Horchata Squad is an official opinion podcast from the Daily Emerald. On this special edition episode, host Jasmine Jackson speaks with guess Imani Dorsey about centering the voices of black femmes.

This episode contains language that may not be suitable for all listeners.

Music in this episode is “Broken Clocks” by SZA and “Fertilizer” by Frank Ocean.

This episode was produced by Alec Cowan.

The post Podcast: Horchata Squad 2.0: Broken clocks appeared first on Emerald Media.

Horchata Squad is an official opinion section podcast from the Daily Emerald. On this episode of the series, hosts Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado and Marian Fragoso are joined by guest Veronica Blackwell, who speaks with them about the struggles and triumphs of majoring in STEM as a femme of color. Their conversation includes the difficulties of being taken seriously, female stereotypes in the field and how to find motivation in the field despite stigmas.

This podcast contains language that may not be suitable for all listeners.

Music in this episode is Corazon by Maluma and Fertilizer by Frank Ocean.

This episode was produced by Alec Cowan.

The post Podcast: Horchata Squad 2.0: Femmes in STEM appeared first on Emerald Media.

It is no secret that there are DACA students currently attending the University of Oregon, and that’s the story to write about. This past year, DACA has been at risk of termination by the Trump administration and has regularly been in the news. So to be in close proximity to this community and not attempt to get a story would be a journalistic sin.

In the UO School of Journalism & Communications (SOJC), we are taught to be persistent, to go into offices, call a dozen times and force our way to get that interview. We are conditioned to chase the story. What the SOJC doesn’t tell us is that this is a good strategy to get the attention of CEOs, politicians and people in power. This isn’t how you get communities to tell you stories. Marginalized student organizations such as MEChA, MUXERES or NASU aren’t people in power, so using these tactics as a form of reporting feels more like harassment than good journalism.

According to the Atlantic, there is a distinguished connection between the lack of diversity in newsrooms and the diversity of stories that are being reported. Minorities make up over 40 percent of the US population, but a 2017 study by the American Society of News Editors showed that minorities made up only 16.55 percent of employees reported by participating newsrooms. This lack of diversity not only hurts the newsrooms ability to report on marginalized communities, but also the accessibility for said communities when they want to share their stories. If they do not see themselves represented in newsrooms they may feel that it doesn’t matter if their stories get heard.

Since the 2016 presidential election, SOJC students have been coming into the MEChA office on an almost weekly basis asking for information on DACA membership, according to interior director of MEChA Andrea Castillo. Due to privacy, MEChA refuses to give out any information regarding DACA members.

Castillo said it creates an uncomfortable and unsafe environment for many MEChA members, and it was only heightened this past term. Recently, a journalism instructor allegedly gave students an assignment that required them to interview a DACA recipient. MEChA received emails asking for information on these students, Castillo said.

Although Castillo  understands the need to chase the story, assignments such as these make way for giving into stereotypes.

“[Journalism] students are coming to MEChA because there is a stereotype that DACA [recipients] are Mexican. There is a multitude of problems with just that sentence [in] particular. There are so many more [ethnic] background[s] of students that receive DACA and there are so many other kinds of immigrant people who aren’t Mexican.”  

This incident, although cringeworthy, has shined light on the crumpling relationship that runs between student of color organizations and journalism students.

July Ramirez, internal director of UO Muxeres, said that her organization also received these emails from journalism students. She stated that whether or not there are DACA students in Muxeres, they are not at liberty to share that information.

According to July, there is unease when talking to journalism students because there is no trust built with the reporter and much less between news outlets and marginalized people.  

“When it comes to interviews from white people, what I see a lot of the time is assumptions and that becomes a little tokenizing. I feel like I have to be a little bit more on guard and I have to explain interactions that I wouldn’t normally think to explain to a POC journalism student.”

For July, the lack of diversity of the journalism students brings feelings of discomfort when discussing her experiences as a person of color.

