UEP Major at Oxy

Student Work

UEP Senior Comprehensive Projects

UEP Senior Comprehensive Projects, "Comps" as the are more commonly referred to, often streach beyond the classroom to intereact, impact and evaluate public policy issues at the local, national and even global level. Check out the projects from previous years.

2008

Growing a Movement: Community Gardens in Los Angeles County
by Laura Benjamin, '08

With a climate perfect for planting year round and a history deeply rooted in agriculture, Los Angeles seems like the ideal place for a thriving community garden movement.  Yet community gardens in Los Angeles are some of the least established of any major city in the United States.  In order for community gardens to have a sustainable future, the community garden movement in Los Angeles County needs to be reassessed. 

To fully assess the current status of the community garden movement in Los Angeles County, I researched the work of advocacy groups and governmental agencies, and analyzed their strengths and weaknesses.   These organizations include: the Los Angeles Community Garden Council, the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, the University of California Cooperative Extension Common Ground Garden Program, The Learning Garden, The Verde Coalition and the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust. The network of community garden groups and their efforts also needs to be put into context of the current political climate with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the impacts of past efforts, specifically the Los Angeles Food Security and Hunger Partnership and various funding sources including state-wide bond measures and the Quimby Act. Read the entire report (PDF).

(Re-)Constructing the Sustainable City:
Toward A Green Affordable Housing Model
for Los Angeles
by Mary Jane Boltz, '08

My own introduction to the world of affordable housing came two years ago in the form of a summer internship with a Los Angeles tenants’ rights organization called the Coalition for Economic Survival (CES).  This great opportunity – and what turned out to be an admittedly powerful experience for me – was provided through Occidental College’s Urban and Environmental Policy Department and funded by grants from the Washington Mutual Bank and Union Bank of California Foundations.  That summer, the bulk of my work was devoted to halting the displacement of tenants and permanent loss of rent-controlled apartments due to the sharp increase in condo conversions and demolitions.  Though California’s Ellis Act permits such activity to allow landlords to exit the rental business, at the time, landlords had seemingly turned en masse to conversions and demolitions as a means to evict long-time tenants from rent-controlled apartments in order to create for-sale luxury dwellings.  To alert affected tenants to landlord plans and urge their help in passing a temporary citywide moratorium on conversions and demolitions, I canvassed with fellow organizers at rent-controlled buildings in the pipeline or at risk to be converted or demolished.  We also responded to calls reporting illegal rent increases and evictions, code violations, and reductions of service, and helped to organize the hundreds of tenants of a notorious slumlord being prosecuted by the City Attorney’s Office.

My experience that summer was a proverbially life-altering one.  Canvassing, in particular, put a human face (indeed, hundreds of them) on the housing crisis, igniting in me a desire to be a part of the lifelong fight to help low- to middle-income residents secure and maintain safe and affordable housing in what is an increasingly out-of-reach housing market here in Los Angeles.  Significantly, I also learned that the value of organizing is in empowering people to empower themselves, to fight for themselves, to represent themselves – all things which are inestimably more important, effective, and just than other, likely more privileged people trying to do it on their behalf. Download the full report (PDF).

Building the Velorution: Bike Culture, Community, and Politics in Los Angeles
by Erica Fick, '08

Los Angeles is a vast and sprawling
Landscape of concrete
Panorama of parking
King of cars
Maelstrom of steel
25 freeways
5 hour commutes
10 million people
Isolated landfill
Pollutant capital
Fragmented chaos
Manic journey
Dystopian nightmare
on the verge of collapse
Los Angeles is a city built for cars

Los Angeles is all of these things, but it is also a vibrant cycling culture that seeks to challenge all of these preconceived notions and stereotypes. LA’s citizens are tired of the long commutes, the isolation of cars, the stress of road rage and the immobility that plagues their every day life. In response to this, they are getting on bikes and taking back the streets in big numbers. On nearly every night of the week now, one can find an organized bicycle ride somewhere in the county of Los Angeles. These rides are entertaining, social in nature, usually themed, and attract Angelinos from all over the county. They get people out of their cars and force them into direct contact with each other and the exposed city that surrounds them. They take people to neighborhoods they’ve never seen and open their eyes to things they’ve never seen before. They remind people that riding a bike can be fun, easy and even exotic in the city defined by cars. These rides have made cycling cool and popular in Los Angeles and have played an important role in building this unique cycling culture. Download the full report (PDF).

