Race and Equity

Conventional history states Christopher Columbus was from Genoa, Italy, but he may have been, in fact, a Sephardic Jew from the eastern Iberian Peninsula, according to a new documentary by Spain’s national broadcaster that also rekindles questions of religious persecution and the treatment of Indigenous communities. Devin Naar, associate professor of history and of Jewish studies at the UW, is quoted.

"In the Old Town of Rhodes, a picturesque tourist destination in the Aegean Sea, stands a monument to a dark period in the island’s past. In the former “Djuderia,” the Jewish quarter, a marble obelisk commemorates the deportation of the island’s small but vibrant Sephardic Jewish community to Auschwitz-Birkenau on July 23, 1944," writes Devin Naar, associate professor of history and of Jewish studies at the UW.

It has been five years since Washington’s signature “sanctuary” law went into effect, prohibiting most local officials from cooperating with immigration enforcement. Since then, Washington jail and law enforcement agencies have committed hundreds of alleged violations, according to a report by the UW’s Center for Human Rights. Angelina Godoy, professor of law, societies, and justice and of international studies, as well as director of the Center for Human Rights at the UW, is quoted.

Personal stories are integral to Interrupting Privilege, a UW program that leans into difficult intergenerational discussions about race and privilege.

"While the war between Hamas and Israel dominates the news, the growing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is far more dangerous. Since Hamas attacked Israel last Oct. 7, Hezbollah — far larger and better armed than Hamas — has been waging a less-publicized war on Israel from southern Lebanon, attacking with rockets, artillery, drones, antitank missiles and other weapons, forcing Israel to evacuate tens of thousands of civilians living near the border. Hezbollah could initiate full-scale war at any moment. Its goal: The destruction of Israel," writes Paul Burstein, professor emeritus of sociology and adjunct professor of political science at the UW.

"The first comprehensive federal immigration legislation in the history of the U.S., the 1924 law solidified features of the immigration system with us today: visa requirements, the Border Patrol, and the category of the 'illegal alien.' Even as the primary targets of immigration restrictionism have shifted over the century, the consequences for immigrants and their communities remain profoundly shaped by the system created in 1924," writes Devin Naar, associate professor of history and of Jewish studies at the UW.

Black people in the LGBTQ+ community are more likely to have been raised in church. They're also less likely to leave Christianity after coming out. Jelani Ince, assistant professor of sociology at the UW, is quoted.

From "Hamburger Hill" to "The Sympathizer," veteran actor Kieu Chinh discusses how her career shaped Vietnam War memories. Linh Thủy Nguyễn, assistant professor of American ethnic studies at the UW, is quoted.

"As a political philosopher, I am interested in how concepts like moral equivalence are used in political discussions. Those who use this concept generally do so as a way of asserting that someone is at best deceived – and, at worse, deliberately deceptive – about the moral wrongs done by one side in a conflict," writes Michael Blake, professor of philosophy and of public policy and governance at the UW.

Immigration officials corrected his record, but the Tacoma center detainee warned of continued risks to himself and his family back in Micronesia. Angelina Godoy, professor of law, societies, and justice and of international studies, as well as director of the Center for Human Rights at the UW, is quoted.

Edgar Quiroz Sanchez, graduating with two bachelor's degrees, has been a powerful voice for the needs of undocumented students at the UW.

Anatomy for Change, a program for students underrepresented in healthcare careers, provides opportunities to spend time in an anatomy lab.

A program set to launch in July will enable families affected by housing discrimination to get financial assistance for home purchases. James Gregory, professor and associate chair of history at the UW, is quoted.

More than a month after a man died at an immigrant detention center in Tacoma, federal officials released a report, as required by Congress. The report lacked one key detail: a cause of death. The UW's Phil Neff, project coordinator at the Center for Human Rights, and Angelina Godoy, professor of both international studies and law, societies and justice and the director of the Center for Human Rights, are mentioned.

Like many little girls, a young Kristi Yamaguchi loved playing with Barbie. With a schedule packed with ice skating practices, her Barbie dolls became her “best friends.” So, it’s surreal for the decorated Olympian figure skater to now be a Barbie girl herself. Sapna Cheryan, professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.