The Smith & Carlos Lawn flowed with chatter, R&B tunes and the faint smell of barbecue at a Social Justice BBQ on Wednesday.
The barbecue was hosted by the César E. Chavéz Community Action Center as a part of the Fall 2023 Weeks of Welcome series of events.
“This is for students to feel connected on campus, especially students who are passionate about social justice,” said Diana Victa, César E. Chavéz Community Action Center Department Manager. “[It] makes sure they know exactly where to go and where to pursue or explore topics of social justice, diversity and inclusion.”
San Jose State University has identity-based resource centers that offer support to marginalized students which include the UndocuSpartan Resource Center, Black Leadership and Opportunity Center and PRIDE Center.
“Not a lot of students are aware that there are resources available to them,” UndocuSpartan Student Assistant Lynna Lu said. “This event is one of the ways to promote our service and make sure that everyone knows that we’re here to support them no matter what.”
The UndocuSpartan Resource Center offers support and services to undocumented students for needs such as Dream Act application guidance and immigration services.
Outreach and Events Program Assistant Wahhab Salemi said the event looks to celebrate SJSU’s legacy of activism and social justice.
“[We are] giving each other a sense of community and a place to encourage being a scholar activist,” Wahhab said.
According to the campus website, San Jose State is “unique in its storied and long history of student civil rights activism, service to first-generation-student populations, racial and ethnic diversity and location in the vibrant cultural communities and robust economy of the Silicon Valley of California.”
“The way this event was able to bring so many different people together [was] very special and important and I think it speaks to the school’s mission statements of being inclusive and diverse,” Chicana/Chicano studies fifth year Jorge Castillo said.
Castillo said the barbecue was a good way for students to build relationships and find a safe space with people of different backgrounds.
During the event, César E. Chavéz Community Action Center members handed out lottery-inspired scratchers with different resource centers on them and encouraged students to visit the tables representing a center that interested them.
The tables included nine of SJSU’s resource centers sharing their mission in helping students.
“I’m a first year, and I just wanted to see what opportunities were given to me as a young African-American male,” public health freshman Timothy Vaughn said.
Vaughn got to know about the Black Leadership and Opportunity Center community at the event.
The Black Leadership and Opportunity Center community focuses on empowering and developing students in the African Diaspora according to SJSU’s campus website.
“Being an “other” in society, I feel like being able to come together with people that look the same as you, have the same ideals and face the same problems as you face; that brings empowerment between both of you guys in the community,” Vaughn said.
César E. Chavéz Community Action Center members gave students a ticket for food once they completed the task of visiting three tables.
Occupational therapy graduate student Brianna Katsuda attended the event after hearing about it from her peers but was able to strengthen her knowledge in social justice.
Katsuda said she learned that one of the resource centers trains to teach younger people how to be advocates for themselves.
“Being a woman and an Asian woman, it’s good to acknowledge that we need organizations like this to help advocate for a difference. . . around here, the community and around the world,” Katsuda said.