Supplemental material:
LA Bicycle Master Plan Update
Cyclist's Bill of Rights
LACBC Enhanced Public Outreach Project

Clean Truck Program: A Fight for Clean Air and Goods Jobs
by Nidia Garcia, '08

Some of my earliest childhood memories consist of my brother, mother, and me waiting at the gate of the Port of Los Angeles for my father in order to give him his lunch. I would always fuss about the long wait we would have to endure to do this for my father, but my mother would never hear it. Now that I think back, these were some of the few times we could see my father. As a young child I remember seeing my father walking around the house, but never really knowing who he was. Years later, I became aware of our financial situation during my childhood that forced my dad to work extended hours for several years. As I reached adolescence my father was able to stabilize our financial situation after years of working long hours, allowing him to finally become a more present figure in our household. My parents worked hard as immigrants to achieve economic success for our family; they wanted nothing more than to achieve the “American” dream, which they learned about through stories of “el Norte” in Mexico. My mother often told me about the stories she heard that influenced her to come to the United States: “Money in the United States is plentiful; the wind blows it through the streets.” The “American” dream has many definitions, but it is commonly defined as owning your own home, having financial stability, and being able to provide your children with a quality education. Upon my parent’s arrival to “el Norte”, they learned that achieving that dream was no fairy tale. Download the full report (PDF).

Preventing Unwanted Pregnancies: An Evaluation of Access to Emergency Contraceptives for victims of Sexual Assault in Los Angeles County
by Julia Granholm, '08

Access to emergency contraceptives is an important issue in the United States. It is especially crucial for women who are victims of rape, who are forced to deal with the assault and the possibility of a traumatic pregnancy. If access to emergency contraception was improved in pharmacies, hospitals and clinics and there was increased education about the drug, many women, including victims of sexual assault, would have greater chances to access emergency contraceptives and possibly prevent unwanted pregnancies. Evaluating access to emergency contraceptives is crucial step towards enacting change.

This study uses previously conducted research about emergency contraceptives and individual research about access for victims of sexual assault in Los Angeles County to address the following questions. What are some of the national, state, and local barriers for accessing emergency contraceptives? Where can victims of sexual assault obtain emergency contraceptives? How easy is it to access these services? How is the sexual assault resource network structured in Los Angeles County and is it effective in helping victims? Are there racial and economic disparities in access to resources that provide emergency contraceptives in Los Angeles County? What are some recommendations for improving local, state, and national access to emergency contraceptives, especially for victims of sexual assault? Download the full report (PDF).

Beyond Green Building: A Step Towards Sustainable Development in Boyle Heights
by Sua Iris Hernandez, '08

Among the changes brought about by the depletion of natural resources is the growing interest in building efficiency, also known as green building practices. Although the notion of constructing efficient buildings has been around for some time, it is only in the last decade that green building practices have gained momentum. A steady rise in energy prices combines with growing consumer knowledge about climate change has created a market demand for green building. While green building practices have contributed to energy and resource efficiency, green building alone does not lead to sustainable development. Green building elements combined with effective efforts to meet the needs of existing communities is the only way such practices will result in Earth's sustainability. Download the full report (PDF).

Democratizing the Arts: A struggle for socio-economic equality in today’s creative economy
by Ian Johnston, '08

The increasing depletion of adequate arts education in inner-city public schools is not only robbing less privileged students of crucial human and creative capital, but is also hindering their opportunities for upward mobility and eventual participation in the flourishing Creative economy. The lack of funding for art-based education in these schools not only demonstrates the growing socioeconomic inequality that exists in this nation, but encourages it as well. Mirroring urban demographics, inner city schools have become increasingly composed of students from low-income and minority households. In cities such as Houston and Chicago, less than ten percent of public school students are white, while public schools in suburbia boast predominantly white student bodies. These affluent suburban schools have two to three times more funds available than inner-city schools,1 a difference that has caused great disparity in the quality of education between the two. The lack of a community support system in inner-city schools further exacerbates this difference, as suburban schools boast outside funding sources such as parent groups, foundations, or local businesses. In California fifty-three percent of principals reported that they “greatly” or “somewhat” relied on these outside sources to fund arts education.2 Supporting and improving art programs in inner city schools will provide access to the new Creative economy for those who are currently held back by a cycle of poverty while simultaneously benefiting urban communities and nation both socially and economically. Download full report (PDF).

