Standing Up & Speaking Out: SACNISTA speeches from March for Science 2018

#TrueDiversity in STEM and SACNAS were well represented at the March for Science on April 14, 2018. SACNAS members across the country served as organizers and speakers for satellite marches and on the main stage in DC, ensuring that equity and inclusion were central to this national conversation on science.

Our slogan for this year’s March for Science was “Strong Roots Support A Growing STEM.”

The roots symbolize our collective background and ancestors, the corn represents sacred land and that which sustains us, and the fist with the beaker reminds us that we must take action to make sure we are heard.Through our participation we celebrated our full selves — our cultures, our voices, and our science.

Following are transcripts of the speeches delivered by SACNAS members from Boston to Washington, D.C. (Not all speeches were available. View a full list of speakers.)

BOSTON

Adán Colón-Carmona, PhD

Good afternoon, buenos dias, Boston!!!

I am in front of you today because I am continually inspired by the high school students who are marching for sensible gun control laws. I am inspired by the teachers from Kentucky, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Arizona, who march and are striking for better pay and more funding for education. I am inspired too by the immigrant communities who march for a resolution for the DREAMERS, the DACA individuals who simply want to contribute positively to society, including in areas of science.

As mentioned in the introduction, I am an educator, a professor of biology at UMass Boston.

As some of you might know, UMass Boston serves the most diverse undergraduate student populations in New England. We have students from over 100 countries, 55% are students of color, the majority are first-generation college students, 45% indicate a low-income status, and the average age is 25. The College of Science and Mathematics, my college, has majors in some programs where nearly 50% of students are from under-represented minority groups in the sciences.

Nevertheless, while UMass Boston is rich in student diversity and it is much better as an institution because of that diversity, I am one of a handful of tenured-track science professors who are either African-American, Latino or Native American. YET, this lack of diversity in the faculty ranks is not unique to UMass Boston!! Rather, we know that many universities, here in Boston! and across the country, struggle with these REAL educational disparities.

The thing is: More African-Americans, Latino and Native Americans are obtaining college science degrees. In the latest National Science Foundation report for doctoral degrees awarded in the sciences, the number of African-Americans and Latinos receiving advance degrees has increased!!, and this has generally been true over the last 10 years. STILL, while there are more scientists of color than ever before, there is a lack of inclusion in faculty ranks and positions of leadership across academia, in industry and research institutions.

Therefore, one message I hope you take home today is that educational inequities are real and they exist in the sciences. Speak up against these disparities and help implement policies that reverse these trends.

My second message to today is that diversity in sciences helps! It promotes innovation and advances science.

To emphasize my point, the National Foundation for American Policy reported that since 2000, US immigrants won 40% of the Nobels in Chemistry, Physics and Medicine. In 2016, the US had 6 Nobel Prizes: ALL were awarded to individuals who immigrated to the US. Originally from Scotland and winner of the 2016 Chemistry Nobel, Fraser Stoddart said after winning the award: “I think the United States is what it is today, largely because of open borders”, and he added “the resounding message that should go out around the world is that SCIENCE is GLOBAL”!

Another example that is more personal, is this…. My family was once undocumented… We came to the US when I was 6. We lived in fear of being deported. Eventually we obtained permanent residency, then became US citizens, and my siblings and I received college degrees.

As a result of the recent DACA decisions and in thinking about science diversity in the country, I was curious to know how many PhD level scientists from my network were at one point undocumented, or whose parents, or relatives or significant others were undocumented.

I surveyed my colleagues, scientists from all science fields in academia, industry and/or working for government agencies. From 94 respondents, ONE quarter indicated they were at one point in their lives undocumented… 40% had at least one parent who was undocumented. 66% had a relative who was undocumented…

My point is … A large number of science leaders and educators in STEM, particularly those who working to make education more equitable, are directly being impacted by current immigration policies. And the reality is … Our experiences as immigrants made us the leaders we are today!

And so I ask you: What would science in the US look like, if we were NOT here?! What does this mean for the future of science, if we are not participating?!

Let’s work together to address educational disparities and let’s celebrate & embrace diversity…, particularly what immigrants bring to this country!

Onward and forward! And, Si Se Puede!!!

DENVER

Marino Resendiz, PhD

My name is Marino Resendiz and I am a Mexican-American assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Colorado Denver. First of all, I want to thank the organizers for providing this amazing platform in the name of science.

As some of you may know, we recently got encouraging news about increases in federal funding, which will enable the continuation and start of projects in various areas of science and technology. However, more than ever we need to be on the front row and fighting to ensure that our voices are heard.

Much progress needs to be made in several areas, for example

1. we need to amplify the role of science in public policy and need politicians with scientific backgrounds making decisions that are supported by evidence-based findings;
2. we need to engage the general public in the scientific enterprise and I believe that, as scientists, we have the responsibility to educate and inform our communities at large; and
3. we need to diversify the scientific community and therefore its advocates for science by creating a culture of inclusion in STEM.

It is imperative that the STEM fields throughout get more diverse, and this includes positions in the workforce as well as in leadership. We need a diverse student body, teachers, entrepreneurs, and role models at all levels, from K-12 to University to industrial and political settings. To reach our full potential for innovation and productivity in the country, we depend on contributions from diverse groups, only then will we be able to tackle the complex issues that we are facing and that we will face over the next decades. We have to be inclusive or we will be missing access to different points of view, different perspectives, different interests, and as a consequence a great potential for discovery will also be missed.

I want to emphasize the impact that chemistry has had on my life and would like to make a point on how science, if truly diverse, can be the driving force of change not only on climate, technology, or health but also within our communities. I am the first one in my family to complete an advanced degree and am fortunate to teach and conduct research at CU Denver, something that I love and value.

