Raza Studies Department History
The Raza Studies Department was founded as the first program of its kind on a four year college campus in the United States. It was established as a result of the campus-wide Third World Student Strike in October of 1968. The strike and boycott of classes lasted until April 1969 and was successful in achieving many of its demands, one of which was the establishment of the College of Ethnic Studies. More than seven hundred students and community supporters were arrested, dozens were beaten and many more injured in the daily melees with city and Bay Area law enforcement. The SFSU faculty union, The American Federation of Teachers, eventually joined in the strike. Many supportive faculty held their classes off campus to respect the boycott of the campus.
Two members of our faculty, Dr. Roberto Rivera and Dr.Velia Garcia were among the student and faculty participants in the strike. Dr. Rivera is one of the founding members of the Raza Studies Program. Dr. Garcia was the first Raza counselor in the quickly established Educational Opportunity Program -- another of the strike demands. The Program evolved into a Department named La Raza Studies in order to promote an inclusive identity for the uniquely San Francisco mix of Chicanos, Puerto Ricans, Mexicanos, Central and South Americans living primarily in San Francisco's Mission District. The Department's curriculum now focuses on the Latino experience in the U.S., with a special emphasis on local urban issues. Recently, the name of the department was streamlined to Raza Studies, retaining the inclusiveness that is even more important today than it was in 1969.