Revitalizing Downtown Pomona:  An Evaluation of The Artisan and Recommendations for its Success
by Lorena Matarrita-McNicholas, '08

The key issue for the revitalization of Downtown Pomona and the success of The Artisan project is the question of whether or not the developers can transform Downtown Pomona into a key destination for all Pomonians and the regional market. This depends on how well the developers and the city become aware of and effectively respond to the needs of the community. The community members who will work, live, dine, shop, learn and walk through Downtown Pomona on a daily basis will have a direct impact on The Artisan’s success. The expression says: “If you build it, they will come.” In this case the Pomona residents are being referred to as “they”, but it is not clear as to what exactly is the “it.” This study thus undertook a survey of Pomona residents to ascertain what the “it” is that residents’ desire for its downtown or what would encourage them to visit more often. I asked questions concerning things such as the types of amenities they would like to see downtown or the prices they thought were affordable for a condominium. Community members have the potential to persuade and influence the decision makers. In the case of this project, the decision makers are primarily the developers, but the city has a big role in the project’s success, too. In light of the results of the survey, a number of important recommendations will be presented. These recommendations are only suggestions and ideas for the improvement of The Artisan project and also for the well-being of the future of Pomona. Download the entire report (PDF).

Hungry for Change: The Struggle for the Tohono O'odham Native Food System
by Caitlin Peel, '08

Food disparity affects people all over the world. Due to many reasons based on environmental injustice, many groups of citizens are unable to gain access to healthy foods. This injustice is most prevalent in urban centers in the U.S., where it disproportionately affects low-income communities of color. However, Native American reservations are increasingly becoming victims of this problem, yet are receiving little attention or education around it. Poor nutrition and diets that consist of prepackaged, processed foods lead to serious health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, for everyone. Yet Native Americans face a unique threat: a loss of culture and identity from limited access to their native foods and farming practices. Food is vital to the survival of their indigenous ways, and with junk food becoming a staple in their diet, cultural genocide and loss of genetic diversity in native crops is impending. The focus of this research project is to address how two local organizations, Tohono O’odham Community Action and Native Seeds/SEARCH, work to combat the depleting native food system of the Tohono O’odham tribe, and address the subsequent larger issues at hand, including a loss of community and traditional culture. Download the full report (PDF).

College, Career, and Postsecondary Success: An Analysis of Building Trade Academies in California High Schools
by Marika Tsolakis

This paper seeks to explore career-technical education in building trade industries as a forum for educational reform in California. The history of traditional vocational education includes the tracking of women, minorities, English language learners, and special needs students. These practices have acted as oppressive forces for the above populations and have given career training a negative connotation in educational and political discourse. However, in recent decades, a new movement to renew vocational education has arisen. These reforms seek to eliminate the divide between “vocational” and “academic” and provide all high school students with multiple pathways for postsecondary success. Multiple pathways models are often implemented in the form of career academies that focus around one industry. In California an intricate system of California Partnership Academies adhere to specific educational standards that reflect the multiple pathways philosophy. CPAs have proven to be successful, with CPA students having higher pass rates on the state exit exam, meeting more of the requirements for UCs and CSUs, and being more likely to enroll in two- or four-year colleges than their statewide counterparts. Download the full report. (PDF)

Cultivating Roots: A Community's Story of Resistance
by Jasmine Wade, '08

My educational journey here at Occidental has many layers; each layer transformed and contributed to the understanding my purpose in a larger socio-political context.  It was at Occidental, where I committed my studies to becoming more involved in social and political justice work, using the many resources and opportunities available on campus.  This transformation started to blossom last fall of 2007 in my Black Activism & the Archive course with Dr. Gabrielle Foreman. It was in this class where, for the first time, I was learning the real and hidden history of my people in the United States from enslavement and throughout the 19th century. Coupled with this class was an internship with the Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN), with a friend in the course, Siobhan Heard. I had never felt such a sense of responsibility and being rooted before this class. Balancing the classroom readings and discussions with the work at LA CAN became a powerful and revealing process. What I learned in the classroom from the slave narratives, researching slave revolts and the activism that took place in 19th century, troubled me because I had never learned any of this in my 16 years of schooling. It was through this realization I recognized the importance of archiving, as well as understanding the cycle of disremembrance and its role in the histories of people of color.