However, in this 20 year journey I’ve encountered a lack of diversity and a limited number of people that share my experiences and interests. A lack of role models. In the classes I teach, I sometimes get comments such as: ‘finally, someone that looks or talks like me’ or ‘how come there are no women of color chemists’ or ‘you are the first one that I see in a position like this’. This has been my experience as a Latino but the same applies to other minorities, according to recent reports in Chemical and Engineering News, for example: undergraduate students from LGBTQ communities are more likely to leave science majors altogether, or that the number of women in the biotech industry is alarmingly low with women of color missing altogether in the picture.

My hope is that we can switch the conversation from building walls to building bridges of collaboration, from Muslim bans to inclusion of all people regardless of their nationality, color of skin, sexual orientation, or gender.

Everyone can play an instrumental role in shaping science policy by voting and staying engaged. As part of this society, we have a voice that needs to be heard, a voice that can in fact dictate the decision making of our local and state representatives; we have the right to demand support on issues that are of interest to us, whether it is climate change, alternate energy resources, new advances in medicine, or the great need in diversifying the STEM fields. I want to encourage you to support efforts that ensure a fair representation and to mindfully think about diversity. We need to nurture our future scientists and support kids of all ages, colors, gender, religion, and encourage them to pursue science, provide future generations with role models. Show them that science is all around us and that they can be the motor that drives our society. By working together to support and promote the scientific enterprise, we will ensure that the next generations enjoy the outcomes of science as well as an equal access to the many benefits and by-products of scientific advances.

Para todos los Latinos que se hicieron presentes hoy y que estan apoyando este movimiento, quiero exhortarlos a que unamos fuerzas para que nuestras comunidades en el estado de Colorado sean representadas adecuadamente y que no nos tomen simplemente como una estadistica. Estoy convencido que, como dice la cancion, si estamos unidos no seremos vencidos. Luchemos por nuestro futuro!

Thank you!

LOS ANGELES

Ximena Cid, PhD (Yaqui)

Good afternoon everyone. Before I talk to you about my journey through physics and issues surround diversity and equity I want to acknowledge the Tongva peoples and the traditional lands we are standing on.

My name is Ximena Cid. I’m a Chicana Yaqui Physics Professor at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

I was that annoying kid that was always asking why and never satisfied with the answers. Parents and caregivers in the audience, y’all know who I’m talking about. That was me. Truth be told I’m still not always satisfied with simple answers so I continue to ask why. And that’s what it means to be a scientist. To be someone who continues to seek answers supported by data.

I started my academic journey in astrophysics at UC Berkeley. To this day I never have more wonder and excitement than when I’m look up at a clear dark sky filled with stars (its kind of hard here in LA). While I was at Cal, I was the only woman and the only person of color in some of my classes. Though I loved my time at Cal, it was there that I first realized the additional challenges women and people of color endure in this field.

Not only is the physics population very white and very male, it is also primarily cis, able bodied, academically well prepared, and affluent. Currently in the US women earn about 60% of all bachelors degrees and yet the number of women earning physics bachelors degrees has remained constant at about 20% for the past 20 years. If we look at people of color, of any gender, earning physics degrees, that number is about 18%.

If we look at graduate degrees and higher the numbers are even smaller. The year I got my PhD, it was a pretty big year for indigenous physics PhDs. There were two of us. In the entire country. Two!

In grad school, I had some of the best and some of the worst times of my life. The sexual harassment and discrimination from some of my professors and some of my peers nearly broke me.

I would go through these cycles of defiance where I was demanding to have my presence acknowledge to just wanting to blend in. I changed the way I dressed to be either more feminine or less feminine. I could never figure out what was more threatening: being viewed as a woman, or being seen as one of the guys. Change that to woman of color and it becomes even more complex. This invisible/hypervisible yo-yo is exhausting and continues to be exhausting and I’ve asked myself many times: do I belong here?

There is a problem in this country. The memories of communities of color are filled with genocide. Slavery. Internment. Poverty. Violence. And our histories are systematically erased from textbooks and formal education. Our communities need to remember that our ancestors were Mathematicians and Engineers and Architects and Scientists. This knowledge runs in our blood and is part of our DNA. By deleting our history, not only do WE forget that these spaces are not new to us but the dominant populations can maintain that our presence and our voices are not valuable.

December 2015 after hearing opening remarks for the case Fisher vs. University of Texas, Supreme Court Justice Scalia, asked and I quote: “What unique perspective does a minority student bring to a physics class?” He further commented: that it does not benefit African-Americans to attend top tier schools. Rather they should attend less-advanced schools where they would do better. This is coming from the highest court in our country. So not only do law enforcement officers continue to kill unarmed black men for doing things like wearing hoodies or holding cellphones while sitting in their grandmother’s backyard, but the highest court in our country, the court that decides on educational policies and equity, specifically are questioning whether or not people of color are valuable in spaces like physics.

Physicists study the interactions between energy and matter. If we can value antimatter and dark matter, surely we can recognize that black lives also matter.

These are the challenges we are facing. We need change.

So what can YOU do?

Students and science enthusiasts in the crowd: Your presence in physics and other STEM fields is extremely valuable. Researchers like Scott Page and others found that not only do diverse groups come up with more unique solutions for complex STEM problems, but they are more efficient. This means that diversity and diverse perspectives are a benefit to STEM. Take action to support yourselves and your peers.

Students, you have power because you are tuition paying bodies. As a collective, you have the power to demand that your administration hire diverse faculty that better reflect each of you. I know that it can be hard to advocate for yourself and find balance in hostile environments.

One way I have found support is connecting with like-minded friends and colleagues. Get involved with local and national organizations and societies. I am a life member with the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science or SACNAS for short. And I am here today because of SACNAS. At a time when I felt completely isolated and alone SACNAS provided a space to create a connection between my Chicana Indigena identity and my physics identity.

