Chicana/Chicano Studies 10B delves into the social structures and contemporary conditions of the Latinx community. As per the course description, 10B examines colonialism, race, immigration issues, poverty and more in relation to Chicanas/Chicanos. Students analyze different social movements, some of which include UCLA alumni, with an emphasis on the current political state of the U.S.
Its discussion sections typically do the same, yet one TA’s discussion section provides an underlying support system for students, separate from any course material. Brian Cantero, a graduate student at UCLA, is currently in his second quarter as a TA for a Chicana/o and Central American studies (CCAS) class.
In each discussion section, before delving into class material, heavy emphasis is placed on every student’s well-being. He does so by giving students an opportunity to speak about their lives separate from school and have an open dialogue with their peers and himself.
“We are losing our humanity sometimes, where we forget that students are human beings and people first,” Cantero said. “A lot of students are going through a plethora of different life things, and it’s important for me to center the space, and really [have students] think through the questions of ‘how am I doing?'”
Students in Cantero’s section described how important this factor was for everyone involved.
“I think this type of approach is valuable to students because Cantero’s discussion section is a personalized and inclusive section, where all students are active participants, providing a platform for students to be seen and heard,” Ivan Ixtlilco, a molecular, cell and developmental biology major, said.
“The daily check-in is the one factor that distinguishes this discussion section from others, where we immediately discuss topics and learning objectives up until the section is over, moving onto our next discussion or lecture, where the process is repeated,” Ixtlilco said.
Cantero opened the first discussion section by being honest on what his worldview is, in relation to politics as well. He said that this is an important factor in having conversations with students and promoting a safe space for dialogue.
“It starts with me being honest with my own politics and how I’m coming to the space. I think the transparency allows those conversations to happen,” Cantero said.
On a broader class perspective, CCAS 10B centers the knowledge to make it impactful on students of all ethnicities.
“We discuss Latinx et cetera, but we also see this lens of Critical Race Theory in the classroom. Students start realizing it affects the Latinx community in this way, but affects me in this way. It’s an interesting thing that happens where students realize how interconnected our struggles really are. That’s what is so important about CCAS. Students are able to put pieces of puzzles together, and sometimes they are affected by very similar ones,” Cantero said.
Chicana/Chicano Studies 10B provides students of all ethnicities a fundamental understanding of forces shaping the Latinx community with an emphasis on the connections between multiple communities. It is only emphasized in Cantero’s approach to his discussion section, highlighting the importance of open dialogue with each other, an imperative aspect to building a stronger sense of community and purpose among every student outside of the classroom.
Visual Credit: Tyler Zhang
