Alternative Spring Break

"The hands that feed us are often invisible hands, hands of people who work in the shadows of a multibillion-dollar industry without enjoying its rewards."
  "The Human Cost of Food"

The Central Valley of California is the world’s agricultural leader, producing more than half of the nation’s fruits and vegetables.  The care and harvest of these crops relies heavily upon the labor of migrant farm workers, most of whom are marginalized economically and socially.  The health of these individuals, who face unique environmental dangers and obstacles to health care, is especially precarious.

Through this course and trip we will explore some of the most pressing issues affecting migrant health in the Central Valley. We will look at barriers to accessing effective health care for migrant workers and their families. Learning directly from the experiences of farm workers, farm owners, and health care professionals and interacting closely with community activists, lobbyists, and non-profit groups, we will tangibly engage the many interrelated aspects of migrant health. This course and trip will  help to broaden our perspectives as we examine the many social and cultural factors that underlie the complexities of migrant health care. We will evaluate current efforts to alleviate existing challenges, thinking critically about their limitations and possible solutions. Understanding access to effective health care as a basic human right, we hope to promote positive change, however big or small, through our experiences.

Does being Asian mean being quiet and obedient? Eating rice and being good at math? Do these images even begin to capture the diversity that falls under the umbrella of "Asian"? Indian Americans, Vietnamese Americans, and Chinese Americans are all “Asian,” but what do they really have in common?  Is the term “Asian American” a paradox? Do “Asian” and “Asian American” mean the same thing? What place do Asians have in American society?

The main goal of this Alternative Spring Break is to create a framework by which we can critically process and confront the messages we see about Asian Americans, and project our analysis onto contemporary issues. The objective of the winter quarter directed reading course consists of three components. Firstly, we will explore the "Asian American" identity, discuss what it means to be Asian American today, and analyze our own identity formation together. Secondly, the class will look at pivotal events in Asian American history, from the immigration of various groups to the birth of the Asian American movement. Lastly, the class will see how we can apply these concepts regarding identity and historical oppression(s), onto a broad range of contemporary issues--from workers' and immigrant rights to racism, healthcare, LGBTQ intersectionality, education disparities, and more--affecting Asian Americans of all ages and backgrounds. On the spring break trip, we will learn about how different mediums of activism--art, community organizing, health services, and others--are used to reconcile such social, political, and economic inequalities. By exploring this spectrum of issues, students will be able to examine root causes as well as develop a deep sense of their connectedness and commonalities. Engaging in the diversity and ubiquity of the Asian American Movement, we will spend half of the trip in the Bay Area and the other half in Los Angeles and meet with individuals and organizations actively working within the community. By the end of the trip, students will understand the importance and value of integrating social justice and equality into their own lives.

The civil rights struggle isn't over. 1 in 3 Black and 1 in 6 Latino boys born in 2001 are at risk of imprisonment during their lifetime. Politicians have proposed (in the 21st century) to deny the right to vote to those who cannot afford to pay income tax (i.e. the poor and unemployed.) Quality of education is now determined by race and zip code.

The winter quarter class will examine some of the most pressing civil rights issues of our time: education, voting rights, mass incarceration, poverty, and the cradle to prison pipeline while also examining the Obama administration’s civil rights record. Students will be expected to look critically at the role of federal and state government in enforcing and protecting civil rights statutes, in addition to engaging with the question of whether we can depend on the state, a mass movement, or a combination of the two to bring about Dr. King’s dream and the promise of Obama’s election. The class will culminate in a week-long trip in Washington D.C. where we will meet with policymakers, advocates, and school leaders who are deeply vested in solving some of the most critical civil rights issues of our time. In addition, we will focus heavily on volunteering through creating workshops that empower and educate youth to become the civil rights leaders of the new generation. By the end of the trip, students will have a better understanding of the civil rights issues of our generation and of the unique ability they have to contribute to the solution.

“For our mothers, for our sisters, for us” will examine how health disparities facing women play a role not only in their own lives, but in the entire community. We will be emphasizing the neglected truths of women’s health such as misrepresentation and lack of appropriate policies, in addition to dispelling common misconceptions regarding the field of women’s health.

In preparation for the spring break trip, our ten-week course will explore current research in women’s health through visual aids, select readings, and guest speakers who are experts in the field. When spring break arrives, we will embark on a journey to the City by the Bay, San Francisco, and the state capitol, Sacramento, to inspect the state of women’s health on a local and state level. In San Francisco, we will work hands-on with variety of clinics, each addressing the topic of women’s health from their own unique perspective. With a clearer image of the unique challenges that women encounter in their pursuit of health, we will then delve into exploring the policies and legal action concerning these issues by meeting with legislative officials in Sacramento. Finally we will look into possibilities for advocacy work in the field and ways that we can address the disparities in women’s health and health policy. By the end of our trip, we hope participants will have a clearer and nuanced understanding of the many factors that impact women’s health in addition to the knowledge needed to get involved.