Find mentors that will continue to support you on this academic journey and find many of them. Find a mentor that you feel comfortable with to get life advice, to get help organizing your educational and career goals, to vent to when you need release but also find a mentor that will keep it real and pull you back in when you are spiraling out.

Recognize that someone who looks like you might not be on your side and someone who is the complete opposite of you, might be your biggest advocate. So be open!

Then give back. Take leadership roles so you can provide opportunities for those following behind you. Physics is an intellectually challenging topic that few can master, yet our modern civilization depends on technology made possible by the discoveries of physicists. Leaders in our country recognize that there is a national need to nurture talent and produce more STEM professionals that are trained AND retained in this country.

That is why, as a board member with the National Society of Hispanic Physicists, I along with the rest of the board, have advocated and petitioned congress to support DACA recipients and DREAMERs.

Professionals in the crowd, push for your departments and colleagues to get training on implicit bias and other forms of micro and macro aggressions. Even if you see yourself as an advocate and ally, the more training you have, the more you can recognize and step in to stop damaging behavior. Do self-evaluations for hiring and admission practices that might negatively impact diverse communities.

And lastly, vote! Vote for representatives that believe in the reality of climate change, that are dedicated to equitable policies, that believe that immigrants and DACA recipients are vital for the growth of this country. And Vote for representatives that believe that quality public education is a right not privilege.

In the words of Nelson Mandela: Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. My name is Ximena Cid. I am uniquely me but I’m not a unicorn. There are more of us out there that just need oportunity. Find us. Support us.

Si se puede!

Carlos G. Gutiérrez, PhD

I march for science because it has been a blessing to us. Much of what is pleasant about modern life is a consequence of the development of science and engineering. The projected life span of an American child today is 79 years; up from 47 a century ago. This gift of an additional 31 years of life is due, largely, to improvements through science in nutrition, pharmaceuticals, sanitation, and environmental remediation. Two decades ago, AIDS diagnosis was a sentence to an imminent and horrible death; now we can manage the disease with certain dignity into old age. We can cure Hepatitis C. Science got us to the moon, and is guiding our tentative first steps to the stars

If application of science has caused societal problems (think: environmental pollution, antibiotic resistant bacteria, and chicken nuggets), the solution or mitigation of these are also within science. Without science and engineering, solutions are not possible.

I march for science because it is a creative human activity for understanding the world. We seek to gain, through designed experimentation, a comprehension of the world, and with that, the ability to describe, manipulate and create. Undoubtedly the most interesting scientific questions of the twenty-first century have not been asked, nor, yet, perhaps, a vocabulary formulated to pose them. What is clear is that there is a lot of hard and joyous work ahead as we make giant strides, or timidly inch towards a better, if provisional, understanding.

I march for science because its most valuable asset has always been the creativity, inventiveness and intellectual capital of the practitioners of science. So, who gets to do science? Who gets to ask and answer research questions? SACNAS, the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, answers that it must be “All of us!”; that talent is broadly distributed among all human populations, and that it is in the best interest of scientific and engineering disciplines, and of society, that the scientific workforce be comprised of creative, insightful and thoughtful individuals from all our racial, ethnic, and gender populations; and social classes. Our worldview, including the research questions we formulate, develop, and go about answering, is influenced by our life histories, our metaphors, our cultures.

My outlook, including the way I approach chemistry, the research questions I formulate and allow myself to answer, is influenced by my own life history and circumstances. I do view the world somewhat differently because I am Latino, the son of Mexican immigrants to Los Angeles; that I was an art student and film animator before discovering that chemistry is an exceptionally beautiful expression of human creativity. Who we are informs what we do.

I march for science because it prefers that we be of two minds, that we cultivate two minds: the mature and wise mind that understands how knowledge is created and organized; how disciplinary dogma becomes dogma; how we know what we know. We cultivate also the naïve and childlike mind that wonders at and is inspired by the world.

I march for science because it demands that we question. And by reminding us how to question, we regain our voice. We cannot be silent. Teachers! Teach us how to question.

I march for science because science belongs to all of us, not only to professional scientists. We are all scientists. If you can ask a question, imagine possible answers, and let evidence guide you to the most likely solution, you are a scientist, whether you are a professional, a teacher, a citizen scientist, or an engaged citizen.

Our society depends heavily on science and technology. Science is complex and society is complex. What do we need to know, as citizens, to make reasonable decisions about our lives in this increasingly complex society? How do we, as citizens, participate in civic discussion on science issues? Society needs you, and our diverse fellow citizens, to be advocates for science as to drive the inclusion of evidence-based perspectives into public policy necessary for action at the local, state and national levels.

Let’s remember that science has at its core, the question. Your question. Ask your questions, find your voice, and never, ever, be silent. Vote!

Patricia Silveyra, PhD

Good afternoon Los Angeles!

My name is Dr. Patricia Silveyra, and I am a molecular biologist, physiologist, and biomedical research scientist. I’m an Assistant Professor at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania (yes, where the chocolate is made!)

I was born and raised in Argentina, where I went to College and graduate school. Ten years ago, right after obtaining my PhD, I left home and I moved to the United States, to seek additional training as a biomedical researcher. This great country offered me training and resources, and opportunities to grow and develop as the scientific leader I am today. And just two days ago, I passed my exam to become a US citizen. In my daily work, I lead a research laboratory at a medical center where I have trained more than a dozen students who have gone on to scientific or medical careers. Our research is focused on the causes of lung disease.

When you woke up this morning, what was the first thing you did? Brush your teeth? Hit the snooze button? (I did!). Actually, every single one of us did the same thing. We took our first breath in and out. It’s a universal experience. And right here in Los Angeles, there are days when you can see the haze in the air — exhaust coming out of the bus tailpipe or factories pumping out smog. Things that may make you want to hold your breath.

