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Hxstory of Mixed @ Berkeley

Recruitment and Retention Center &

bridges Multicultural Resource Center

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Table of Contents

bridges hxstory

MRRC hxstory

know hxstory,

know self

01

02

03

how the coalition came to be

how MRRC came to be

why we document and tell this hxstory

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bridges hxstory

01

how the coalition came to be

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What are Recruitment and Retention Centers?

And what is bridges?

The purpose of each of the seven respective Recruitment and Retention Centers (RRCs) is to recruit and retain underrepresented students of color into higher education.

Recruitment: hosting events at high schools and community colleges, mentoring pre-4 year university students

Retention: providing current students with materials and support needed to succeed in higher education

bridges Multicultural Resource Center is the coalition of these seven RRCs.

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What are the 7 RRCs?

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The RRCs of bridges

BRRC

Black Students

founded in 1983

Raíces

Latinx Students

founded in 1970s

bridges

Students of Color

founded in 1997

MENA-RRC

Middle Eastern & North African Students

founded in 2012

INC RRC

Indigenous Students

founded in 1995

REACH!

AAPI Students

founded in 1994

PASS

Pilipinx Students

founded in 1985

MRRC

Mixed Students

founded in 1992

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Why was bridges formed?

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1996 and 1997: Two Very Important Years

Special Policy 1

Prop 209

Special Policy 2

UC cannot use “race, religion, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin” as a criteria for admission into the University

July 1995; effective January 1997

Banned the use of affirmative action in college admissions, employment, and/or contracting across the state of California

November 1996

UC cannot use “race, religion, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin” as a criteria for employment or contracting

July 1995; effective January 1996

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bridges was formed in political retaliation to the ban on affirmative action

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bridges Multicultural Resource Center was founded in 1997 in response to the passage of Prop 209.

Their first official event as a coalition of RRCs was bridges Senior Weekend.

It was a collaborative effort on the part of all the RRCs, as Prop 209 prohibited ethnic-specific outreach and retention efforts.

Today, bridges is its own entity with their own staff, recruitment/retention efforts, and events.

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2001: Senior Weekend Strike and the repeal of SP 1&2

In 2001, to protest SP 1&2 and to advocate for its repealment, the bridges coalition conducted a strike by refusing to hold Senior Weekend.

The strike had a drastic impact on the enrollment of students of color to UC Berkeley that year, and demonstrated the collective power of the RRCs and the importance of the work they provide to the University.

The strike influenced the UC Regents to rescind SP 1&2, but Prop 209 is still in effect.

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How do the RRCs get their funding?

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bridges Funding

1998

2018

Student Transformation through Academic Recruitment & Retention (STARR) Referendum passes, replacing Proposition 3

Now, the student fee is $26.50

Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) passes Proposition 3, allocating a $3 student fee for bridges programming

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Important People to know in bridges

LEAD Center Advisors

bridges Wellness Coordinator

Lien Truong, EdD

Lyone Conner

Elizabeth Aranda, PhD

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2009-2015: Activism and Growth

2013

2009 & 2010

2015

bridges and QARC (Queer Alliance & Resource Center) spaces move from Eshleman Hall to Hearst Field Annex

PASS holds the first Transfer Weekend in 2009, and the first bridges-wide Transfer Weekend is held the following year in 2010.

bridges and QARC return to Eshleman Hall, but are relegated to the basement; unsafe working conditions spark the #Fight4Spaces campaign

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2016-Present: #Fight4Spaces

2018

2016

2020-2021

bridges and QARC reach an agreement with the University to occupy MLK 4th Floor + hours in 5th Floor while HFA is rebuilt and remodeled

The #Fight4Spaces campaign is launched by bridges and QARC in Fall 2016 with a study-in at the Cal Student Store in the MLK Student Union.

bridges and QARC separate

HFA renovations begin with the goal of moving into HFA permanently in Spring 2022

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MRRC hxstory

02

how Mixed @ Berkeley Recruitment and Retention Center came to be

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pre-bridges Mixed Community

2005

1992

2006-2007

HIF rebrands to Mixed Student Union (MSU) to be more inclusive of all mixed-identifying students

Hapa Issues Forum (HIF), the precursor to MRRC, is founded. It is formed “to address the mixed race Asian experience in America by providing a voice for people of partial Asian or Pacific Islander ancestry”

MSU begins its partnership with bridges through participating in the hosting of SW, but receive no additional resources, funding, nor pay for staff from Prop 3 & bridges

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1992-2005: Hapa Issues Forum (HIF)

Hapa Issues Forum (HIF), the precursor to MRRC, is founded. It is formed “to address the mixed race Asian experience in America by providing a voice for people of partial Asian or Pacific Islander ancestry”

HIF founded by UC Berkeley students in 1992. HIF at Berkeley was a student-run chapter of the local organization Hapa Issues Forum.

Founded by Japanese students to “to create a voice and space for mixed race Japanese Americans”
1993 became a non-profit → 1994, “HIF broadened its scope by shifting to a pan-Asian mixed race focus”
Programs included: annual conference, diversity trainings to Asian American community organizations, advocacy for multiracial people, and a speaker’s bureau on multiracial Asian American issues.
In 2008, HIF shut down because “student and community chapters eventually grew distant from the work of the parent group, with some focusing on their local hapa community, others shifting away to a general multiracial focus and some focusing on social activities.”

