Notes on Berkeley Ethnic Studies Struggle and the 1999 Hunger Strike

Ethnic Studies, Struggle, and the Berkeley 1999 Hunger Strike

• Opening focus: A poem that pleads for ethnic studies and multiple ethnic studies departments (Chicano, Asian American, Native American, African American) and asserts that the poem written on the body cannot be silenced, restrained, or arrested. It ends with the speaker offering their body instead of a traditional gift.
• The poem frames ethnic studies as a lived, embodied demand and a critique of state and disciplinary power.

Origins: Berkeley Ethnic Studies, TWLF, and 1969 Roots

• In 1999, Berkeley students organized a strike to save the Ethnic Studies Department from drastic budget cuts and from loss of faculty.
• The movement was organized under the banner of TWLF (Third World Liberation Front).
• TWLF’s name recalls the original Third World Liberation Front that fought for the creation of the Third World College at UC Berkeley in 1969.
• Official demands (as listed in the transcript):
  • A. Funds allocated for the implementation of the Third World College.
  • B. A Department of Asian Studies, controlled by Asian people.
  • C. A Department of Black Studies, as proposed by AASU (Asian American Student Union).
  • D. A Department of Chicano Studies.
  • E. Any other ethnic studies programs as they are developed and presented.
• Core rationale: There was no history or culture represented from the perspective of people of color; education was from a European point of view, and ethnic studies would reflect histories and contemporary realities of people of color in the US.
• Ethnic studies aimed to prepare students to serve their communities as teachers, leaders, and citizens.
• The movement drew on a broader global context of protests and liberation movements; it highlighted youth as protagonists in revolutionary struggle.
• The strike was presented as a unique historical moment, not only in the USA but around the world (Africa, Latin America, Europe, Asia).

Tactics, Resistance, and the Emergence of Ethnic Studies as a Field

• Berkeley’s struggle, like other global movements, faced violent resistance.
• The Berkeley strike lasted ten weeks—the longest, costliest strike in the history of UC Berkeley.
• Response to student action included the National Guard and tear gas on campus.
• Outcome focus: The Ethnic Studies Department emerged, challenging the traditional education model by integrating community into the curriculum.
• The development signaled: students wanted to be included, to write history, and to make the university relevant to communities.
• Despite early gains, the Ethnic Studies Department faced ongoing scrutiny and criticism from the administration.
• The department later confronted severe budget cuts in the early 1990s, linked to California’s prolonged recession.

Economic and Political Context: 1990s Recession, Budget Cuts, and Anti-Immigrant Backlash

• Around 1990, economic recession in California led to budget cuts that affected ethnic studies.
• The department underwent consolidation, downsizing, and staff reductions as part of broader cost-cutting.
• A wave of anti-immigrant scapegoating accompanied the recession and influenced policy debates.
• Propositions labeled as part of this backlash included:
  • 187 (anti-immigrant measure),
  • 209 (statutory constraints linked to anti-affirmative action stances), and
  • 227 (bilingual education restrictions).
• The speech frames these propositions as ongoing threats to communities of color and to educational spaces that provide critical analyses of race and inequality.
• The material argues that ethnic studies remains necessary to analyze inequality, race relations, and community experiences in order to resist currents like Prop. 187, Prop. 209, and Prop. 227.

The Hunger Strike and the Occupation of Barrows Hall (Barrels Hall) and California Hall

• On 04/14/1999, students occupied Barrows Hall (housing Ethnic Studies) to demand hires and department sustenance.
• The occupation mobilized campus communities and drew daily crowds to Sproul Plaza, with readiness to sustain sit-ins, protests, rallies, and occupations.
• A hunger strike emerged as a mid-point moral appeal, designed to convey seriousness and moral force beyond traditional protest methods.
• On the fifth day of the hunger strike (at 03:00 in the morning), university police arrested students and set up a barricade using a truck full of bike racks around the camp, effectively encircling the protesters.
• The police used orders about trespassing and legality; protesters responded with chants, silence, and nonviolent resistance as others were dragged away.
• Reportage captures vivid scenes: people lying down to block buses, officers using force, and the community’s emotional responses to the arrests.
• The arrests were widely viewed by students and community members as an act that would backfire against the administration by galvanizing support.
• At one point, Jason Federer (TWLF) climbed the California Hall wall and unfurled a TWLF banner, triggering a roar of support from the crowd.
• The day after arrests, community support intensified, drawing attention from Dolores Huerta and Angela Davis, as well as elected officials and labor groups.
• The protesters framed the struggle as a broader fight for education, rights, and justice beyond UC Berkeley, linking it to immigrant rights, bilingual education, and broader social justice movements.
• The administration faced mounting pressure and acknowledged the need to negotiate due to widespread campus and community mobilization.