The connections made from the early history of my people in this country to the economic, political and social environments that we have experienced and are currently in, awakened me to see how little things have changed. I put the conditions of the skid row community into a historical context, pulling together stories from slave narratives while listening to residents speak of their experience in Downtown. I saw LA CAN’s work mirroring those of enslaved blacks who engaged in revolts, black activists in the 19th century organized against lynching, the civil rights movement and the Black Panther Party. There has been a constant movement of black resistance that has been “disremembered” and altered. I use “disremembered” because the issue is not the memory loss by community members, but rather the leaving out of a peoples’ history on behalf of government officials and dominant institutions. Disremembrance shifts the agency to how and who misrepresents the history of a community. There have been many banished communities of color that people are unaware of because that history has been left out or misrepresented. Download the full report (PDF).

Past Years

A Crisp, New $20 Bill/A Nickel Taken: “Revitalization,” Gentrification, and Displacement in Los Angeles’s Skid Row
by Phil Barney, '07

The phenomena occurring in inner-cities across the world, known as gentrification, is akin to what’s known globally as underdevelopment. Walter Rodney writes in How Europe Underdeveloped Africa that imperial US powers raped the landscape of Africa for profit and then ditched the continent when they no longer had use for it. Now, rapacious, homogenizing multinational corporations are setting up shop in those same spaces that were financially deserted decades ago. They are instituting what we call neo-imperialism – the same devastation, only more subtly enacted. In Uneven Development, Neil Smith demonstrates how the economic and geographical differences between developed and underdeveloped places result from the idea of “development” itself, not to mention the capitalist system as a whole. “Unequal development is social inequality blazoned into the geographical landscape, and it is simultaneously the exploitation of that geographical unevenness for certain socially determined ends” (Smith, Uneven 155). In the case of Los Angeles, for example, we know West LA as being “well-developed” and wealthy, while the popular imagination’s East LA is filled with garages and crack houses. Download the full report (PDF).

English Language Learners in Public Schools: A Challenging Environment and a Path to Improvement
by Alexandra Cooper

English language learners (ELLs) constitute a significant proportion of the students in U.S. public schools, particularly in California. This paper is an exploration of the challenges faced by ELLs in public schools and the issues that affect the ability of teachers and principals to address the needs of these students. In addition, it seeks to identify school reform strategies that can provide better support for ELL students and the ways in which these reforms can be implemented. A compilation of effective strategies and reforms was acquired through a literature review of studies and reports investigating the academic needs of ELLs. Schools in the community of Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles were investigated as a case study to determine specific successes and challenges experienced by teachers and principals. The Boyle Heights Learning Collaborative, an organization that supports these schools, was studied to identify the prospects for implementing school reform to improve the education of ELLs. This research highlights the urgency of providing more support for the academic achievement of ELLs, and identifies strategies for the realization of this goal. Download the entire report (PDF).

A YouTube Moment in Politics: An Analysis of the First Three Months of the 2008 Presidential Election
by Margot Turkheimer, '07

With the development of YouTube in 2005, and its rising popularity as a campaign tool, this study seeks to explore the changing role of the Internet, with particular emphasis on YouTube and its effects on political campaigning. The 2006 congressional election demonstrated the power of online video in impacting constituent opinion and election results. As a result, a content analysis was conducted to examine the videos posted during the first three months of the 2008 presidential election. Emphasis was placed on those videos that generated the highest number of page views and thus ranked among the top five features each week, per candidate with the most views (John Edwards, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama). The research was designed in part to explore whether we are moving in a new direction in the realm of Internet politics, from the increasing use of websites, to the development and increasing popularity of alternative forms of online media, user and campaign generated features and networking content, as well as new roles for campaign staff that are internet and YouTube focused. In conducting the above analysis, the study determined that the content on YouTube that generates the highest number of page views includes both negative campaign content and informative video clips. However, it is important to note that there is a gradation of negative candidate related content on YouTube, related to the intent of the user as well as the nature of the video posted. As a consequence, YouTube has provided important opportunities for independent actors to play a role in the context of a political campaign. Download the entire report (PDF).

*pwNeD*
The Media, Women, and Online Games
by Christine Wagner, '07

Online games are rapidly creating a burgeoning community of hundreds of thousands of people from diverse backgrounds. The online community offers a fresh start for women and others who feel constrained by real world gender roles, and may be a place to start bringing about real-world change in gender equity and acceptance of people who choose to defy traditional gender roles. In this paper, the social and cultural features of the online gaming community are examined from a feminist perspective. Through a literature review and a survey of gamers, the ways gender roles and alternative lifestyles manifest themselves in the context of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are examined. This document seeks to survey how images of women are used by the media and compare it to the way images of women are used in online gaming. Additionally, a closer look is taken at gender roles and the acceptance of alternative lifestyles in the online gamer community. Download the full report (PDF).

