McNair Research Scholars

Black college students deal with academic, social, and racial stressors that come from the racism and discrimination they experience at Predominantly White Institutions (PWI). Mental health care resources are universally available at UCLA; however, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), the primary resource, is a mental health hub for 33,000+ students at UCLA. For this study, I aim to provide a glimpse into how Black college students at UCLA view CAPS and utilize Black-run campus organizations such as the Afrikan Student Union (ASU) to create their own “safe space.” Through 84 survey responses and 10 virtual interviews, I found that Black college students do not utilize the counseling resources on university campuses because they are unwelcoming. Although the UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services generally caters to all university students, Black college students do not utilize counseling resources because there is a lack of culturally trained psychologists or Black psychologists available to discuss the imposter syndrome, microaggressions, and racism Black students experience. As a result, Black students take on the role of community organizers. Through the creation and maintenance of the Afrikan Student Union and other Black-run campus organizations, Black students create safe spaces and provide race-based resources for themselves to maintain retention within their community. My research reiterates that the responsibility taken on by Black students should be the job of the university, especially when they praise themselves for diversity and inclusion.

Over the past decade, the number of Central American refugees attempting to migrate to the United States through Mexico has dramatically increased. The rapid shift in climate change increased gang warfare and violence has forcibly displaced individuals from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. With the goal of achieving a deeper understanding of U.S.- Mexico border policies in contemporary society, this project explores how artists amplify the mounting refugee crisis through the use of creativity to attract viewers, create a sense of unity within communities and cultivate curiosity. Primarily, this research focuses on the power of arts activism in promoting social issues through the lens of U.S.-Mexico border art installations. Artists included in this analysis of transborder arts activism are JR, the art collective Postcommodity, Ronald Rael, and Virginia San Fratello. To further support the research, I look at statistics offered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), interviews with migrants, and image analysis of installation works. By probing deeper into U.S.-Mexico border policies and the role that the arts play in fostering conversation and activism, I further explore the power behind arts activism.

The conflicts that emerged from both Asia and Europe and the legal policies that were created drove the United States to want to become the police keeper internationally, leading to the lesser-explored various interventions by the United States in other countries. Between 1945 -1975 the United States advocated the spread of democracy and increased political influence. This research study examines pivotal US military actions and interventions, doctrines, and legal policies to reappraise these notions of western influence. As the United States rose to status of global superpower, it was rivaled by the Soviet Union advocating the global spread of communism, particularly in developing nations. This started a socio-political rivalry over the course of four decades; the United States would partake in several military actions often remembered as acts of peacekeeping but included imperialism. This study examines American legal policies during the Cold War in relationship to ideas of US imperialism. Utilizing an approach and encompassing mixed methods that includes archival analysis and ethnography, this study intends to examine US military action in the context of newfound superpower status, specifically how these actions and interventions may or may not have been the result of modern-day imperialism, rather than widely believed attempts to support peace efforts.

With increasing trends of social minority groups going into medical school, there has been an increase to the diversity of medical staff in the field. This research will focus on the institutional determinants of health, while exploring peripheral generational trauma and the effects it has on medical practitioners of color. The literature shows a lack of conversation around minority health professional burnout and the rising diversity in medical teams however, a consideration of these elements is necessary, as a more ethnically diverse medical team will be more culturally competent, bettering health outcomes for the diverse population demographics in cities like Los Angeles. Using the theoretical framework of Peripheral Generational Trauma-Race Consciousness, I propose to investigate the experiences of minority healthcare providers by attaining their insight on burnout and treatment for historically disenfranchised populations. Specifically, this research brings the academic dialogue around cultural consciousness and susceptible minority communities to implementation on what can be done to better support our practitioners of color. Further implications would allow one to explore to what extent does our medical institution support our practitioners of color and how does this translate to the quality of care communities of color engage with at large?

Latinx students suffer high levels of anxiety, depression, isolation, and stress on campus and experience greater psychological distress compared to their white counterparts (Del Pilar, 2009). Additionally, the stress Latinx students face in college affects their academic adjustment and participation within the university (Del Pilar, 2009). Currently, Covid-19 has forced the closure of higher education institutions and affected the educational experience of all students. The pandemic has affected the mental well-being of students through sudden changes in learning, employment, and the uncertainty of their future. However, Latinx students are subject to additional social, economic, and mental health issues affecting their educational experience. This study explored the ways in which COVID-19 has affected the social, economic, and mental well-being of Latinx students. In relation, this project aims to understand the mental health disparities Latinx students have faced prior to the pandemic and how the pandemic has affected their day to day lives to address the needs of Latinx students from higher education institutions. Surveys and interviews were collected to recruit and to understand the barriers and facilitators towards the utilization of mental health resources within an R1 institution and further explore COVID-19’s impact on Latinx students. Project implications include advocating for additional support from higher education institutions towards students of color to address the disparities in educational equity.

Antiblackness -- the disdain, disgust, and disregard for Blackness reflected in civil society’s unwillingness and seeming inability to recognize the humanity of Black people -- permeates the everyday schooling experiences of Black students. In the nearly three-quarters of a century following the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board US Supreme Court decision that declared school segregation as unconstitutional, Black students’ educational experiences continue to be shaped by the pernicious antiblack logic that defined their schooling experiences prior to the Brown decision, thus significantly contributing to their continued marginalization in schools today. In spite of incessant antiblackness, a critical amount of Black students experience academic success at the secondary level and successfully matriculate into college, highlighting a need for researchers to study the factors that enable Black students to overcome obstacles posed by antiblackness. Utilizing Black Critical Theory (BlackCrit) and kihana ross’ afterlife of school segregation and Black educational fugitive space as analytical lenses, this study seeks to explore how Black students experience antiblackness in their everyday schooling experiences, in addition to examining how Black students are empowered to challenge and resist antiblackness through their participation in a Social Justice College Access Program. Given that antiblackness is endemic to the schooling experiences of Black students, it is imperative for researchers to explore how Black students both experience and resist antiblackness in schools in order to improve their holistic wellbeing and academic outcomes.