The Creative Discovery Fellows Program

Source: https://americancultures.berkeley.edu/cdf/student-projects Parent: https://americancultures.berkeley.edu/

The Creative Discovery Fellows (CDF) program supports instructors and students to exercise their creativity in ways that challenge existing assumptions, beliefs, and power structures; that propel discovery and meaningful self-reflection; and that contribute to and strengthen Berkeley's mission as a public institution.

The creative work produced by students in the courses supported by the Creative Discovery Fellows Program represent a wide range of disciplines, formats, skill levels, audiences, intentions, instructional goals, and life experiences. Not all work is intended for public dissemination, but all of it is meaningful in one way or another to the student designers and community members involved in the creation. Below is a selection of student projects that have been shared with us to showcase the work supported by the program. Some are individual projects, some are group based. These are used with permission. All rights are reserved by their creators.


Learn More About the Program	Previous CDF Course Offerings


Multimedia Projects
Videos
Websites

Multimedia Projects

[Zoom

Radio Caracol de Berkeley Podcast](#)

Radio Caracol de Berkeley Podcast

"Radio Caracol de Berkeley" is a collective out of Berkeley, California, that broadcasts a podcast “to the Left and from Below.” "Radio Caracol" features a series of podcasts created in Pablo Gonzalez’s Creative Discovery courses, Chicanx Studies 159AC and Chicanx Studies 179AC. The podcast series focuses on local, statewide, national, and international topics that included police brutality, state violence, and indigenous and afro-descendant social movements in Latin America. It also acknowledges the Zapatista indigenous social movement of Chiapas, Mexico, and its local struggles and their impacts across the globe. Visit podcast.

[Zoom

"Bears in History" Website and Acrylic Images](#)

"Bears in History" Website and Acrylic Images

From the course: College Writing R4B: "Images of History" -- The students collectively decided to work on creating life-sized acrylic images that would be placed in locations on UC Berkeley’s campus where the figures commonly worked or studied to raise visibility for the impacts and legacy of Japanese incarceration during World War II. Additionally, the class wrote historical and biographical context for each figure that is contained in the website and Spark presentations.

Visit the project.

[Zoom

East Meets West Cookbook](#)

East Meets West Cookbook

From the course: ESPM 50AC: "Introduction to Culture and Natural Resource Management" -- This student chose to create political posters using Adobe Illustrator to uplift the voices of young activists, particularly juxtaposing the voices of young activists of color with Greta Thunberg who is being uplifted by the media.

Visit the project.

[Zoom

Environmental Justice for Treasure Island Map](#)

Environmental Justice for Treasure Island Map

From the Course: International and Area Studies/Engineering 157AC: "Engineering, Environment, and the Society" -- Out of partnership with Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, students developed this interactive map that highlights the environmental disparities and cumulative hazards occurring on Treasure Island. The students also drafted a 41 page report highlighting the ways that Treasure Island has been exploited and ignored through paradigms of delusion and disposability.

Visit the Project.

[Zoom

Records: Music Over Three Generations](#)

Records: Music Over Three Generations

From the course: English 135AC: "Race, Class & Disability: An American Foundling Museum" -- Featuring three personally designed album covers, this project explores the relationship and continuity of the veena, an Indian classical musical instrument, across three different generations in the student’s family. On each of the album covers, there are personal reflections and explanations for the intentional design choices, as well as weaving together the narrative of each generation.

Visit the project.

[Zoom

Mauna Kea Paintings](#)

Mauna Kea Paintings

From the course: ESPM 50AC: "Introduction to Culture and Natural Resource Management" -- The student painted two paintings on 9x12 in pastel paper symbolizing the destruction and adverse effects on indigenous Kanaka Maoli of building the thirty meter telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawai’i.

Visit the project.

[Zoom

Young Environmental Justice Activists Political Posters](#)

Young Environmental Justice Activists Political Posters

Visit the project.

\ Back to top

Videos

[Zoom

Gordon J Lau Elementary School](#)

Gordon J Lau Elementary School

This student video documentary looks into the past history of the Gordon J Lau School in San Francisco Chinatown. Originally, it was called "The Oriental School" during the time of segregation between Asians and whites in San Francisco. This film was developed by an undergraduate student team for Asian American & Asian Diaspora Studies 121, 'History of the Chinese in the U.S.'