Castillo said that she doesn’t know when the rocky relationship between journalism students and MEChA began, but it has only gotten worse since the election. Concerns about tokenism and journalism students’ intentions are often a reason why MEChA holds back from talking to them.

“When someone outside your community comes in and tries to talk to you about how it is to live your life, it’s very unsettling. Because there has to be a [difference] between coming in and exposing a minority community for their culture and… really understand[ing] what it is to live in it. There’s a stigma that journalists are only in it for the story and not for the understanding. Like what is the real purpose behind this interview and what is the information being used for?”

Senior journalism instructor Lisa Heyamoto says that the SOJC is a leader in community engagement and strategic planning journalism, but she acknowledges the issues that arise with new journalists when they are trying to cover communities they are unfamiliar with.

“One of the things that our students are doing is building empathy, but it’s so hard to understand how that particular feeling is and how very vulnerable people feel. I think it’s just really RIPE for missteps. What I would tell students who are interested in doing those stories is check your motivation. Make sure that you are coming at this from a very respectful empathic space. Remind yourself constantly that you as a journalist have a lot of power in this situation and (when) talking to someone who is feeling maybe powerless you can never ever forget that sort of the dynamic.”

The lack of diversity, community building and understanding of privilege are factors of rocky relationships these organizations have with journalism students, according to Castillo and Ramirez

As journalists, we need to learn to step back at times and allow the people to lead. If we force our ways into spaces and to stories, then the stories that need to be heard won’t be. And that won’t be on our readers, it will be on us.

The post Fernandez-Alvarado: The straining relationship between minorities and journalists appeared first on Emerald Media.

The post Podcast: Horchata Squad 2.0: Let’s talk indigenous femmes appeared first on Emerald Media.

Horchata Squad is an official opinion desk podcast from the Daily Emerald. With host Veronica out, co-host Marian Fragoso meets with guest Chloé to talk about the ins-and-outs of being queer women of color. Included in their conversation are coming out stories, what it means to ‘know’ you’re queer and if there’s actually a ‘gay look.’

This podcast contains language that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Music featured in this episode is “Girl” by The Internet and “Fertilizer” by Frank Ocean.

This episode was produced by Alec Cowan.

The post Podcast: Horchata Squad 2.0: It’s queer time, baby appeared first on Emerald Media.

Horchata Squad is an official opinion desk podcast from the Daily Emerald. On this episode of Horchata Squad 2.0, hosts Veronica Feranandez-Alvarado, Marian Fragoso and guest Carina discuss the complexities of understanding what makes up white identity in comparison to an ethnic latinx identity. The episode features some self-love momentos, some impassioned shoutouts and an honest discussion on what it means to be white and latinx.

This podcast contains language that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Music featured in this episode is “Fireball” by Pitbull and “Fertilizer” by Frank Ocean.

This episode was produced by Alec Cowan.

The post Podcast: Horchata Squad 2.0: White and ethnic latinx identity appeared first on Emerald Media.

The way that students of color vote is vastly important for this ASUO election. The harassment that UO students of color face has recently become more public, whether because of the nazis on campus, anti-immigration graffiti or racist costumes from faculty. Both slates have stated that the safety of marginalized students is a major concern for their platform, but students of color should be concerned about the inexperience of United UO.

Last Thursday, I went to the ASUO town hall debate. Ducks Together and United UO were ready to prove the importance of their slates and why they deserve the vote. A common theme in the questions being asked was the focus on marginalized students, particularly students of color. Questions circling around cultural competency, safety of students of color, mental health and First Amendment protections were posed.

Toward the end of the Q&A with both slates, United UO vice president candidate Karishma Shah, in expressing support for students of color on campus, showed UO students the potential concerns with leaders who have little experience in ASUO. She stated, “We can also encourage the cultural groups on campus to ask for more funding.”