According to the American Lung Association’s annual “State of the Air” report, LA has one of the worst ozone pollution levels in the nation. This beautiful California sunshine actually makes more ozone gas when it blends with man-made emissions in the environment.

I don’t share this to scare you. I share it because we have the tools to live healthier lives. The product of science is evidence. Evidence that can help us understand how people in our community are affected by pollutants and how to control the emissions that erode our environment and our health. Science can cure diseases, bring environmental justice, and make life better for us all.

And here’s what we’ve learned about this issue through science:

Not everyone suffers the same effects from exposure to air pollution. Our poorest communities and communities of color are disproportionately more susceptible to health threats from air pollution because of factors like class bias, racism, housing market dynamics, land costs, and lack of proper protective regulations. In 2017, more than 18 million people with incomes meeting the federal poverty definition were found to live in areas with the lowest air quality levels. This is an injustice.

Science has also shown us that exposure to air pollutants plays a major role in exacerbating lung disease, especially in women. Gases like ozone and particles in the air we breathe can cause health complications like asthma, COPD, lung cancer, cognitive problems, heart attacks, stroke, and premature death.

Thanks to the Clean Air Act, which is an example of evidence-based policy, we have reduced the levels of air pollutants for decades. To protect our health, and the health of vulnerable communities, it is important that we continue to control our emissions and adopt cleaner energy sources.

I want to encourage you to support science, to get involved, to call your representatives, and to vote. I hopefully will be able to vote soon. Let’s work towards becoming a nation that values environmental justice and supports evidence-based decision making so that we can all have healthier and happier lives!

Thank you!

NEW YORK CITY

LeManuel Lee Bitsóí, EdD (Diné)

Aquay! Ya’at’eeh! Greetings!

Science knowledge comes from diverse sources and it’s not always written.

As an indigenous research scientist, I defer to our traditional cultures in which in knowing how to live off the land has enabled us to develop sophisticated knowledge bases about animal husbandry, anatomy and physiology, botany, crop management.

We have always known what organic and free-range mean.

STEM is not new for indigenous people. We have always had STEM epistemologies in our worlds, but we use different words and concepts that are not always acknowledged by western education.

Science can be found in ethnobotany through the use of plants for medicinal or artistic use. Biology is present in the agronomy and agricultural techniques of native people, most notably in the practice of planting corn, beans, and squash next to other he maize provides a structure for the beans to climb, eliminating the need for poles. The beans provide the nitrogen to the soil that the other plants use, and the squash spreads along the ground, blocking the sunlight, helping prevent the establishment of weeds. Technology can be found in the manner in which native people used natural waterways to design and utilize irrigation canals for their farms. Engineering can be found in the architecture of home and ceremonial structures — the traditional Navajo Hogan or portable teepee used by Plains Indian tribes. Astronomy and cosmology are also crucial to the way that native people could tell the change of the seasons and even forecast weather.

Nowadays, the science world has begun to embrace and appreciate such examples of traditional ecological knowledge. Moreover, our presence in scientific research is increasing through outreach and support programs at colleges and universities and national advocacy organizations.

I have the good fortune or working at such an institution — Stony Brook University. As the Chief Diversity Officer at Stony Brook, I work with students, faculty and staff partner with tribal nations and communities, such as the Shinnecock and Unkechaug Nations to develop pipeline programs that will increase the number of Native American as well as other underrepresented STEM scholars.

I am also an active member of SACNAS, the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science, where we collectively work to enhance opportunities for underrepresented minority students to become scientists, science educators and scientifically-informed community members.

Diversifying STEM is a collective effort and we need your support to achieve true diversity in science and society.

Thank you!

Edgardo Sanabria-Valentín, PhD

Good morning,

I want to thank the New York City March for Science for inviting me to briefly address you this morning.

I am a proud member of SACNAS, the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos, Hispanics and Native Americans in science.

SACNAS is the largest multicultural and multidisciplinary STEM organization in the Country.

Our goal is to change the face of science by achieving true diversity in the STEM workforce; because we know that our economy and the nation’s scientific and technological advances are made stronger when a diverse group of people of all races, nationalities, colors, and backgrounds contribute and tackle the complex issues that we will all face in the future,that we ALL face TODAY.

This morning, I want to talk to you about access: Access to education, access to knowledge, access to technology, to science and its products.

Because we know that not everybody has the same opportunity to benefit from these.

We live in a country that turns a blind eye to inequality, and in which politicians are subtly creating and enforcing policies that further inequality to benefit the few, not the many.

They do this by pushing policies that are not based on fact but that are crafted in back rooms by representatives of those few who can pay.

But how do we fix this inequality that is so prevalent in our society? How do we fix this lack of access to healthcare, to technology? To clean water and air?

How do we ensure we all have access to justice when every day it feels like there’s a new problem, a new wrong, a new tweet threatening nuclear war?

I wish I could tell you it is easy. Just sign this online petition and retweet it, instagramit, and facebookit, and voila! All done.

We know there is no easy way, but there is a way.

My favorite fictional president Jed Bartlet said it once: Education can be the silver bullet.

I can spend the next hour quoting study after study that shows that an educated citizenry has more and better jobs, lives with less crime, less poverty, have better health outcomes, and most importantly it can lead to less hatred.

A year ago, scientists and science enthusiasts, people of all ages, all races, ethnicities and phenotypes, rose up to tell the world we want, that we demand policies that are based on empirical facts and that are designed to help the many.

We cannot be passive participants in the process of policy making.

It is our responsibility, the responsibility of every scientist and of every citizen to educate ourselves and to educate others so we can empower each other to participate and effect positive change.

We must demand that our elected representatives in government, who are our employees after all, listen to facts, and not just the 24 hour news cycle.

To listen to facts, not just to the opinion of talking heads on TV or of lobbyists who represent the interests of but a few.

To do what is right for our country and our world, and not just what is politically expedient.

