1970s to 1980s
The 1970s and 1980s delve into the background of the program of Asian-American Studies and the building student frustration with the institution.
1968: San Francisco State Strike
In 1968, students were angered with the San Francisco State administration for refusing to meet their demands. Students began to become more confrontational about their demands for ethnic studies programs and special admissions program. The firing of George Murray led to the rally organized by the Black Student Union.
1972: Formation of AAS Program
In 1972, in response to the San Francisco State Strikes, the University of California, Santa Barbara began to offer classes through their Asian-American Studies program. The program began with only a few faculty and a few classes but began to expand in the later decades. For more information about the formation of the AAS program, click here.
May 30, 1978: Baseball Article
On May 30, 1978, the Daily Nexus published a sports article, "'Bhang Water' Wins Despite Its Fundamental Deficiencies". Richard Bornstein comments on the baseball team and their performance, specifically stating that "Although the third baseman is as good as you'll find in the tough IM circuit, the shortstop has an inherent ethnic disadvantage when squinting his already slanted eyes".
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In June 6, 1978, the Daily Nexus issued an apology responding to angry letters to the editor, saying "We appreciate hearing your concerns in this matter. As you have noted, the remark was not intended in malice, but it does show carelessness and a lack of sensitivity to ethnic stereotypes. We hope to avoid such problems in the future. Finally, I wish to extend an apology, on behalf of Richard Bornstein and the rest of the staff".
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1988: Formation of MCC / Ethnicity Requirement
In 1984, the Associated Students sponsored an event titled "Air Jam" in Campbell Hall where six white males from Sigma Chi fraternity placed show polish of their face and performed a lip-sync skit depicting Otis Day and the Knights in blackface and afro wigs. The master of ceremonies, a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, told racial jokes. This particular incident was a catalyst for students of color at UCSB who used this incident to establish the Multicultural Center at UCSB.
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The demands for the Multicultural Center were heard by the administration, who decided to give the students a small classroom with no funding and limited staff. Zaveeni Khan-Marcus, the director of the Multicultural Center, talked about the formation and growth in her interview. The Multicultural Center was able to grow over time but only with the support of the students through lock-in fees.