A healthy lifetime begins at childhood – what children see and do can influence their entire lives. On this ASB, we will be exploring children’s health in the context of medicine, policy, and public service. Mainly, we will be asking how we as college students can help children lead healthier lives – by giving them easier access to healthcare, by learning about the big issues that affect American children today, and through health education. In the winter quarter, we will be learning about children’s health policy such as S-CHIP and about the socioeconomic divides that exist in children’s health and healthcare. We will be learning health issues that children face today, such as the obesity epidemic, psychiatric disorders, developmental disabilities, teen and sexual health. We will also talk with professors about the societal implications of these issues. Finally, we will be developing a short, fun curriculum on a health issue to teach to young students during our ASB trip.

During spring break, we will embark on a journey across the bay area visiting local non-profits that deal directly with children’s health. We will visit free clinics, volunteer with children who have disabilities, and teach young students about health. We hope that through this ASB, you will gain an understanding of the countless ways you can make a difference in children’s lives, not just through medicine, but through policy, public service, education, and more.

With more than 10 million of its residents born overseas, California is home to one of the nation’s most diverse groups of immigrants from various countries in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. During the past fifteen years, more than 5,000 immigrants have died tragically in their attempt to cross the U.S.-Mexican border without authorization. Upon entering the U.S., many immigrants (regardless of their place of origin or legal status) face many challenges that affect their daily lives; some immigrants do not speak English, more than half have failed to complete high school, and the majority do not have access to essential public services such as healthcare, unemployment benefits, and education. Although our nation is founded by diverse groups of immigrants, states such as Arizona are pressured to pass controversial bills such as SB 1070 during recent years. What are the underlying factors behind these decisions?

Immigration continues to be a major issue that affects everyone both directly and indirectly. Through the directed reading course during Winter Quarter, participants will have the opportunity to answer questions they have about immigration and engage in active discussions, which would allow them to share their perspectives in a safe space. During our spring break trip, we will examine the significance of immigration in the Los Angeles and San Diego/Tijuana border region. Through hands-on experience, participants will gain a broad understanding of immigration from different lenses. We will travel to the U.S.-Mexican border with an immigrant-aid organization, visit business owners in Chinatown, and engage in active dialogues with activists, law enforcement agencies, students, workers, and politicians (both pro and anti- immigration), thereby gaining an understanding of the controversial issue and recognizing how it relates to the national conception of American identity and the policy responses to immigration.

As of 2010, Filipinos Americans have become the second largest immigrant group in the United States. Over 1.7 million Filipinos immigrants currently reside in the US, and close to a million more are currently undocumented. Given the size of this demographic, why are Filipino Americans so often overlooked as an ethnic minority?

This winter, we will closely examine the major sociopolitical issues that affect Filipino communities throughout the country, including educational equity, immigration policy, access to healthcare, and worker’s rights. We will explore the role of grassroots community organizing and activism in empowering people to effect positive social change. We intend to reclaim history by examining how this “invisible minority” has reinvigorated communities engaged in social justice. In the spring, we will have the chance to meet local organizations and visit communities in San Francisco, Daly City and Los Angeles. We will meet organizers who work to provide basic health services for low-income families, student leaders who venture to revitalize local after-school programs, and social activists who use art and music to raise political awareness. In doing so, we hope to develop a greater understanding of the relationship between our own experiences and the histories that influenced them.

While we plan to examine stories of both progress and struggle in Filipino communities, it is important to realize that similar experiences can be found within other ethnic neighborhoods throughout the country. Our trip will serve to raise curiosity about the stories of those within other communities, maybe even ones close to home. It is our hope that -— from whatever background, ethnicity or community you identity with — - you find a new interest in exploring your history.

The first Alternative Spring Break trip offered through Stanford Medical School occurred in March of 2009 when seven medical students traveled to the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota to learn about Lakota culture and the health issues affecting the community with the lowest life expectancy in the United States. However, it was noted that service without forethought, planning, reflection and sustainability is a disservice both to the community and to the students themselves—an educational opportunity missed. Thus, this service-learning trip, “Rural and American Indian Health Disparities,” seeks to connect the classroom to the upstream factors that lead to health disparities faced by rural and American Indian communities and then engage students in service projects that directly address these factors.

The first part of the course will consist of classroom instruction, lectures and discussions that will expose students to the challenges and promise of American Indian health care, rural health care and the role of communities as leaders and problem solvers.  Over the nine week winter quarter, students will be given reading assignments that pertain to American Indian culture, current research in Native American health and readings in the methods and practice of community based participatory research.  Additionally, each week, a guest lecturer will present on a topic of related importance such as community based research, health disparities, cultural competence and Lakota culture systems. Time will also be allotted to allow the students to formulate a plan for communicating with and engaging the community partners we will be working with in South Dakota.  Furthermore, students will have an opportunity to set personal and team goals and timelines regarding potential community projects.

The second portion of the course will be a one-week trip to western South Dakota with the assistance of the following community partners: Indian Health Services, Habitat for Humanity, Sinte Gleska University, Wiconi Wakan Suicide Prevention Center and Buffalo Jump Youth Center. By meeting and working with these partners, students will have the opportunity to spend time with clinicians, public health nurses, and dynamic community leaders in addition to directly addressing the social determinants of health through direct service projects.