Education can be the silver bullet, and we must stand up for equal access to an education that is free, of good quality, and that teaches us to observe, to test, and to reach conclusions from empirical observations;conclusions that can stand up to baseless opinions, bigotry, and intolerance. This is essential to a free society, like the one we live in, the one we all got up early to march for today.

I hope you join me, SACNAS, and the March for Science in our call to increase access to science education for every American and to create and fund programs that help us reach our goal of a diverse scientific workforce in these United States.

Thank you!

SAN DIEGO

Samantha Payne Landgrave

Hello Everyone!

Thank you so much for being here today, showing your support and love for science. No matter who you are, student, parent, teacher, scientist, science impacts our life in so many aspects.I am a 23 year old, biochemistry, female, minority scientist and I, as well as many others, are proof that DACA is beneficial. So, please do your part by supporting programs that help DACA students, vote, and make our voice heard.

Now a little about me. The dream for a better life began when I was three years old. My family immigrated to the United States in search of a better future. For the majority of my childhood both of my parents were always working to provide and my brothers and me with everything they could. We were fortunate enough to always have food and shelter. Because of my parent’s hard work, we had all that was necessary. But as an immigrant that comes with a cost. My parents were always working meaning I saw my parents for a very short period of time each day. Reflecting back on my childhood now, I realize the huge sacrifice my parents made. Leaving everything they knew and had to move to a new country in search for a better life for not only them but for their children. For that I am immensely grateful. There is no guide or a book that tells you how to live a successful life as an immigrant but with support like DACA and other programs, students like myself are able to succeed and have a career.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals also known as DACA became a possibility for me a few months after I graduated high school in 2012. After living 15 years of my life as an immigrant with the fear of deportation, receiving my first DACA approval was something indescribable. That moment changed my life completely. With DACA I was able to get a job to help pay for my schooling, I was able to apply for my driver’s license, apply to programs and assistance that I would otherwise not have access to. Not only having a calmed state of mind but opportunity to pursue a professional career has been made possible because of DACA.

DACA enabled people for a diverse background to pursue higher education, get a better paying job, become financially independent or financially contribute to their families. No matter what aspect you choose to view it from, without a doubt DACA increased the freedom and opportunity for all and in return is paid through various contribution such as economical, societal, and scientifically.

Today, there are millions of people that benefit from DACA. Taking this opportunity for success from so many students is essentially taking away from our society.

But we can change that. We have the power to choose who we place in administration to be our voice and power! This November you will have the opportunity to vote for your local representatives. Local officials are our local voices. Voting during the primaries is as important as voting for who will be our next president. I invite you all to cast a vote for Dreamers, for Science for our future. Vote, and make your voices heard. Thank you.

Omayra Ortega, PhD

Thank you for coming out today and showing your commitment to SCIENCE.

We live at a time when our government is weakening its commitment to science and we cannot let that happen. For generations the United States of America has been a world leader in scientific innovation. Most of these innovations came from publicly funded science, this includes funding for research and funding for agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. The National Institutes of Health or NIH is a leader in biomedical research. The annual budget for the NIH has been slowly cut down by almost 20 percent since 2003. Funding from the National Institutes of Health flows to more than 2,600 institutions around the country (including K-12 schools, universities, museums, national organizations, and national labs) this creates more than 313,000 full- and part-time jobs so cutting funding to the NIH is not only a blow to medical research but a blow to national employment as well.

Funding from institutes like the NIH and NSF not only fund research and provide jobs, but this funding provides opportunities for young scientists to train and learn to conduct research. When I was younger I dreamt of attending graduate school in mathematics but I had no idea how I would pay for it. I was very lucky to be chosen for an NSF training grant, which helped to fund my graduate education in Biostatistics, Applied Mathematics, and Computational Sciences. This NSF training grant covered my books and tuition. This may not seem like a lot but these were HUGE expenses to me that I knew my struggling parents could not help me with. Knowing these huge expenses were covered allowed me to focus on my studies and not have to worry if I would be able to pay for my books, my rent, or how I might pay for my next meal. I was able to focus all of my attention on my teaching and research where I apply techniques from mathematics to public health and evaluate the cost effectiveness of different vaccines and compared various vaccination strategies.

I am now a professor of applied mathematics and statistics at Pomona College in Claremont, CA where I get to prepare young minds to think analytically. I have used my analytical skills in service to many organizations including the US Naval Medical Research Center, and at both the Gambian and the Irish Ministries of Health. By training the next generation of scientists and helping to improve the health of people all over the world, I am making sure that the investment in my education made by the NSF is returned 100-fold and is money well spent.

The reduction in funds to these national institutes has a trickle down effect and reduces the number of women, first-generation students, people of color, and people labeled with disabilities who can be supported to train as scientists at a time when we need more people to join the ranks of scientists. There has been a national call to increase the number of scientists and we need a more diverse population of Americans who are trained in things like computer science, engineering, mathematics, and science.

This funding crisis comes at a time when we are so close to solving many of the world’s health issues through the biomedical research through advances started by the sequencing of the human genome. There have been astounding leaps accomplished in drug development to treat and cure some of our most devastating diseases. The 21st century could become the century of biology and medicine by turning more disease interventions into cures and accelerating the pace of basic research necessary to improve health and life expectancy. For this reason we need to increase funding to our nation’s federally funded scientific institutes.

Did you know that in America a person of color is twice as likely as their European-American counterparts to die of heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, maternal health, infant mortality…the list goes on. We need to ensure 100% health coverage to all people living in the United States. We need to improve quality, affordability, and equity in our health system. Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be healthier. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences. This will not be an easy task.

To tackle the issue of disparities in health care we need true diversity in science. We need doctors and scientists who reflect the communities accessing healthcare. I am here representing the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, SACNAS. This organization works to create a new STEM environment where underrepresented scientists don’t feel they have to leave their culture and personal history at the lab door. Rather, SACNAS helps diverse scientists merge and integrate their diverse identities, creating space to include the unique contributions and perspectives of all.

