Category — Friends of WOMS news

Students at Cal State East Bay designed and carried out a “limpia” ritual (cleansing) of Warren Hall on May 4th of this year.  In this student-directed film of the event, you’ll see the students walk through Warren Hall with eggs “collecting the negative energies” of the building, then convening downstairs on the plaza for discussion, dance, venting, and finally, the destruction of the eggs.  The event merges the curanderismo practice of natural healing with student protest and self-preservation in the face of the budget situation.  It’s a powerful film, about ten minutes.

The Xicana/o Graduate Council evolved out of the Mexican American Studies Graduate Associated Students.  Created in the fall of 2009, the graduate group meets regularly to foster community within the department and among alumni.  This first newsletter explains more of their mission and purpose, and highlights the experience of those students who attended the 37th Annual National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies Conference in Seattle, Washington in April.  It includes articles by Ana Angel y Juan Pablo Mercado, Victor Vasquez, Berta Jimenez, Ricardo Agredano, Juan Pablo Mercado, Robert Unzueta, and Elisa Ocegueda.

Read the newsletter here (pdf)

Are you man enough to walk a mile in her shoes?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
4:00pm – 7:00pm
Plaza de Cesar Chavez, Downtown San Jose

See young men walk a mile in heels to raise awareness about Sexual Assault!  The YWCA of Silicon Valley hosts this unique event during Sexual Assault Awareness Month to call attention to these statistics:  one-in-three women and one-in-five men, regardless of socio-economic status, will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime.

This event is a light-hearted approach to a very serious subject and is also a fundraiser for our local YWCA’s  local rape crisis center. Donations are not required to walk, but every little bit helps.

Registration for the event begins at 4PM. The walk will start at 5:00. Shoes WILL be provided, but show up early. The walk route parades through downtown San Jose, culminating at the California Theatre on First Street. There will be a reception to follow.

Also, don’t forget, AfricanAmerican scholar/activist Angela Davis will be speaking the same evening at Morris Daily Auditorium!

If that’s not enough to pique your interest, here’s a few more facts why you should walk, and ladies don’t worry. Only the guys need to wear heels. ;) [Read more →]

March 24 – Liz Burke,  “Classism: How it Effects Our Lives at MOSAIC: Cross Cultural Center  at 5 p.m.

April 7 – Andrew House,White Privilege:  Identifying & Understanding at MOSAIC: Cross Cultural Center.

Womyn United:  International Womyns’ Day Marcha & Festival 2010

March begins 11am at Roosevelt Park, continues down Santa Clara and First Street to the Biblioteca Latinoamericana.  Festival from 1 to 4pm with vendors, food, and entertainment.

Participating Organizations: Cihuatl Tlatocan (MAIZ), FOCUS-SV, Silicon Valley
DEBUG, San Jose Peace and Justice Center, Women’s International League for Peace and  Freedom , San Jose CodePink, SJSU WoWi (Womyn on Womyn’s Issues), Santa Clara County’s Office on Women’s Policy,  LGBTQ Youth Spaces, SOMOS Mayfair, Cardea Center for Women, Bay Area Radical Women, SJSU Women’s Studies.

Cihuatl Tlatocan  is a women’s based mass organization whose vision seeks the liberation of Mexican womyn at an individual and community level, in a collective struggle towards social change and is a member organization of the MAIZ Alliance  (Movimiento de Accion, inspirando Servicio). Questions?  Cihuatl.Tlatocan@gmail.com

Download flyer here (click on image to see fullsize)

English	Spanish	Tagalog

Click on image to see fullsize

Please join us for conversation, games, music and refreshments with faculty and friends of the Women’s Studies program.  We are happy to kick off a full roster of events for Women’s History Month 2010.  In DMH238A from 3-6pm.

Also please see the left column of the blog (click here) for a Main Index of Women’s History Month events, including WOWI, Transexual Awareness Week, and more… let us know if you have events to be added!

Dear Campus Community and Friends of Women’s Studies

On Tuesday, March 2nd, the course I teach on “Gender, Sexuality and Religion” will host Max Dashu, director of the Suppressed History Archives in Oakland.  She will be speaking on the vast legacy of Women Shamans from far-ranging cultural backgrounds, ancient to modern.  We’ve moved to a larger room to accommodate visitors: please feel free to join us.  The class runs from 6:00 to 8:45 pm, in Boccardo Business Classroom 003 (ground floor, accessed from the courtyard).  Click on the links below for more background on Max and the specific talk she is presenting on Tuesday.  Hope to see you there:

Date: Tuesday, March 2nd
Where: Boccardo Business Classroom 003 (BBC 003)
When: 6:00 PM
Who: Max Dashu, Director, Suppressed History Archives
What: Talk on Women Shamans
Hosted: Prof. Jennifer Rycenga, Comparative Religious Studies class on Gender, Sexuality and Religion

http://www.suppressedhistories.net/
http://www.suppressedhistories.net/catalog/womanshaman.html

Jennifer Rycenga
Professor, Comparative Religious Studies and Humanities

Part of the MAIZ series on 40 Years of the Chicano Movement in San Jose

“Mujeres en el Movimiento”

Featuring local activists Elisa Marina Alvarado, Shirley Trevino, Martha Campos, Tamara Alvarado

Moderated by Teresa Castellanos

6-8pm Wednesday, March 3
Mexican Heritage Plaza
1700 Alum Rock Ave, SJ

Women have played a major role in the development and leadership of the Chicano movement inSan Jose, even while struggling for their role and recognition in it.  They have challenged gender norms, politics, and the status quo by founding and managing some of the area’s most progressive arts, grassroots and civic organizations.  Share and take part in this multigenerational event honoring the backbone of San jose’s Chicano movement, las mujeres.

Don’t miss Dr. Ruth Wilson’s exhibit, “Realizing the Dream: A Photographic and Memorabilia Exhibit of the 44th Presidential Inauguration of Barack H. Obama” in its last week at the MLK, Jr. Library (thru Sun 2/28).  It is located on the 5th floor and is available for viewing whenever the library is open.