Reflections on Digital Humanities and Ethnic Studies from CSU Stanislaus

I was first introduced to members of the Digital Humanities at California State University (DH@CSU) Consortium by a colleague at California State University, Stanislaus, who was leaving our department to pursue a Ph.D. Despite having participated in a workshop that was sponsored by the Digital Ethnic Futures Consortium on how to utilize online programs to make learning more comprehensive for students, I did not know what to expect when I accepted my colleague’s invitation to learn more about the Digital Humanities at DH@CSU.

In my first meeting with them, I felt out of place because all of them knew each other and they were confidently expressing their expertise, providing keen details about their ongoing tasks. It was not until I asked the facilitator (Katherine D. Harris) about the purpose of the group that I became interested in learning more about them. As I asked this question, I felt that the members took a brief pause from their routine and attentively listened to her explanation of why the group had been created in the first place. Immediately, I felt a strong connection and knew I wanted to be a part of the group. Part of the reason for the DH@CSU Consortium is not only to explore the intersection between the Digital Humanities and Ethnic Studies, but also to create a network among faculty and staff across the California State University system.

Whilst I am limited in my knowledge about the Digital Humanities, I am an Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies, and thus, bought into the vision and mission of the DH@CSU Consortium. As a Chicano who is part of the largest ethnic minority in the United States, it is vital to partake in community engagement and focus on underrepresented voices so that we do not reproduce cycles of oppression that marginalize our diverse student population. The DH@CSU Consortium seeks to enrich our educational interactions and make higher education assignments more accessible and engaging for all people. Hence, part of the reason why I became involved was so that I could acquire new skillsets and resources while building networks as a teacher-scholar.

As the DH@CSU Consortium explores the intersection of Digital Humanities and Ethnic Studies, our association is in a unique position for multiple reasons, including California State University, San Francisco being the birthplace of Ethnic Studies by the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF) coalition. Indeed, student-led strikes and protests paved the way for Ethnic Studies to become institutionalized and scholars must learn about the activism and socio-political struggles of underrepresented populations so that we can build more equitable, diverse, and inclusive spaces for students. In California, AB 101 is a law that has made it mandatory that all high school students must take an ethnic studies course to graduate as well as a requirement for anyone graduating from a CSU campus. Thus, the DH@CSU Consortium plays a pivotal role in telling our stories so that we can better understand ourselves, our differences, and our commonalities. These components are vital for the building of a more democratic and just society.

As we embark on this journey of synthesizing Ethnic Studies and Digital Humanities within the California State University system, we want to invite others to our conversations to further bring innovation, diversity, and equity to our communities and build institutional capacity in our disciplines. We, at DH@CSU Consortium, would also like to extend an invitation to students and scholars from other campuses, especially those who engage in these methodologies and approaches and create dialogue about building a better society for all. In the spirit of In Lak’Ech—tu eres mi otro yo—you are my other me, we hope you join our consortium so that we can share our resources and grow stronger together!

By Juvenal Caporale