To improve health care for all we need affordable coverage, with increased financial assistance in California to reduce premiums and cost-sharing, so no Californian pays more than a percentage of their income for their premium, on a sliding scale, and lower co-pays and deductibles too.

We need public coverage options that are determined by scientific evidence-based public policy and accountability rather than the whims of private insurers and politicians.

So what can each of us, here, do about this?

We can go out and vote! If you are not registered please make sure to register today. The people representing you in your local state and federal government need to hear from you. Make sure that you call and write to your representatives so that your voice is heard and your opinion is known.

I encourage each and every one of you to engage in science. Take your friends, family, co-workers, and loved ones to the Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park, check out the Maritime Museum and learn about the marine life in our oceans, plan a beach or park clean up day, grow your own vegetables at home or in a community garden. Become an involved citizen, one who engages with their representatives in government, engages with the health care system, and engages in the science that is all around them.

Thank you

Micah Jasey Savin (Lakota)

Good Morning San Diego!

My name is Micah Savin. I am queer. I am Native American and White. I am a scientist. Daily, I utilize my unique intersectional identity to examine the effects of HIV upon the brain. Similar to that of Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s Disease, HIV is a neurodegenerative disease that leads to cognitive impairment. My representation in science has contributed to: 1) the creation of an iPad app that screens for HIV-related cognitive impairment and an examination of the cognitive implications of genetic variation in HIV clad.

I’m here today to shed light upon one of the most marginalized and impoverished populations in the United States, LGBTQ People of Color. Currently, executive orders and ongoing anti-LGBT legislation are utilizing fear to silence and oppress minority populations. Our very name has been banned from use at the CDC, Center for Disease Control. Practices such as these result in increased vulnerability of already susceptible populations and prevents scientists, like myself from protecting the communities which we love and serve.

Regardless of the topic, it is apparent that inequity is greatest at the intersection of multiple minority identities, such that those who possess both racial and sexual/gender minority memberships are at greatest risk for violence, discrimination, and disparity. But how do we know this? We know this because of scientific data!

In 2016, of the 77 victims of LGBT discrimination related homicide, 79% of them were people of color. Among Native Americans in 2009, an alarming 46% of two-spirit , a native-specific form of LGBTQ identity, reported being refused health care. A 2012 report in Los Angeles County found 24% of Latina transgender women reported that they had been sexually assaulted when approached by law enforcement. There is no federal statute that comprehensively and consistently prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The reality is that America is not a safe place for people like me.

Perhaps, even more disturbing is the fact that these social injustices are well known to exacerbate HIV outcomes. Discrimination and stigma are some of the most powerful predictors of HIV infection and disease progression. Consequently, this may explain the high rates of infection among LGBT people of color. It is projected that 1 in every 2 gay/bisexual African American men will have HIV in America within our lifetime… Take a moment and think about that…That means you or your partner. Although it may be contrary to what you think, in many parts of America, HIV is still a death sentence.

Simply put, antiretroviral availability is low in impoverished locations, and state laws encouraging discrimination prevents LGBTQ people of color with HIV from accessing this care. These percentages may seem very distant to some of you, but this is happening in your own backyard to people you know and love. And I am one of them.

Throughout my life, as a queer Native American, I have been subjected to countless episodes of physical and sexual abuse. So much so, that at the age of 9 I recall accepting the message of my aggressors. After hearing time and time again that I was nothing, or that I could do nothing to stop them I fell silent. I think many of would be horrified by the number of my aggressors that you know: It’s your brothers, your friends, your neighborhood police who have laid their hands upon me in hate.

But luckily my life continued on… Later, I would have the privilege of settling down with a wonderful black man and together we re-established the value that society has stripped from us. Sadly, my partner would soon pass away due to HIV. As he passed, he told me this: “I ask that you do one thing for me, love others as you have loved me. It will make all the difference in this world.” And now I find myself here today, sharing my story with each of you.

Within five years’ time, I have gone from professional ballet dancer to neuroscientist, from an invisible victim to an outspoken advocate. There are so many magnificent LGBT People of Color whose journeys are similar to mine, who only need the chance to be recognized; to be told “You are of value.” And I’m here to tell you that LGBTQ People of Color are of value; we are strong, innovative, and intelligent. And we will not be silenced! The future of science is diverse and its coming at you with a vengeance.

I’d like to close by inviting each of you to join our fight. By increasing awareness in our day to day lives and by voting, you each can change a life. Thank you!

SAN ANTONIO

Rodolfo Jimenez, PhD

San Antonio!!! My name is Dr. Rodolfo Jimenez Jr., I am a Mexican American (or Latinx for my millennials and Gen Zers out there), a Native Texan, grandchild of immigrants, defender of diversity, educator, and a scientist. Growing up I would’ve never thought that I would pursue a PhD. I really didn’t know what a PhD was until I got to college. Since an early age science has always been a passion of mine. Science has literally saved my life time and time again. And I want to talk to you about my journey that has allowed me to get where I am today and why I fight for evidence based science and diversity.

As I mentioned I am a Native Texan, I was born in Edinburg, TX. It’s about 20 minutes from the US/Mexico border. Neither of my grandparents had the opportunity to pursue a college education, but they knew the value of education and encouraged all of their grandchildren to do well in school and obtain as much education as possible. Motivation to do well in school was never hard for me to find. All I had to do was look to the sacrifices that my has made to ensure that I had the opportunity to make a better life for myself. From my mother, and her family, being sprayed with pesticides while they worked the fields up north, to my grandmother telling me that she never got to finish high school because of the need to provide for her family. It is these stories that have pushed me since I was a little kid.