Watch Film

[Zoom

The Evolution and Legacy of Chinatown Associations](#)

The Evolution and Legacy of Chinatown Associations

This video project focuses on the evolution of Chinatown Associations, starting from the traditional family associations in the 19th century to today's current associations. It also highlights the accomplishments of 1960's-1970's activism, which explores the impact of the International Hotel and the Third World Liberation Front strikes in UC Berkeley. Pam Tau Lee, the co-founder of the Chinese Progressive Association (CPA), also speaks about her experiences as an activist and her involvement with the CPA. This film was developed by an undergraduate student team for Asian American & Asian Diaspora Studies 121, 'History of the Chinese in the U.S.'

Watch Film

[Zoom

Mun Ching (Chinese American Democratic Youth League)](#)

Mun Ching (Chinese American Democratic Youth League)

This student film project, completed for Asian American Studies 121, 'History of the Chinese in the U.S.,' discusses the 'Mun Ching' (Chinese American Democratic Youth League), an organization that supported the US-China war efforts during WW2 but later persecuted during Cold War. Despite this, they continued efforts to promote Chinese culture, history, and friendly relations between the US and China. The project is based on researching the Him Mark Lai Archives in the Asian American Studies Collection, Ethnic Studies Library at UC Berkeley. Family interviews, film clips from Chinatown Files documentary, books and articles from the Mun Ching Library.

Watch Film

[Zoom

Homelessness Documentary](#)

Homelessness Documentary

From the course: Sociology 130AC: "Social Inequalities: American Cultures" -- The students of the creative team created a documentary video exploring what homelessness looks like in the communities surrounding the 18 bus line in Alameda County, why it exists, and what can be done to help.

Visit the project.

[Zoom

Sweatshops: Jung Sai and NYC Garment Strikes](#)

Sweatshops: Jung Sai and NYC Garment Strikes

This documentary film by students Tammy Cheng, Leilani Chu, Anabella Hoang, and JC Zhang from Harvey Dong's ASAMST W20AC course, "Asian American Communities and Race Relations" looks at the historical development of immigrant worker conditions in sweatshops.

[Zoom

Persecution of Chinese American Scientists and Researchers](#)

Persecution of Chinese American Scientists and Researchers

Throughout history, discrimination, racial profiling, and political scapegoating of Asian Americans have largely impacted and led to the persecutions of Chinese American scientists. Our video project will address the questions of the historical roots of racial profiling, the impacts of it, and how community reacts to it. One thing it discusses is how the fluctuating relations between China and the U.S. affect how a Chinese American is viewed as — an ally and then a spy. Yet, while as an ally, and seen as a model minority, Asian Americans are still seen as the perpetual foreigner. This film was developed by an undergraduate student team for Asian American & Asian Diaspora Studies 121, 'History of the Chinese in the U.S.'

Watch Film

[Zoom

Mothering in the United States of America from Mexico](#)

Mothering in the United States of America from Mexico

From the course: Chicanx Studies 159AC:“Mexican and Central American Migration” -- This Spark video tells the story of the student’s mother and her experience as a young mother and immigrant.

Visit the project.

[Zoom

Preserving Chinese American History](#)

Preserving Chinese American History

Oftentimes, Chinese American history is either overlooked or overshadowed when discussing the history of the United States, despite the very real racism and discrimination that thousands of Chinese immigrants experienced. Founded in 1963, the Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA) was the first organization that actively sought to educate the public about Chinese American history. Our video discusses the various ways in which the CHSA is working to preserve Chinese American history and why the CHSA’s work continues to be important even to this day. This film, Preserving Chinese American History: SF Chinatown’s CHS, was developed by an undergraduate student team for Asian American & Asian Diaspora Studies 121, 'History of the Chinese in the U.S.'

Watch Film

[Zoom

The Masked Conditions of the Restaurant Industry](#)

The Masked Conditions of the Restaurant Industry

In this Ted-style Talk, undergraduate Deven Radfar highlights the working conditions of servers in the restaurant industry, while focusing on the experiences of women and teens.

Watch Video

[Zoom

CV 19 and Anti-Asian Sentiments](#)

CV 19 and Anti-Asian Sentiments

From Harvey Dong's ASAMST W20AC course, "Asian Americans and Race Relations", Brandon Louie presents a spark essay on the anti-asian sentiments that have been increasing as a result of COVID-19.

[Zoom

Swap Meet Vendors](#)

Swap Meet Vendors

In this video, undergraduate Tania Perez takes a look at the lives and struggles of individuals who work at Swap Meets tailored to Latinx communities in the U.S. at part of her final project for Public Policy 190, "Work, Justice and the Labor Movement." Although Swap Meets provide job opportunities to many Latinx communities, many struggle to survive--the mean annual wage for a swap meet vendor is at the federal poverty level, and most vendors are finding it increasingly difficult to offer competitive pricing with the rising costs of warehouse expenses.