Shah, who is a member of the Indian Student Association, showed good intent and experience on the issue concerning student organizations but didn’t propose a sufficient plan to assist those groups.

United UO slate members (from left to right) Karishma Shah and Jacob Faatz speak at town hall debate. (Frankie Benitez/Emerald)

Marginalized student organizations have been denied increases in stipends yearly and have had to fight to keep ASUO from allocating their funds elsewhere. Student of color organizations do not need “encouragement” in requesting funds because they are continuously begging to keep the pennies that they are able to have.

Due to rises in tuition, employment of college students has risen to an all-time high. According to a survey released by Business Wire and Seventeen Magazine, nearly four out of five students are employed for full or part-time jobs. Students’ time is more costly, which makes it hard for them to do labor that is not properly compensated. For marginalized students, this issue is on top of the stigma and harassment they receive from peers, and as vice presidential candidate Karishma Shah stated, marginalized students are more likely to feel unwelcome on university campuses. Yet they are supposed to be fine with practically doing free labor for the university.

Many marginalized student organizations do the major recruiting for their community – enough work for a full-time paid position. The ranges in stipends vary between organizations, but even groups like the LGBTQIA3, with one of the highest stipends for marginalized student organizations, will still have student leaders struggle in their leadership roles because they are not compensated properly.

Ducks Together slate members (from left to right) Imani Dorsey and Maria Gallegos speak at town hall debate. (Frankie Benitez/Emerald)

In response to concerns about stipends, United UO stated that they were unsure how to help fix stipends because of their lack of experience on ASUO. Ducks Together stated that there are problems with the current stipend model which currently allows the university to not “[pay] students the money that they deserve.” Though Ducks Together does not promise hourly wages, they are willing to work on the current stipend model with their senate and financial officers.

“We’re not here giving students a voice. I know you don’t need encouragement. … I know what you need because I’ve been there,” said Gallegos, presidential candidate for Ducks Together.

Ducks Together is more equipped and more experienced to handle the issues that marginalized students face so that we don’t have to take any steps back. Marginalized student groups that care about progressing on the issues that we still face today should vote for Ducks Together.

The post Fernandez-Alvarado: Marginalized student groups should be concerned about inexperienced candidates appeared first on Emerald Media.

Horchata Squad is an official opinion desk podcast for the Daily Emerald. In this episode of Horchata Squad, host Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado meets with guests Maria and Jamani while host Marian is traveling. Their conversation focuses on puta positivity and explores how, as femmes of color, they relate to sexual education and experience.

This episode contains language that may not be suitable for all listeners.

Music in this episode is “My Neck, My Back” by Khia and “Fertilizer” by Frank Ocean.

This episode was produced by Alec

The post Podcast: Horchata Squad 2.0: Puta positivity party appeared first on Emerald Media.

Horchata Squad is an official opinion desk podcast for the Daily Emerald. On this episode, hosts Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado and Marian Fragoso talk with their guest, Samara, about what being an activist and a femme of color is like. Be sure to listen for the usual momentos, shout-outs and an in-depth discussion on how activist organizations can marginalize femmes of color through tolerance of bad behavior and an inability to call-in rather than call-out.

This episode contains language that may not be suitable for all listeners.

Music in this episode is “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by Gil Scott-Heron and “Fertilizer” by Frank Ocean.

This episode was produced by Alec Cowan.

The post Podcast: Horchata Squad 2.0: Femmes of color in activism appeared first on Emerald Media.

Horchata Squad 2.0 is an official Daily Emerald opinion section podcast. Join hosts Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado and Marian Fragoso with guest Jasmine Jackson as they discuss their experiences with white feminism.

This podcast contains language that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Music in this episode is “Llamame” by Emmanuel Horvilleur and “Fertilizer” by Frank Ocean.

This episode was produced by Alec Cowan.

The post Podcast: Horchata Squad 2.0: White feminism: The danger of Becky’s tears appeared first on Emerald Media.