Because both my parents had to work when I was growing up my grandmother helped in raising me. It became a daily routine to wake up, get ready, and head to grandma’s house. My grandparents house was on about an acre of land that was surrounded by farms. Needless to say it was a bit hard to get cable, and at that they didn’t see the point of paying for the service if they got TV for free already. So my entertainment consisted of the traditional PBS kid morning programing. Sesame Street, Mr. Rodgers and Reading Rainbow. But there was this one show that would come on around lunch time called Newton’s Apple, the PBS version of Bill Nye the Science Guy. It was a show that I made sure I never missed. Though I didn’t understand everything that was being talked about I couldn’t take my eyes off it. This was my introduction to the world of science.

Being that my grandmother’s house was in the middle of nowhere, I had the pleasure of exploring Mother Nature. It was my curiosity that led me to always asking questions such as why is the sky blue, why is grass green, why do grass and plants need sunlight to grow? So I was basically that kid always asking why? But if you think about it, that is pretty much what a scientist does on a daily basis. So it was even at this early of an age that I was subconsciously preparing for my future in science.

As time went on my interest for science continued to grow. Entering the science fairs every year, getting into science summer camps, all the nerdy stuff. As I entered college I decided to major in biology. Not because I wanted to carry out biological research, but because I wanted to pursue a career as a Physical Therapist. I decided to pursue that career at the time because it merged my love for science and sports. While at Texas State I decided to walk on to the track team as a discus thrower. During my time on the track team a heart condition I thought I over came in high school returned. I ended up passing out three times in practice during that first semester of college. It was after the third time that the trainers decided it would be good to see my doctors back home. But about a week before I was to see my doctors I ended up having an episode that caused me to make a trip to the ER, where I came to find out that my heart rate had skyrocketed to 256 bp/min. To put it into perspective a normal heart rate is about 60 bp/min. Doctors were surprised that I was alive and in such a calm state. In order to get to a more sensible heart rate the doctors said they would have to use a defibrillator. So they put me under and when I woke up I saw that my heart rate was down to 81. It was definitely surreal moment.

The next day I found out that I was going to need defibrillator to be implanted in me. Most would think that this type of experience would lead to fear and depression. But it actually caused the little curious kid to return. When all was said and done I kept asking why did this happen to me? And not as though I was asking God why did this happen to me, but more as to questioning what physiologically caused this to happen to me. This curiosity led me to change my major from biology with an emphasis on Pre-Physical Therapy to biochemistry. This major switch was suggested by my chemistry professor, Dr. Debra Feakes, because the program was very centered around independent research. And it was this decision that started my journey in becoming a scientist.

Once I started really getting into my biochemistry curriculum, it was clear that this was the major for me. And I wanted to learn more than what was in the books, so in speaking to my professor, Dr. Watkins, she suggested I look into doing independent research. So I got into a lab as soon as I could. Never in my life did I think I would be doing scientific research. And apparently some of my family didn’t think so either, as I remember hearing repeatedly,”Man Rudy we knew you weren’t dumb, but we never really thought you this smart.” And hearing these types of phrases was just the beginning of me hearing these type of negative stereotypes. Though this was the time that I started to really discover my passion for science, it was also the time that I began to see that I was one of the few people of color in my classes.

And as I began my journey to becoming a scientist, this was also the time that I began my life long goal in helping to diversify STEM. My first opportunity to help in creating a more diverse STEM population was through the organization The Society for Mexican American Engineers and Scientists (MAES). For two years in a row I helped in putting together a Science Extravaganza for local 4th and 5th graders. This event allowed those students, who were majority students of color, to see students and professionals who looked like them. Our goal with this program was to show these students that it is possible for anyone, no matter where you come from or the color of your skin, to pursue a degree in STEM.

After undergrad I took the next step in becoming a scientist and started my graduate studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio. While at UTSA my research focused on the characterization of the cytoplasmic domains of the anthrax toxin receptors in the lab of Jilani Chaudry. The make up of that lab was a testament to how diverse science can be. That lab was mix of Latino, Pakistani, Indian, Muslim, Catholic, Hindu and Jewish. Being in that lab allowed me to learn so much about cultures that I was never really exposed to until entering graduate school. And that just goes to show you how diverse STEM is. Science nerds from all over the world coming together in one lab! Now that’s diversity.

In addition to carrying out research I continued my goal of creating a more diverse STEM population. I continued to do this through the MAES chapter at UTSA and with their outreach events. But I knew I wanted to have an even greater impact. When I saw an opportunity to become part of the national board for the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in the Sciences (SACNAS), I knew it was something I had to pursue. So I entered my name as a nominee and I was fortunate enough to be elected to the board. Being part of this board was by far one of the most influential experiences in my life. As part of the board I was exposed to scientists who had been doing science and fighting for a more diverse STEM population for longer than I had been alive. And from conversations with these scientists it was great to see how far we had come, but it was also very apparent how much more work needed to be done. And it was this experience that just further reinforced my life long goal to help in diversifying STEM.

As I got closer to finishing my academic career at UTSA I began to do what most people in my position do, look for a postdoctoral position. And I found one just up the road at UT Austin. Which was perfect for me because I had found the love of my life and she was in lived in Austin. But upon securing this position something horrible happened, the government shutdown of 2012. A term we have been more and more familiar with recently. To get out of this government shutdown across the board cuts were enabled. And this scared me because I wasn’t sure if these cuts would result in me losing funding for my position. But I was told that my position was still funded and that I still had a job. Fast forward 6 months and I get a call from my future PI that the government has decided to take back the money that was to fund my fellowship due to it not being used at the time. This was devastating. I had already turned down other post doc offers and signed a lease in Austin. After being upset for a day I knew I needed to figure something out. As I was looking for possible funding opportunities for the fellowship, the PI informed me of a STEM Coordinator position at the university. The job entailed me doing everything that I did outside of lab. So I decided to apply for the position and a month or so later I was offered the position. Getting the position was a complete relief, but I was also filled with excitement! I surely thought that it would take me a few years before I would be able to get a position like this, where I get to help students like me full time. It has truly been an honor to work with these students and to say that my job is to help students of color, from pre-k to PhD, is just mind blowing.

