Event

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Conversation with Julci Areza, ASAM Fellow.

Title: “COVID-19 and School Reopenings: Understanding the Needs, Concerns, and Demands of Southeast Asian Families in the Philadelphia School District.” 

Description: In the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted harm on BIPOC communities throughout the nation, shedding light on political and economic structures that are overdue for change. Amidst the damage, immigrant communities are facing anxiety when it comes to taking care of their children during these times. For many Asian American families, schools are a site of childcare, education, and to an extent, health prevention and promotion. Prior to COVID-19, many Philadelphia schools have had toxic amounts of lead and asbestos, issues of over-policing, and a shortage of teachers, social workers, counselors, and psychologists. The pandemic has only exacerbated long-standing issues and worsened racial and economic disparities among families. This work discusses community activism and organizing within the Southeast Asian community in Philadelphia, taking a closer look at the ways in which the needs of lower-income Southeast Asian Americans have not been prioritized or addressed by the Philadelphia School District. Using the Asian American foreign body as a figure of analysis, we will examine how non-English speaking students and parents and non-nuclear family structures have been ignored by the western education system during this global health crisis.

Bio: Julci is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania studying Health & Societies and concentrating in Race, Gender, and Health. She is an MPH sub-matriculant with particular interests in Asian American health, Southeast Asian organizing and activism, and collective, trauma-informed approaches to mental health. Currently, Julci campaigns for healthy public schools with VietLead, a Vietnamese community-based organization in Philly. On campus, she is involved with UAEM Penn, Service Link, Seven|Eight, Spice Collective, and Penn Sangam. In her free time, Julci loves running around Philadelphia, attending speaker events, searching for the best oat milk latte, going hiking, playing video games, and cooking vegetarian dishes.