 

Outdoor Adventure Education at Occidental College
by Jacob T. Dubail, '06

One of Occidental College's institutional weaknesses is that it does not offer sufficient programs and services for students' personal development outside the classroom; specifically, Occidental College does not have an institutionalized outdoor adventure education program. After freshman orientation, students are released to wander through their four years of classes and campus events. While there are leadership opportunities on campus - students can run for office in the student government, or they can apply to be a Resident Advisor or director of Programming Board - these experiences are not inherently educational. Moreover, few students take advantage of these experiences, graduating from Occidental with inadequate leadership experience, problem solving skills, communication skills, self-confidence, and self-efficacy. Download the full report (PDF).

Exploring Bus Rapid Transit in Los Angeles
by Andrew Grinberg, '06

This paper is an exploration of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) with an eye towards implementation of BRT features in Los Angeles. Through the use of runningways that give buses priority over other vehicles, or remove them from traffic completely, advanced station designs and payment methods, and intelligent transportation technologies such as signal preemption, bus service can become faster and attract more riders. Taking the best attributes of rail and applying them to a bus system can create high quality transit, at a fraction of the cost of rail. By examining other cities' experiences with BRT, most notably the use of different types of runningways and different station designs, the paper concludes that Los Angeles should implement BRT features, especially bus only runningways, wherever possible. Download full report (PDF). Download PowerPoint Presentation (PDF).

Approaching No-Kill: Challenges and Solutions for the Los Angeles Animal Services Department
by Caroline Nasella, '06

This paper is an examination of the Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS) Department. It looks at the historical, political and philosophical context of the Department. It examines the validity of grievances made by local animal welfare groups against the Department and analyzes the LAAS Department structure and policies. Using a comparative case-study, it identifies the San Francisco animal care facilities as effective models for LAAS. Through an exploration of such themes, this report makes pragmatic policy recommendations for the Department with the goal of lowering shelter euthanasia rates. Download full report.

After School Matters:
 A Study of After School Programs in Pasadena and Options for the Future
By Eli Reisman '06
After school programs have become an important component for communities that need
to provide their students with constructive activities during after regular school hours. The quality after school programs has been found to help students academically and socially as well as expand students’ exposure to new activities. The importance of after school programs is well documented, so the purpose of this paper is to use the existing literature on best practices for after school programs to help assess the current needs not being served in the Pasadena Unified School District.
Download Full Report

Homeless Youth and the Bring LA Home Campaign to End Homelessness
By Windyn Hines
Homeless youth are a vibrant group of young people. They have complex needs and serious health issues, but with the correct approach, have the potential to develop into incredible human beings. By encouraging homeless youth to participate in decision-making and the creation of new programs, as well as fostering a positive and support relationship between homeless youth and the surrounding community, homeless young people can, in fact, realize their own potential and develop an orientation for the future.
Download Full Report

 

The Boyle Heights Landscape: The Pressures of Gentrification and the Need for Grassroots Community Action and Accountable Development
by Lydia Avila-Hernandez '05

Many new changes are about to happen in Boyle Heights; changes that historically have been interpreted as revitalization. But this interpretation does not mean that our community will be revitalized. Changing the fabric of our community to make us more marketable will inevitably chip away at our personality. This report includes sections on: History of Mexican Displacement and Boyle Heights, Boyle Heights Community Profile, Downtown Development and Eastside Revitalization Efforts, Redevelopment in Boyle Heights, Gentrification, National Models , and Strategies for Community Driven Accountable Development. Download full report.

The Route to Transportation Equity: A Critical Evaluation of the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program and Strategies to Implement First-Class Public Transportation Systems
by Huong Hoang, '05.

This report is an evaluation of the Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) program, a federal grant program that aims to support flexible, innovative transportation alternatives to fill gaps in transportation services specifically for low-income individuals and welfare recipients who are transitioning into the work force. Unequivocally, this report argues for the continuation of the JARC program. Studies and evaluations have shown that the program has been successful in meeting the needs of welfare recipients and those who are low-income and/or transit-dependent. The JARC program breaks the mold of traditional transportation policies by addressing and responding to the needs of those conventionally neglected by transportation policymakers. Furthermore, there are ways to strengthen and incorporate elements of transportation equity into the JARC program. The Job Access and Reverse Commute program is a worthy program that enables local stakeholders and players to meet the needs of the transit-dependent. Download full report

