Cultura centroamericana

April 20, 2018

California State University, Northridge
Dean Elizabeth A. Say
Office of the Dean of Humanities
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8252

Open Letter to Dean Elizabeth Say:

This letter is in support from alumni and current students in regards to the Central American Studies (CAS) Department at CSUN. It is with deep concern and utmost attention that we express our vision for the future of the CAS Department and the role the Dean’s office has in fostering that vision.

We are living in a time where the department’s existence is more critical than ever to the Central American community at CSUN and beyond. Daily we are bombarded with xenophobic rhetoric and racist policies set forth by the federal government, and the need to cultivate safe spaces for underrepresented groups including students from Central American backgrounds has become increasingly vital for their social and political development. Since the 2016 election, we have witnessed the dismantling of Temporary Protected Status, the termination of DACA, and the criminalization of migrants from the Central American region. This government has emboldened racists and those who facilitate racist policies to come out of hiding and challenge our very existence. That same disdain has filtered into our CSU system under the guise of “streamlining” graduation requirements that will leave much needed programs destroyed in its wake.

The college of humanities stands out as one of the most well rounded and cutting-edge humanities departments in the country, centered in one of the largest Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) in the U.S. The CAS Department is the only of its kind in the country. Now a thriving department is under threat of being dismantled by precarious political tactics implemented by the institution and the College of Humanities pitting faculty against one another. We fear this is nothing more than a backdoor to dismantle the comparative cultural studies programs of which includes Central American Studies, Queer Studies, Women & Gender Studies, and other ethnic studies programs. This is clearly another version of Executive Order 1100 rearing its ugly head once again, particularly considering President Dianne F. Harrison’s recent announcement on April 19th to proceed with its implementation despite demands from students and the vote from the CSUN Faculty Senate to not put into effect.

As members of the Central American community at large, we have strong admiration and respect for our part-time and full-time faculty that have been with us for the last 18 years. The faculty of the CAS Department have become lifelong mentors, and we owe each of them an inordinate debt of gratitude for giving us and generations of students ahead a space in a sociopolitical climate that wishes to invalidate and silence our existence by erasing our history and culture. The department has also been a linchpin in helping us build our careers and connecting us to other Central Americans that feel displaced within the confines of a hegemonic power responsible for our being here in the first place. We have learned, through our education in the CAS Department, to identify the kinds of tactics that are currently provisioned by the institution as a coup d’état which gains power by way of a proxy. It does not bode well for the College of Humanities to usurp current leadership and put the responsibilities of the CAS Department in the hands of someone that is not connected to, or a part of, the Central American community or to our department. It is clear that the Dean’s Office is not on our side and will continue to drive a wedge between members of the CAS faculty.

Unfortunately, we have also seen attacks from others who are not or have not been part of our department for more than 15 years, who are speaking from privileged positions of power within private and research institutions or who hold personal agendas against the department. We have received criticism from people who have not been a part of the program’s growth. CAS has flourished from being a minor to a major which has given students the opportunity to earn a B.A. in Central American Studies. It is now a department that went from offering 5 courses which has increased to 29 and has graduated more than 160 students. It is not the same to criticize a space that you have not been a part of, from people who have not contributed to its development. The CAS Department works on a daily basis to serve an immigrant community that is highly vulnerable, that is undocumented, that is underrepresented, and that needs support. Those criticisms are only promoting division in our community and benefiting those in power who are attacking us. As alumni and current students, we call for support to protect our department and our professors who are working for us every day and who are involved in our community. We want to call for new professors to also get involved, to be present, to serve our students, and to choose unity.

That is why the CAS alumni and current students of Central American Studies are asking the professors to set their differences aside and work with us to ensure the continuation of this culturally significant department. Due process for individual investigations should not come at the cost of the broader student community whom they serve. We understand that there may be discord amongst staff but we must remember that this program was built on the foundation of community and solidarity. This foundation has become instilled in each and every one of us, as we have gone on to advocate for our community as lawyers, journalists, activists, educators, writers, leaders, and most importantly agents of change. We will not let this department become a footnote in Cal State Northridge’s history and you can rest assured that the alumni and current students will fight for its continued existence.

Regards,

The Alumni and Current Students of Central American Studies
California State University Northridge

Adrian Guerrero
Albert Giron
Amalia Zayas
Amy Ulloa
Ana Cecilia Rosas
Anais Gonzalez #sosnicaragua
Brandon Mejia
Cindy Monzon
Cindy Von Quednow
Daniel Saravia
Dannick Castaneda
Devora Gonzalez
Gricel Diaz
Jessica Hernandez
Jocelyn Duarte
Jonathan Zeledon
Jose Torres
Josseling Espinoza
Josué A. Guaján Orellana
Julia Morales
Julio Ramos-Beltran
Kelly De Leon
Kelly Landaverde
Luis Gallegos
Maria Rivera
Marlene Pantaleon
Martin Pineda
Daisy Beltran
Mirna Ventura Lopez
Nancy Perez
Nelson Jeovanni Lemus
Osvaldo Bladimir Ortiz
Pedro Noé
Raquel Flores
Rigo Diaz
Rita Orantes
Roberto Saravia
Rosa Maldonado
Rosee M. Condor
Sarah Ortiz
Shahrazad Maria Encinias
Stacey Arevalo
Stephanie Lemus
Vanessa Guerrero
Victoria Chavez
Zualyn Willis
Heidi Vega
Sarah Ortiz Águilar
Michelle Pacheco
David Solís
Mandy Tzoc
Brenda Moreno
Jose Díaz
Jessica Duran
Kevin Fernández
Osiris Barajas
Sergio de León
Luis Soto
Christopher Armas
Lupe Garcia
Karla Zapata
Olga Aguilar
Silvia Torres
Jennifer Herrera
Mercedes Aguilar
Moisés Linares
Sharon Vargas
Lilian Vasquez
Diana Rivera
Evelyn Guillén
Connie Bosson
Julio A. Cruz
Arturo Zepeda
Linda Menjivar
María Lemus
Lizbeth Ruiz-Torres
Jonathan B. Martinez
Jose Juan Bustamante
Brian Parada
Ricardo Urrutia Gamez
Arturo Elias
Jason Alvarado
Cathy Smith
Miriam Joya