Alternative Spring Break

What does Asian American mean?  Does it mean being quiet and obedient? Eating rice?  Being good at math?  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? This ASB will explore some of the ways that Asian Americans have been excluded from the image of what an “American” is or should be by looking at issues such as immigration, racism, stereotypes and popular culture.  We will also learn about people who have used different mediums of activism to reconcile this disparity.  The main goal of this ASB is not to give a comprehensive history of Asian Americans in the United States, but rather a framework of how to process the messages we see about Asian Americans with a critical eye and if necessary, how to confront them.  We will travel around the Bay Area and to Los Angeles to meet with different individuals and organizations that actively work within the Asian American community addressing issues ranging from immigration and healthcare to environmental justice.

Envision a city unlike any other in America where the rich origins of jazz meet the desperate need for environmental responsibility in almost every home. That place is New Orleans, Louisiana, the very home of a citizenry that cannot afford to ignore the power of Mother Nature and of a society that will not sacrifice its musical heritage: Climate Change and Jazz in New Orleans 2010.   Our trip will focus on these two issues we feel are inexorably related and vital to New Orleans’ history and future. For the people of New Orleans, climate change is more than a distant threat that may precipitate elevated sea levels and severe weather events, threatening their city’s physical existence and cultural dynamism. Jazz, one the first modern American art forms, traces its twentieth century roots to the neighborhoods and musical establishments of New Orleans and has since become one of the city’s defining characteristics. Today, post-Katrina New Orleans is a nexus of innovative, environmentally focused construction and cultural endurance.   We will live in New Orleans for one week, combining service and education to gain an understanding of the city’s cultural and physical sustainability. We will spend multiple days working with organizations that target land, water, and energy issues in New Orleans. We will also visit relevant sites in the area and meet with both musicians and public servants. Topics covered will include climate change, urban development, sustainable living, and the humanism of jazz.

The Colorado River powers the Southwest with energy from uranium, oil, natural gas, coal, and hydropower. It provides drinking water to communities all the way to southern California, and offers public recreation within the region's many national parks. Consequently, serious tradeoffs between energy, water, and ecosystem conservation exist along the Colorado River due to conflicting interests. We plan to investigate the impacts of the Colorado River’s energy and water contribution to the United States in order to better understand the region’s challenging issues and national significance.  The winter course will introduce students to the many environmental, social, and political obstacles along the Colorado River. Our discussions will encourage students to become active members of a dialogue that will culminate in a spring break trip to the Colorado River region. Potential visits to dams, mining sites, Native American communities, national parks, and with community leaders will expose students to different stakeholders and viewpoints, familiarize them with the great complexity of solving environmental problems, and empower them to become advocates of social change in their own communities and abroad.

Where does our food come from? It’s a relatively simple question that defies a ready answer. As the journey from farm to table has become longer and more complex, we the consumers have become increasingly disconnected from the foods we eat. However, agricultural production, distribution, and consumption of food lie at the intersection of a range of social, political, and environmental issues from energy and water use to nutrition and hunger.  In order to make conscientious choices as consumers, we need to have a more complete understanding of the origins of food and the impacts of our food choices. The purpose of this ASB is to connect the disparate dots affecting rational and effective production and distribution of food. The complexities of maintaining safe and reliable food resources require balanced environmental, labor, and trade policies. The directed readings and week-long trip will address the broad array of forces that influence our food system and promote critical inquiry into one’s own eating habits. Our trip will familiarize participants with their local “foodshed” through visits to local farms, farmer’s markets, restaurants and non-profit organizations in the Bay Area. Participants will have the opportunity to “get their hands dirty” by spending an afternoon working on a farm. By learning how to grow, harvest, and prepare fresh produce, we will gain not only a deeper understanding of where food comes from but also awareness of the ethical and environmental implications of our food choices.

In a post 9-11 world, Muslims in general have been misperceived and stereotyped.  Samuel Huntington coined the phrase "Clash of Civilizations," when he predicted a conflict between cultures, specifically focusing on the potential clash between Western and Islamic cultures. Many believe that the Muslim American is conflicted in loyalty to the Muslim world and the West.  This ASB trip will attempt to provide the students the tools needed to critically examine the Muslim American identity and how it perceives itself within America and the Muslim world. This trip will focus on dispelling misconceptions about the monolithic nature of Muslims in America. For example, although the media frequently depicts Muslim and Arab people as interchangeable, the majority of Muslims in America and the world are not Arabs. The Muslim-American identity is shaped by a myriad of different political, social, and cultural issues. By meeting with political leaders, community members, professors, and activists this trip will allow participants to understand the intricacies and diversity of Muslim American communities, and how the Muslim American has been affected by domestic and foreign policies. We hope to explore how Muslim Americans have responded to problems, both internal and external, facing their communities.

"Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish, or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry." — Bill DraytonSocial entrepreneurship is a new way of thinking about our world's tough issues. In diverse fields like poverty relief, health, technology, and education, social entrepreneurs look beyond traditional problem-solving techniques in favor of truly innovative approaches. As one of the most innovative places in the world, the Bay Area has served as an incubator for many of social entrepreneurship's great ideas. It is home to organizations like Kiva, recently labeled by Fortune as "The Only Nonprofit That Matters", Kickstart, which developed a water pump that has helped to generate 1% of Kenya's GDP, and Delancey Street, a network of businesses run by ex-felons who develop skills to rebuild their lives. In this course, we will discover what it means to be social entrepreneurs by hearing from and learning about the visionaries behind these ideas.Over spring break, we will embark on a tour of innovative bay area organizations. We will build upon our knowledge from the winter course, where we will have heard from key stakeholders, such as grant makers, founders, executives, and beneficiaries.  Through conversations with social-e's leading thinkers and doers, we will become involved with every step in the process of building a social enterprise.  With this process in mind, perhaps you will be inspired to create a social enterprise on your own!