The Cost of Free Trade: The North American Free Trade Agreement's Negative Effects on Labor and the Apparel Industry in Los Angeles
by Caitlin Lynch '05

This paper is an analysis of the effects of NAFTA on labor and the apparel industry in Los Angeles. On a broader, more theoretical basis, this paper is about how free trade consistently disadvantages low-wage working people, often immigrants. The argument
synthesizes the history of NAFTA, its inherent inequalities in its construction, the failure of the labor side agreements, and the overall impacts on the apparel industry as a result of these factors. Suggestions are presented to improve the current problems associated with NAFTA and methods to deal with the future. This work contributes to the growing works about the harms of free trade on working people in the garment industry in Los Angeles and helps to reveal to real cost of free trade. Download full report.

Student-Labor Alliances on College Campuses: Strategies to Empower Workers and Build Community-Case Studies of Occidental and Other Colleges
by William Meade '05

College campuses should and often seek to be model ethical institutions. However, there is often much to be desired in terms of appreciating, respecting, and paying adequate wages and benefits to the non-faculty and non-administrative employees at colleges. These employees clean, maintain, and perform the essential duties on campuses that keep a college running smoothly and these employees deserve to be included as an integral part of the college community. Students within student-labor alliances have realized where college campuses are lacking in regards to their treatment of employees and have taken it upon themselves to improve the status of employees on their respective campuses. This paper finds that the actions of student-labor alliances have helped make colleges more equitable institutions. They have provided services to employees that employees were interested in such as ESL classes. Also, they have worked to improve the wages and working conditions of employees. Many of the campaigns of student-labor alliances have defined themselves as principally living wage campaigns. Download full report.

Fair Trade Thai Jasmine Rice: Social Change and Alternative Food Strategies Across Borders
by Ellen Roggemann '05
Download full report.

Sweat-Free Los Angeles: A Comparative Analysis of the Adoption and Implementation of Municipal Sweat-free Procurement Policies and their Lessons for Los Angeles
by Molly Russell '05

This report explores a comparative analysis of eight cities in the United States and Canada that have implemented sweat-free procurement policies. Ranging in policy scope, purchasing methods, and implementation processes, the cities of Albuquerque, Bangor, Boston, Milwaukee, New York, North Olmstead, Olympia and Vancouver, British Colombia provide a variety of experience and insight to implementing effective sweat-free procurement codes of conduct. In the past eight years, 30 municipal governments around the United States and one in Canada have adopted ethical codes of conduct and sweat-free procurement legislation. As stated by Larry Weiss, president of SweatFree Communities “Governments’ bulk purchasing power creates the leverage to influence practices of vendors and suppliers and, ultimately, create real improvements for sweatshop workers” (Seely). Having passed the “No Sweat” procurement ordinance in November 2004, Los Angeles is in the beginning stages of implementation and is at an extremely pivotal position. Along with Los Angeles, this analytical report functions as a tool for the use and benefit of cities that are interested in joining the movement in adopting sweat-free purchasing policies. Download full report

Internal Colonization, African Americans, and No Child Left Behind: The impact of education policy on academic and socio-economic achievement and the negative effects on African American students
by Brandon Smith '05

Internal colonization greatly influences American society through institutionalized oppression. Internal colonization is the mechanism that divides America by class and race to sustain the wealth of an elite population. The United States education system is one institution that manipulates and delineates socio economic status through its policies, and the way those policies are implemented. African Americans are victims of internal colonization related impacts in educational policies, the implementations of those policies, and political decisions related to the evolution of those policies. African American students academic achievement levels are typically lower than their white counterparts, resulting in an increasingly skewed academic achievement gap. Despite numerous education policy changes, African Americans continue to academically test and perform poorly in higher percentages than whites. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is the current education policy reform that has created many constraints on academic achievement and success in an effort to improve academic achievement for all Americans. The No Child Left Behind Act has seven components: closing the achievement gap, improving literacy, creating flexibility and reduced bureaucracy, rewarding success and penalizing failure, parental choice, improving teacher quality, and improving public school safety. NCLB aims to improve academic achievement by means of a national standard. Without incorporating internal colonization factors, NCLB will continue to fail African Americans similar to the failures associated with previous types of policies. This study analyzes NCLB’s impact on African American students in the United States public school system within the context of internal colonization.
Read the Report (PDF, 379K)