Negotiations, Outcomes, and the Settlement

• Negotiations occurred between the protesting group and Chancellor Berdahl’s administration.
• The key sticking points in negotiations were:
  • Amnesty for those arrested during the occupation.
  • Additional faculty positions (the goal was to secure 9 FTEs; the settlement offered 8 FTEs).
• The negotiations produced a settlement that included:
  • Eight faculty positions (FTEs) approved; the group had requested nine.
  • The establishment of a new center, the Institute for the Study of Race and Gender.
  • A multicultural student center.
  • The broader sense that the movement had achieved part of its goals, though not all.
• A crucial point of contention: Amnesty for those arrested during the occupation was not resolved in the final agreement due to a stalemate in discussions with the larger group of participants.
• The negotiations were influenced by the presence and support of the community and faculty, who threatened broader consequences if the administration did not negotiate.
• The consensus among participants was that the hunger strike and occupation yielded important gains and demonstrated the power of collective action, even if not all demands were fully realized.

Reflections, Legacies, and Significance

• Post-settlement reflection: Many participants considered the outcome a victory in restoring and expanding ethnic studies resources, even if amnesty was not granted.
• Positive outcomes noted included:
  • Reinstatement or expansion of ethnic studies resources (e.g., new faculty positions, new centers).
  • A strengthened sense of community ownership of the Ethnic Studies Department.
  • Recognition of the role of students, faculty, and community in shaping campus policy.
• The experience underscored the importance of collective action and the ongoing need to defend ethnic studies in the face of financial and political pressures.
• A concluding sentiment popular in the movement: "Power to the people" and a call to continue struggle beyond the immediate victory, emphasizing ongoing activism and solidarity.
• The speaker emphasizes not underestimating organized communities and proposes continued mobilization to ensure gains are sustained and expanded in the future.

Key Figures, Institutions, and Moments Mentioned

• UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies Department and Barrows Hall (Barrels Hall in transcript) occupancy; Chancellorship of Berdahl; California Hall as the Chancellor’s office.
• Organizations and groups:
  • TWLF (Third World Liberation Front).
  • AASU (Asian American Student Union).
• Notable allies and figures mentioned:
  • Dolores Huerta (attendee).
  • Angela Davis (send regard and support).
  • Jason Federer (TWLF banner climber who posted the banner on California Hall wall).
  • Louise (referenced as a parent involved in related activism).
• Outcomes cited:
  • Creation of a Center and an Institute on Race and Gender, plus a multicultural student center.
  • Eight faculty positions secured (FTEs) vs the requested nine.
• Overall message: The struggle linked to broader social justice movements, including immigrant rights, bilingual education, and the critique of the university as an institution intertwined with corporate and military interests.

Connections to Broader Themes and Real-World Relevance

• Ethnic studies as a response to Eurocentric curricula and as a platform for critical analysis of race, inequality, and community histories.
• The narrative situates student activism as a catalyst for institutional change, highlighting the potential for universities to align more closely with community needs.
• The interplay between higher education policy, economics (recession and budget cuts), and political backlash against immigrant and communities of color.
• The text frames education as a site of political struggle, with ethical and practical implications for representation, self-determination, and social justice.

Ethical, Philosophical, and Practical Implications

• Ethical: The demand to include marginalized histories and voices in education; questions about campus governance, democracy, and the rights of students and communities to push for change.
• Philosophical: The legitimation of youth as agents in social transformation; the idea that education should serve communities, not merely reproduce existing power structures.
• Practical: The necessity of securing funding and staff, the importance of community alliances, and the role of protest tactics (occupations, hunger strikes) in pressuring administrations to negotiate.

Notable Quotes and Pivotal Moments (as reflected in the transcript)

• "If you want us to sacrifice, you’ve got to give something back to life.”
• "This is our university. This is a place that doesn't exist without students." (with emphasis on student power and accountability of leadership)
• "Don't arrest the students. Negotiate with them." (call to administration)
• "Power to the people. Power to the people." (chant during the escalation and response to arrests)
• "What we've all learned here, and what chancellor Berdahl should definitely learn here is that you do not underestimate the people."
• "The struggle continues." (closing sentiment reinforcing ongoing mobilization)

Summary Takeaways

• The 1999 Berkeley Ethnic Studies hunger strike and barrows/campus occupation was a pivotal event in the broader push for ethnic studies programs and community inclusion within higher education.
• The TWLF’s historical lineage linked this moment to the 1969 push for a Third World College and broader demands for inclusive curricula.
• The movement achieved concrete gains (eight faculty positions, a new center, and a multicultural student center) and sparked ongoing debates about amnesty, representation, and the role of student activism in governance.
• The episode demonstrates how economic pressures, political backlash, and social movements intersect within universities, shaping the evolution of curriculum and institutional culture.