About HIF

Hapa Issues Forum records

SHIFTING IDENTITIES

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2005: Rebrand to Mixed Student Union (MSU)

In 2005, HIF renames itself “Multi-racial, Multi-ethnic, and Multi-cultural Student Union” to expand its focus from hapa, to multi-cultural/multi-ethnic/multi-racial individuals. (later known colloqually as “Mixed” / “Mixed Student Union”

“While Hapa Issues Forum has always welcomed multi-cultural/multi-ethnic/multi-racial individuals, the fact that the club included the name “hapa” represented a focus on the mixed Asian communities. We on core have felt that perhaps we should re-evaluate our position, and attempt to reach out to a broader community. Thus, Hapa Issues Forum is undergoing a metamorphosis of sorts and becoming …”
MSU was founded by Ai-Ling Malone, a Black-Chinese Econ/Business student at Cal

In 2006, MSU began a partnership with bridges and participated in the hosting of Senior Weekend starting in 2007, but received no additional resources or funding from bridges.

MSU core members were not paid and did not put on recruitment/retention specific-programming, unlike bridges and RRC staff.

MSU put on events such as

Is Race Real?
Continued HIF Fall Conference
Bone Marrow drives
Mixed at Birth: The History of Transracial Adoptions
Fundraisers, study jams, etc.

MSU tumblr

MSU emails

Name change

Mixed emotions: The multiracial student experience at UC Berkeley

Forum: The multiracial student experience at UC Berkeley

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The Road to RRC Status

2015

MSU becomes an RRC!

it typically takes 2 years to become an RRC, but struggles within bridges to find structure made incorporation longer.

2012

MSU begins RRC process

Existing RRCs hesitant that letting MSU in would mean less resources and less Senior Weekend tickets for them.

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Mixed @ Berkeley Recruitment and Retention Center (MRRC)

2019

MSU rebrands to Mixed @ Berkeley Recruitment and Retention Center (MRRC)

clearly reflect MRRC’s connection and commitment to bridges
clarify exactly that we serve mixed-identifying students at UC Berkeley
develop a coherent brand identity and theme around publicity & advertising

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2020-2021: COVID-19 & Internal Changes

Based on data collected from 2009-2017:

58% of mixed freshmen admits & 54.9% of mixed transfers have a parent income of over $100k
78.6% of mixed freshmen admits & 55.2% of mixed transfers are not first-generation students
66.3% of mixed freshmen admits & 48.5% of mixed transfers have no low socioeconomic status (SES) factors
14% of mixed freshmen admits & 12% of mixed transfers have 2 or 3 low socioeconomic status (SES) factors

*Low SES Factors include being first generation college; having attended a public high school in the bottom half of the state rankings; and having parental income under $50k.

In Spring 2021, MRRC underwent a re-envisioning about the center’s purpose

Online programming allowed time to take a step back to see MRRC purpose and impact
Needed to reground, focus on intentionality of programming, making room for diverse mixes in space

why was our programming attracting white-asian demographics and not double POC mixes, esp if bridges purpose is to serve the most underrepresented students on campus?

Found that programming does not center first-generation, low-income, mixed students of color like our mission statement states (many mixed students on campus are privileged)
Changes included:

Created a new, specific mission statement
Consolidated roles and responsibilities so that this year would be small team to focus on how to find and uplift low income & first generation mixed students
Focus on advancement of racial justice and equity in education by centering first gen, low income, mixed students (particularly in programming director application process)

These are important things to note as we have seen HIF/MSU/MRRC expand over time to become more inclusive of multicultural/multiethnic/multiracial students → we must continue to create events and programming that truly support underrepresented mixed students of color

Record of Internal Change (S2021)

UC Berkeley MRRC Undergraduate Demographics and Outcomes -- Fall 2009-2017 Cohorts

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Our Mission

To retain mixed-identifying, low-income, and first-generation students of color at UC Berkeley through the implementation of programs that augment the academic, cultural and social experiences of the Mixed community
To increase the number of low-income, first-generation students of color enrolled in institutions of higher education
To collaborate with student organizations and campus partners to promote an inclusive and positive campus climate.
To advocate for the needs and issues facing mixed-identifying students of color, and uplift and represent marginalized communities at large
To create and make space for events and programs that foster political awareness and intercultural solidarity
To work continuously to become more visible and accessible to all mixed-identifying FGLI students of color.

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know hxstory, know self

03

why do we document our history?

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how do you interpret this quote? why must we speak about our hxstory?

“Those who fail to look back to where they came from will not reach where they’re going.”

- José Rizal

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Discussion Questions / Things To Consider

In what ways can MRRC expand our projects to be inclusive of all mixed students?

Think about language, recruitment programming, retention events, organizational culture, etc.
What programs would you be interested in seeing/making a comeback?

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THANK YOU

Mixed @ Berkeley is a work in progress: we are constantly changing, re-evaluating, and adapting. As Directors and Fellows, we have a responsibility to shape this organization into one we wish to see.

We are all a part of MRRC’s hxstory.