Farmers' Markets in Low-Income Communities in L.A. County: Assessing Needs, Benefits and Barriers, with a Focus on the Shift to Electronic Benefit Transfer Technology for Food Stamp Recipients
by Anna Berzins '04
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Diverging Perspectives: Conflicts Between Land Conservancy Efforts and Residents' Sense of Place on Catalina Island
by Callie White '04
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Expanding a Movement: A Case Study of the Compton Farm to School Project
by Colleen Callahan '04

This study explores in-depth the steps taken during implementation of the first stages of the Compton Farm to School Project. The Compton Farm to School Project is placed in the context of the rapidly expanding Farm to School Movement, which has spread to a diverse range of school districts throughout the country. The study serves as guide for future farm to school project efforts and has significance for anyone interested in providing for the health of our children and the sustainability of our nation’s family farmers. Download full report

Organizing Filipino Registered Nurses: A Social Movement Unionism Approach
by Carla Saporta '04

The first chapter discusses the history of Filipino nurses both in the Philippines and the United States. The chapter also analyzes how the U.S. colonization of the Philippines and its influence on Philippine nursing schools established the hierarchy among Filipino and American nurses that exists today. Furthermore, this chapter addresses the American use of Philippine nursing schools to recruit nurses to eliminate the nursing shortage in the U.S. and the consequences of such recruiting on Filipino RNs in the U.S. The second chapter explores activism within the Filipino community that counters the idea that Filipinos are socially and politically passive. This analysis is based on an examination of Filipino labor movements in the Philippines as well as how Filipinos organized around nurse licensing issues in the U.S. In the third chapter I talk about the history of the U.S. labor movement and the rise and importance of the concept of social movement unionism as a strategy to organize workers. The chapter also addresses the current views about unions among the American public as well as the need to organize immigrants, women and registered nurses. The fourth chapter looks at the history of organizing in hospitals and how unionization in hospitals can improve the quality of care. In the fifth chapter, I discuss the issues affecting RNs today and more specifically those affecting Filipino RNs. Here I draw upon the research I conducted through interviews and surveys. Lastly, the sixth chapter presents recommendations to unions on areas to focus on when organizing Filipino RNs, as well as RNs as a whole, the possibility of creating a new nursing curriculum, and possible areas for future research.
Read the Report (PDF)

More Than a Diploma: Strategies to Improve the Educational Attainment of Latino Students
Guadalupe Solis '04

The overall purpose of this study is to demonstrate how Latino students can excel in education despite present barriers. Frequently, many studies attempt to describe the problems that prevent minority students from performing adequately in school and they also offer solutions. However, the solutions given do not take into account any input that educators or students have to offer. These same solutions tend to fail because while they are geared to improve schools and districts that are struggling financially, their implementation requires large sums of money. Due to such occurrences, this study will provide recommendations that depend on people, rather than money, as resources for their actual implementation. The recommendations described in this study had the input of educators, administrators, teachers, students, and parents and they are aimed at giving every student a fair chance of applying to college. These recommendations have been used by other schools and they demonstrate that if a collaborative effort is set forth by everyone from educators to parents that students, who at one point only dreamed about college, will now have the opportunity experience it first hand. Download full report

Sweat X: Taking the High Road
by Michelle Ashley and Ingrid Melendez '03
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The Need for Universal Preschool in the Wake of Welfare Reform: An Examination of How to Alleviate the Child Care Chrisis in Los Angeles
by Regina Clemente '03
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Reevaluating 'Public Art': A Photo Essay and Analysis of Graffiti Art Along the Los Angeles River
by Mia Gutfreund '03

My project goal was to gain a better awareness and understanding of the images along the river by looking at them, and in a sense, listening to what the images have to tell. What does graffiti art of the LA River look like? Should it be appreciated as an art form, or even considered public art? I hypothesized that graffiti art is a valuable public art form along the Los Angeles River with cultural and aesthetic meaning. The first chapter examines various interpretations of the meaning of public art, and the second chapter explores the background histories of graffiti and the Los Angeles River. This project should make a space for many other people to begin to think about graffiti in different, challenging ways as well; to perhaps learn to appreciate the works as public art with immense aesthetic and cultural meaning. Download full report

Reduced Drinking and Driving on College Campuses: Working Towards a More Progressive Policy at Occidental
by Sarah Lapin '03

College and university campuses, where there is a high concentration of excessive alcohol consumption, are breeding grounds for such destructive conduct. With the high incidence of alcohol-impaired driving on and around college and university campuses, the devastating consequences of this socially negligent behavior affect all sectors of the community. In order to adequately respond to the incidences on college campuses, Occidental College in particular, it is imperative to implement an aggressive campaign against drunk driving, including peer intervention and a hard-hitting preventative program. Download full report