Watch Video

\ Back to top

Websites

[Zoom

Erasing California's Latinx Communities](#)

Erasing California's Latinx Communities

From the course: English 135AC: "Race, Class & Disability: An American Foundling Museum"-- Crafting a Spark presentation with an in-depth history of eugenics and xenophobia in the United States targeting Latinx communities, the student tells a powerful narrative of resilience and resistance of Latinx communities in California by inverting The Human Betterment Foundation’s 12 reasons why eugenics would be beneficial to California.

Visit the project.

[Zoom

Scenes of Subjugation](#)

Scenes of Subjugation

From the course Comparative Literature 60AC: "(Re)Making American History" -- A website designed to highlight and (re)define what the “Quintessential American” is through historical moments where people of color were not seen as American. Inspired by several of the course’s texts and material, the group leveraged social media like Instagram to tell the story of those who are often left out of whitewashed history books.

Visit the project.

[Zoom

Street Art of the Mission District: A Projection of Mestiza Consciousness](#)

Street Art of the Mission District: A Projection of Mestiza Consciousness

From the course: Theater 25AC: "Performance in América" -- This essay explores how the street art of the Mission District teaches us that from liminality can stem monumental creativity.

Visit the project.

[Zoom

WhiteNESS: A Construct that Restricts Latinx Bodies and Minds in Dance](#)

WhiteNESS: A Construct that Restricts Latinx Bodies and Minds in Dance

From the course: Theater 25AC: "Performance in América" -- This spark essay critically explores the student’s experience in dance classes, particularly an Afro-Samba class in Berkeley, CA, and the ways that whiteness interacts with their own experience in dance as a Latinx person.

VIsit the project.

[Zoom

Model Minority, Covid-19, and Race Relations](#)

Model Minority, Covid-19, and Race Relations

From Harvey Dong's Summer ASAMST W20AC course, "Asian American Cummunities and Race Relations", Teresa Maung writes in this spark presentation the clash of the model minority myth with the foreigner stereotype that arose from COVID-19.

[Zoom

Asian American](#)

Asian American

From the course: Comparative Literature 60AC: "(Re)Making American History" -- Developed by a group of Asian American students, this website sought to explore and “revisit” the birth of the Asian American Political Alliance at UC Berkeley and its legacy for Asian American students on campus today. The site features a mosaic of different mediums, ranging from interviews with original strikers and those who have inherited the legacy of AAPA to poetry written by one of the students.

Visit the project.

[Zoom

Decolonizing Brujeria: The Gestures of Spiritual Indigenous Practices](#)

Decolonizing Brujeria: The Gestures of Spiritual Indigenous Practices

From the course: Theater 25AC: "Performance in América" -- This essay seeks to demystify and debunk the negative connotations surrounding brujeria by arguing that the reason for condemnation of these practices is entirely due to institutions of whiteness and imperialism.

Visit the project.

[Zoom

Stereotyping in Popular Culture](#)

Stereotyping in Popular Culture

From Harvey Dong's ASAMST W20AC course, "Asian Americans and Race Relations", Natalie Pham presents a spark essay on the mainstream and marginal representations of Asian Americans in media.

Project Link

[Zoom

somewhere](#)

somewhere

In this Spark presentation, Aela shares a collection of original artist renderings and her photographs that inspired as her own original poetry. This project was developed for Ethnic Studies 176, 'Against the Grain: Ethnic American Art and Artists.'

Visit project

[Zoom

Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA)](#)

Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA)

From the course: Chicanx Studies 159AC: "Mexican and Central American Migration" -- Through interviewing a member of Mujeres Unidas y Activas, the student uplifts the work of the grassroots organization to promote personal transformation and build community power for economic and social justice.

Visit the project.

[Zoom

Vietnam Veterans After the War](#)

Vietnam Veterans After the War

This spark presentation by student and veteran David Young from Ronit Stahl's History 131C course, "In the Shadow of War", takes a look at historical context of the war and interview veterans on the Vietnam War.

[Zoom

Filipinos At War](#)

Filipinos At War

In this project from Ronit Stahl's course History 131C: In the Shadow of War, Katherine Wong-Lam presents the obligation, solidarity, and injustice enacted on Filipinos during WWII in this spark presentation.

[Zoom

Untended Grievances and Leftover Destinies](#)

Untended Grievances and Leftover Destinies

From the course: Theater 25AC: "Performance in América" -- This essay utilizes the role of “Los Dos Developers” in Sean San José’s play Who Shot La Miguelito to explore how gentrification is a modern manifestation of the ethos of westward expansion and manifest destiny.

Visit the project

Topics

Creative Discovery Fellows Program topic page