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ethnic studies Tag

School Visit – Alvarado Elementary

This was cool. I’ve never ever done a school visit in Union City. I met an educator named Roxanne Ramirez at the San Jose Made last year who has been a teacher for over 20 years. Not only that but shes an ethnic studies educator. Anyways, she invited me to her school in the Southern part of the Bay Area and I spoke to a whole bunch of students from 1st grade up to 5th.

They kids were super sweet, curious, and inquisitive so I had fun chopping it up with them, asking them questions, and being silly.

Some of the things we talked about or did on the first day were:

  • Several picture book readings
  • Q & A about writing and drawing
  • Revising your work, working with a team
  • Fruits, veggies, and community
  • Different types of family structures

Some of the things we talked about on the second day were more focused on:

  • Character design
  • Art Books
  • Figure drawing
  • Collaboration
  • Public Art/ Graffiti
  • Video Games, Animation, Film
  • Social Justice

I really had a blast drawing with them and talking with these young minds, meeting their teachers, their principal, and many of the staff members. And I hope to make it back to this school again in the future.

School and Library Visits: I’ve been visiting students as a storyteller since 2012 yall. I started as an illustrator first and then I became an author. I visit many schools every single year. I’ve been all over the Bay Area and Ive read to students in California, Texas, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, and Ohio. At this point I’ve visited over 100 libraries and schools. Recently I put out the call to visit more cities in Northern and Central California. If you’d like to invite me to visit your school or library in the Bay or outside of it, I’m open to travel! Shoot me an email at info@robdontstop.com

Dig this? I did a picture book workshop for CCA college students in the comics MFA program.

These are the educators who spend countless hours prepping, reading, researching, and teaching our babies. They were kind enough to take a picture with me. Photos by Victor Guzman Benitez and Roxanne Ramirez. Shout out to the Social Justice Academy and the Ethnic Studies educators there. Hella appreciate y’all!

March 19, 2025
in General, School or Library Visit
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Fuck ICE!

This isn’t new. But, because the cheeto is back I’m reminded that it we all must speak up when able. I’m not going to hit every issue, I’m human. But over the course of my life I’m going to try many times.

Why Fuck ICE? “Immigration and Customs Enforcement” is not being used in this current onslaught of raids affecting real people to protect America. They are wielded as a tool like cops and immigration laws to reinforce a harmful narrative, a story. That story says Black and Brown people are the cause of poor and working class White Americans’ problems. Why do they reinforce this BS? To rile up White folks and others so they are emboldened and to distract them from the fact that the billionaire class is robbing them and us blind. Jobs have been going over seas where they can pay them less w/less worker protection for decades. Its about keeping some pointing the finger at migrants instead of realizing who is screwing them over. Its also about putting fear and terror into the hearts of hard working everyday people of color in the US. And it is about good ole white supremacy.

When you need to debate with anyone (Blk, White, Latino, Asian, etc) who is applauding the current raids bring up some things. Talk about the 1% vs the 99%, race, class, what this country will pay for (War/Genocide) and what they pretend to have no money for (universal health care, housing). Seek independent and trusted news sources outside and within social media. Watch and think: Who’s narrative is being highlighted, and who is has a distorted voice or no voice at all?

If you’re an artist, make art. If youre not an artist, share art that informs, engages, etc. Lend your support to grassroots organizations and people working to protect migrants who have legal, civil, and human rights by donating time, money, or other means. Know this is a racist legacy of attacks going back centuries in the US of A. Latinos, Black folks, Aapi communities, Arab, and white allies have fought back and won victories before and they will again.

Dig this? Check out “Empire is Built on Genocide”.

January 28, 2025
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Asian American History 101-Podcast

Link to interview with Be a and Harvey of EastWind Books. Last Spring I got the chance to speak and table at an event in Berkeley California supporting a new model curriculum about Ethnic Studies; one of my favorite things to talk about. And while I was there I got a chance to speak to Bea and Harvey. They were both so kind and actually carried one of my books! I regret not going to EastWind more when the physical location was open, but as you’ll hear in this episode they are still publishing and selling books. Their advocacy and work is so freaking important so please check out their work here. 

Really enjoyed this episode of “Asian American History 101” which I found through an awesome interview w/ my good friend and fellow kid lit creator Nidhi Chanani. This seems like a really cool podcast to follow and listen to for historic and current perspectives on AAPI in the US! Love the fact that is a father daughter duo too:)

Dig this? Check out this Inspiration Board I made featuring books, art, film, and more.

August 14, 2024
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Garrison Hayes – Urban Renewal (Subtext)

This is a very informative bit short video about urban renewal. This was the process of taking out entire blocks or sections of neighborhoods to construct freeways , major roads, and other things. Often these were done at the expense of Black and Brown neighborhoods. I live in Oakland California. An example of this is Bart in West Oakland, the former Nimitz freeway, or Geary street in the Fillmore district. File this under systemic racism because it is not just about individual prejudice, its about policy and systems.

