Centers and Initiatives
Through transnational research centers, statewide initiatives, and local collaborative projects, Ethnic Studies students and faculty make meaningful connections between research, policy, culture, and social change.
California Center for Native Nations at UCR
The California Center for the Native Nations (CCNN) is the bridge between the University of California and California’s Tribal Nations. It is a research center at the University of California, Riverside, that strives to and is committed to preserving the rich histories, cultures, languages and sovereignty of Tribal Nations. With a special focus on California Tribal Nations, CCNN is committed to working alongside American Indians to initiate, facilitate and execute research for, with, by, and about American Indians. CCNN connects Tribal Nations with UC expertise to execute the aforementioned. The relationship CCNN seeks to achieve with Tribal Nations is reciprocal, not only benefiting and enriching the Tribal Nations in which it connects with, but also enriching Native American and American Indian Studies within academia.
Latin American Studies Program
The Latin American Studies Program draws on multidisciplinary experiences and a long history of research expertise. We offer a major and a minor degree with courses focusing on Latin America in a global context. Students can choose from a wide variety of courses — archeology, history, society, political and economic issues, border studies, culture, literature, music, film, language etc. Many classes are offered in English, others in Spanish. Faculty and students also organize talks and events with eminent scholars and young, cutting edge researchers from the US and Latin America.
Young Oak Kim Center for Korean American Studies
The Young Oak Kim Center (YOK) will lead the nation in scholarship and the exploration of Korean American diaspora. The YOK Center endeavors to become the preeminent research institution on Korean American studies. The Center is also dedicated to understanding what it means to be a Korean American in the 21st century, the history of Korean Americans, the Korean diaspora in the United States and globally, and the role of Korean Americans in the reunification of South and North Korea. The Center hopes to also study the impact of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots on the Korean American identity. Through cultural and academic study, the center aims to empower the Korean American community and bridge ethnic and generational gaps.UC Riverside is deeply committed to the YOK Center and is providing institutional support to match funding from the Overseas Korean Foundation.
Immigration/Detention Initiative
The Immigration/Detention Initiative leads citizenship classes for immigrants and provides legal advocacy to immigrants who urgently need legal support for their immigration case.
K-12 Ethnic Studies Initiative
This emerging initiative will partner with local teachers to develop pedagogical approaches to teaching Ethnic Studies in a K-12 setting. Art: "Study" by Pete Yahnke Railand