 2006

Welcome to Trotter House!

5:36

Lydia Middleton, MESA Program Coordinator, introduces herself and reminds the group that the next Nourish lunch series event is Thursday the 16^th of March.  Lydia discusses additional MESA programming, and reminds the membership that our own Brighid Dwyer is a graduate assistant for MESA. Lydia and Brighid are happy to answer any questions folks might have about MESA.  Informs the membership that Trotter House has an opening for a live-in resident for the 2006/2007 year.  Free room and board!

-Menna leads the Q&A icebreaker for the AABC/Latin@ presentation.

5:46

Hugo Shi, Political Action Chair, informs the general body that next SSAA (Students Supporting Affirmative Action) is holding a call to action on Wednesday the 15^th of March to discuss the so called Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI), a ballot proposal that will end Affirmative Action in employment and education throughout Michigan.  SSAA is currently holding educational sessions in classrooms.  GSI’s can get out of teaching for a week, so be sure to take advantage of this opportunity!  Flyer for the call going around the room now.

5:51

Sanjaya Thakur, Scholarship Chair, discusses the upcoming SCOR scholarship.  An incoming freshman of color from a local area high school is eligible to receive a $500 award.  See newsletter for details, and feel free to encourage interested (and eligible) candidates to apply.  We could also use some folks to read applications, so contact Sanjaya if interested.

5:52

Devin Horton, Social Chair: Tonight we’re at Babs from 9 to midnight.  We are also hosting an Arab American Museum trip to Dearborn on the 18^th.  Please come out for this event.  RSG has free bowling night on the 17^th (St Paddy’s Day), and a party at the Holiday Inn on the 24^th (Brian is spinning).  On April 8^th we will be holding the SCORmal, our semi-formal dance, here in Trotter.  SCORoake will be held on the 7^th as part of the Taste of SCOR.

5:56

Sharon informs the group that SCOR elections are on, as of now.  Nominations due by Monday the 20^th.  The meeting agenda contains a list of positions, and the newsletter has position descriptions.  Voting will take place at the end of the month. 

6:00

Sarah Jackson reminds the group that we’re trying to finish the cookbook.  We’ve only got about 10 recipes so lets get on it people.

6:02

-Latin@ Caucus is doing a survey to gather opinion on the future direction of the caucus.  Desi’s planning to bring Aida Hurtado (from UC Santa Cruz) to UM for a talk.  Interested students may want to meet with her.  Flyer in the back of the room.

-APIA is holding a meeting next week.  APIA heritage month ongoing, with a variety of events being put on by MESA.  Also, the Asian American Scholars conference, hosted by the Asian American Psychology students, covers a variety of topics and events of interest to Asian Americans.

-AABC: Page 5 on the newsletter summarizes recent AABC events.  The AIDS Awareness event and the Robeson screening were both very successful, and we thank folks for coming out.  On April 13/14, a “Future of Black Studies” conference will be put on by CAAS, which is celebrating its 35the anniversary.  Wide range of speakers will be presenting.  Stay tuned for details via email.

6:12

Let’s eat!

6:35

Latin@/AABC joint Caucus Presentation

-What do we share? Images of a common struggle

            -A struggle for equality

            -Civil rights/Immigration rights/Labor rights – unique threads to a common cause

            -History of Violence against our people.

-The Hard truth: Sources of debate/tension

            -Latino population has soared, due to immigration and high fertility

            -Debate over jobs and immigration. Fears of competition.

-yet many Latinos work low paying jobs in hideous (often illegal) labor conditions.  Some of these jobs have few takers beyond the Latino community.

-Bilingual Education.  Though clearly important to Latinos, some consider it to be a drain on already limited resources.

-Political Power and representation issues.

-We’re all going through a period of adjustment, one that will often be painful.

-Consider the current lack (and dwindling) representation of Latinos in SCOR.

-The slave trade and the development of Afro-Latino communities.

-Mexico: often a lack of awareness of major African influence, not just in the demographics but in popular culture (food, music, etc).  Many (falsely) identify or are identified as Native Indian. As a result, a lot of African history has been obscured from common Mexican thinking, a form of racial denial.

-Some Caribbean countries have a less obscure history.

-Cuba is 30% black, and has a high share of what multiracials.

-The Dominican Republic is 2/3 to 84% black/mulatto. 

-Estimates from Puerto Rico range from 8%(officially) to about 1/3(realistically).  Panama has long history of African settlement (estimates from 14 to 20%).

-Important to remember, however, than many countries do not conform to American definitional norms.  Many who might be identified as “black” in the states do not identify as such in Latin American countries.  Alas, this does not mean that the U.S. legacy of discrimination against darker skinned citizens is not practiced by our Latin American neighbors.

-That said, race in Latin America is different than here.  African relationships with colonizing Spanish and Portuguese was different than with U.S.colonizers. As a result, miscegenation did not carry the same social taboo in Latin America as it does in the states.  In Brazil, e.g., almost all will acknowledge their African roots.  Though countries nonetheless have launched historical campaigns to Europeanize their populations, in hopes of diluting the African/Indian ancestry. 

7:09

-Announcements

Lloyd wants to invite everyone out for the TASTE on April 7th!  It’s our last meeting of the year, and has annually been the best meeting.  Other planned activities include SCOR karaoke (scaryaoke, for those of you who have attended in the past).  In addition, Rackham is sponsoring the meeting, concurrent with grad student appreciate day, so be sure to get the word out, and bring friends!

-Brighid wants to encourage folks to run for SCOR eboard, and to nominate friends.  Our organization is only as strong as its leadership, so please consider playing a role.  

-Ben Royal, from the Defend Affirmative Action Party, is running for a Rackham seat, and would like to encourage the membership to vote. 

-Ayesha and Dumi are hosting an Advanced Candidacy Workshop.  It’s an Honest conversation about what it means to finish, and how to get there.  Focus will be on the no man’s land that many confront after advancing to candidacy.  Any current candidates are encouraged to attend.  March 27^th, 6-9, location tba (No faculty will attend, so it will be a safe space). Contact Dumi (lewisrl@umich.edu) for details.

Good news!  Lloyd is outstanding GSI of the year, and  PISSED OFF won MSA program of the year.