Dig this? Check out this purple painting I did about Ethnic Studies

April 10, 2024
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“Coalition for Liberated Ethnic Studies” collaboration

I started working with CLES –the Coalition for a Liberated Ethnic Studies in 2022 and it has been awesome to contribute to the incredible work they are doing to provide resources, curriculum, and advocacy for folks trying to get ethnic studies to kids in public schools, amplify those currently teaching it, and to stand up for those facing attacks because………surprise surprise, lots of reactionary adults are scared of their children feeling uncomfortable. Yeah, the true history of the United States and how it realtes to the world is uncomfortable af, but as a great writer once said :

"Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced." - James Baldwin

Please follow them on IG and cop some merch, to support their work. If you follow me you know how I feel about ethnic studies curriciulum and why it is vital for young people to get and understand.

Dig this? Check out this painting of a phrase I like to use “Ethnic Studies in Every School”.

January 16, 2024
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LLAG Radio – Art Nelson Concordia interview

 

This is a really great interview with educator, activist, and dad Art Concordia Nelson about his work in Ethnic Studies. He has been a teacher in schools for over 20 years, was instrumental to the fight for ethnic studies in San Francisco public schools, Ethnic Studies as a requirement for all California high schoolers, and is now working on a program in Santa Barbara.

Some of my favorite topics he brought up in this video are:

  • Ethnic Studies going from the margins to the center and the attacks that come with that
  • Why Ethnic Studies and Critical Race Theory are under scrutiny and threat
  • How race was invented to divide people
  • The path of inquiry to understand systems
  • The experience of working with young people and the responses or questions they have
  • Anti Oppression/ Anti Racism
  • Sorting neighborhoods into workers, managers, and owners
There were more gems but heres a good quote: “Ethnic Studies is history from the perspective of racialized communities of color”
Dig this? Check out my last Ethnic Studies in Every School painting and the Coalition for Liberated Ethnic Studies
February 10, 2023
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Teach the Children the Truth (podcast) -Marisa Villegas

 

Juiced to share this podcast by ethnic studies teacher and professor Marisa Villegas. 

“Ms V” as I call her taught my son when he was a student in the Oakland Unified School District at a bilingual school in East Oakland. She has been teaching for decades and like me is a Berkeley High school grad. In this show she gets into her story as a teacher, her tactics for teaching, and I’m excited to hear more. Listen to the introduction to the podcast and share with ethnic studies teachers. If you follow me you know I ride for this.
Dig this? Check out my last Inspiration board and my latest Ethnic Studies painting
January 18, 2023
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Inspiration board 42

Yall, it gives me so much pleasure to share some of the things I’m seeing, hearing, feeling, reading, learning from, and getting inspired by. PLEASE check out some of these people, things, etc and get inspired!!! Here are they are left to right, top to bottom.

1. Snapdragon by Kat Leyh (graphic novel) Witches, Queer identity, etc

2. Eve Ewing (Author/Educator) writes about super heroes, school closures, and science

3. Vamos! by Raul the Third (Picture book) Bilingual literacy, Latinx, kids lit

4. A Tradition of Violence by Cerise Castle (podcast) LA Sheriff gangs, journalism, police brutality

5. Sebastian Mikael’s new EP Phileo (Soul Music) Soul, hip hop

6. Pinocchio by Guillermo Del Toro (Animated film) stop motion,

7. Alvin Irby founder of Barbershop Books (Interview) activism, literacy, black boys

8. I am the Subway by Kim Hyo Eun (Picture book) train, humanity, working class

9. Nala Sinephro’s album Space 1.8 (Jazz music) jazz, experimental jazz, harp

10. Abel Cruz’s fog nets (Water) BBC, World hacks, water crisis, fog nets, peru

11. Sibylline Meynet (Artist) illustration, gouache, artist

12. Afu Chan’s Outer Darkness (Artist) comics, illustration

13. Ovarian Psycos (Documentary) cycling, women’s rights, trauma, women

14. Noni Sessions (Activist) East Bay Permanent Real Estate Coop, coop’s, land, activism

15. Coop Conversations (Podcast) Cooperative housing, podcasts, coop’s, alternative housing

16. Teach the Children the Truth by Marisa Villegas (Podcast) Ethnic studies, Raza Studies, education

Did you miss the previous inspiration board? Here are a few 
 
What’s this? This inspiration board is one of the ways I stay inspired and sane through all of life’s trials, and tribulations, work, etc. I’ve been making inspiration boards full of films, books, music, events, people, artists, movements, and more for over a decade. Do you have an inspiration board? Please share in the comments.
Who am I? My name is Rob and I’m an artist working in kid lit, public art, and other disciplines. Go to my website, or follow me on IG or YouTube.

You can purchase my book “Art of Rob” here

January 5, 2023
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