Social Capital Within the Vietnamese American Community: A Comparative Investigation of Asian Pacific Islander Community Organizations
by Kim L. Pham '03

Despite the substantial social science literature about Asian Americans, little has been written about the Vietnamese American community and none examine the non-profit organizations that serve these new immigrants. The purpose of this study is threefold: to provide a directory of resources to non-profit organizations and public agencies that service the Vietnamese community in Orange County; to provide an in-depth comparative investigation into the strength and weaknesses of these organizations; and to examine the unmet needs of Vietnamese Americans who continue to experience significant economic, social, cultural and health-related problems.
Introduction
Download the Vietnamese American Community Directory: Orange County in Color | Black and White

The State of AIDS Housing: An Evaluation of the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program (HOPWA)
by Flaherty Wright '03
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From the Surburban Dream to the Urban Nightmare: The Federal Housing Administration from 1934 Through Today
by Sara Pope '02
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Slide presentation (HTML)

The Persistence of L.A's Grocery Gap: The Need for a New Food Policy and Approach to Market Devlopment
by Amanda Shaffer '02

This report chronicles the gap between the number of supermarkets located in low-income and inner city communities versus middle and upper-income, and suburban communities in Los Angeles. Chapter 1 highlights the discrepancies in access to supermarkets according to household income and racial make up of the surrounding neighborhood, and details how the gap affects price and quality. Chapter 2 describes the potential health ramifications of a diet affected by limited access to fresh, affordable, healthy foods. Chapter 3 explores various factors that have been identified as key barriers for supermarket investment in low-income communities. Chapter 4 then explores opportunities and advantages for such investment, with emphasis on those areas where barriers have been identified. Chapter 5 traces the evolution of the urban grocery store gap in Los Angeles from the first supermarkets up to the 1992 civil unrest. Chapter 6 explains the current situation in Los Angeles, with updates of the Rebuild LA efforts following the 1992 civil unrest, as well as an analysis of the impact of race and income on supermarket access. Chapter 7 outlines recommendations for an improved future of inner city supermarket access that includes an active public sector, a private sector that is held accountable, and strong community involvement. Download full report

The Limits of Welfare Reform: Evaluating the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
by Sara Bauleke '99

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 is the newest in a series of attempts to reform the United States welfare program that was developed during Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency. However, unlike the majority of laws that have been implemented to alter welfare, this new law does not work within the constraints of Aid to Families with Dependant Children. Instead, AFDC has been abolished under the new law, to be replaced with a workfare program titled Temporary Aid to Needy Families. The implementation of TANF dramatically changes the structure of welfare, as it requires people applying for welfare to participate in work in order to receive government aid. Both anticipation and apprehension accompany the new law, as it brings a new era of welfare into existence.

The question that arises as this new era begins, is whether welfare reform will affect welfare recipients in a positive or negative manner. Through a study of the early results of the Wisconsin Works program, the strengths and weaknesses of the welfare system as is exists under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 are evident. Numerous alterations in the new law can address the specific weaknesses of the program, and the implementation of these modifications will create a welfare system which will be beneficial to the impoverished in the United States while at the same time decreasing the number of people that rely on the welfare system. Download full report.

UEP Summer Research Projects

Siting Schools Next to Freeways: Evaluating Legislation Designed to Address the Health Risks
by Sarah Ritter

As Americans, we would never relinquish the mobility and freedom our roadways provide, but would gladly do without the traffic, accidents, and pollution that result from the same system.  Many people have yet to comprehend the magnitude of the negative consequences created by our freeways.  On the road, our cars and trucks emit at least forty different toxic air contaminants. These contaminants include nitrogen oxides, particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), carbon monoxide, elemental carbon, and a variety of other gases. We rarely consider the secondary problems such as asthma, allergic reactions, bronchitis, respiratory symptoms, reduced lung function, and cancer that develop from exposure to these vehicle emissions. As our road system continues to expand and development grows closer to freeways, our exposure to these harmful chemicals increases.  This study begins by outlining the health hazards facing children attending schools close to California freeways.  It continues by reviewing California legislation aimed at reducing these hazards, and evaluates how such legislation has been implemented. It concludes with recommendations on how to strengthen protective legislation, better reduce health risks, and provide children with healthier learning environments. Download full report.