My life has been affected by science in so many different ways. It has saved my life, it has allowed me to make life long friends, and it has allowed me to create memories I would’ve never thought imaginable.

But for the short time that I have been involved in science it always seems that science is under attack. Even when we provide evidence based work proving that climate change is happening, we are told that we are lying, exaggerating, or my favorite that climate change is a Chinese hoax. It is at this very moment that EPA policies meant to help slow down the so-called Chinese hoax are being killed. It is up to us to let our lawmakers know that we have seen the science proving climate change and that it is their responsibility in helping us fight it. Whether it be protecting EPA regulations meant to help save our planet or to encourage our government leaders that it is imperative that we stay in the Paris Agreement. But there has been hope recently that our elected leaders do see the value in evidence based science. In the most recent spending bill passed we saw increases for both the NIH and NSF. Though we are grateful for these increases we cannot stop letting our elected leaders know that we must always look for ways to increase science funding year after year. For if we stop funding science we will halt the discovery of life saving cures and technologies. If we don’t continue to increase funding for science we will fall behind the rest of the world when it comes to innovation. So I ask you my fellow science nerds to continue to fight, speak to your elected leaders, and make sure you take advantage of the most powerful tool you have; the ability to vote.

Thank you.

Marina Suarez, PhD

My name is Marina and I am a geologist.

Geology is not as visible as say biology or chemistry, so what is a geologist?

You may have passed us by on the highway…typically we have rock hammers in hand….and a hand lens….and have our noses glued to the rock on a outcrop.

Geologists work in every corner of the world…(and beyond!). From the moon and (our robot geologist on Mars…curiosity)…to deep below the ocean surface…to drilling below the surface of the earth to understand its inner workings or to find water or fossil fuel resources. We work in labs, on glaciers, on mountains, in deserts, and in front of a classroom.

Why do we do these things? The answer is that geologists have a passion for the earth. To learn all aspects of how this planet and how other planets work, how to best utilize resources, how to protect ourselves from natural disasters, and everything from understanding the origin of life to how mountains are built.

One of the great things about geology is it can be science enthusiasts dream. It combines aspects of chemistry, physics, and biology.

So how did a little Latina like me become a geologist?

For me there are a few things. First, as you might notice…I’m pretty short. So since I’m pretty close to the ground. As a kid I spent lots of time noticing things on the ground and often spent time picking up rocks and fossils. For years I’d always expected to find a dinosaur buried in my backyard. I’d snag my dads tools and dig away pulling out what now I know are chunks of limestone.

I became fascinated by the natural world…every spring break, my mom would take me and my sisters to different places each day to keep us busy like the zoo and the botanical center. I was fascinated by the different greenhouses that represented different climate zones and how those climate zones shaped the plants that lived in them. We went to the Witte museum, It was there that I fell in love with dinosaurs!

I never grew out of my love for dinosaurs and so as I entered Trinity University I immediately declared as a geology major.

If there are soon be college students in the audience….just a news flash…college is hard! There were many all-nighters studying and studying and more studying. My advice to you students: find friends that have a similar passion in science to study with. For me I was lucky to have my twin sister. Seek out mentors. I would never have made it to the position I have now without great mentors. Also, be proactive and seek out opportunities. As an undergraduate I applied as an intern on public lands in the west, specifically in Utah. That leads me to my favorite day as a geologist.

As a volunteer, I was able to participate in research at a dinosaur site. My research project was to use the rocks that were deposited in and around the bone bed to try to figure out the environment that the dinosaurs lived in. To do this I spent a lot of time digging trenches to find fresh rock to describe (something my grandparents was completely perplexed at since they spent years laboring as such so we wouldn’t have to. And here my twin sister and I were spending days digging.

One of the days my twin sister and I were looking for some nice spots to describe a section. We went down a steep gully. So I carefully made my way down the embankment and I while clinging to the rock, right in front of me, were three small bones sticking out the cliff. That day was the day I dreamed about as a 6 year old digging up rocks in the playground of Boone Elementary. My twins sister and I had found a dinosaur bone. Many dinosaur bones actually. They were of an ankylosaur and of a small theropod (if you don’t know what these are…find a 4 year old and ask).

One of these was named Geminiraptor suarezarum after my twin sister and me. To be the first person to see something that was alive in over 100 million years ago is the most amazing feeling.

All of these experiences led me to my current research. I am a paleoclimatologist. My research focuses on understanding how the climate functioned during the Cretaceous period. The last period of the dinosaurs. So just a couple of things to keep everyone on the same page because I know there will be those that look at the weather and say, “look how cold it was this year…it snowed!” Well…that is weather. Weather is the day-to-day, week-to-week, or month-to-month or seasonal changes in temperature and precipitation. Climate, on the other hand, is the long term (usually averaged over 30 years) changes in these parameters. Monitoring and understanding climate change requires investment in science. And as atmospheric CO2 and methane levels grow, it is ever more important to monitor. That’s also where research of past climates come in. The earth has run these experiments before. During the Cretaceous period we know that there were little to no continental ice, in fact sea level was high enough that this area was covered in shallow seas. These are the same seas from which the many fossils I collected as a kid come from. If we can understand climates of the past, we can understand in what direction we may be heading.

The last thing I want to share is that as part of my research, I utilize geochemistry. As a high school student, I had a really hard time with chemistry. It was the only course I ever needed a tutor in. Today, I run an isotope geochemistry lab. It took finding something that I loved (understanding Earth History) to make things click.

So keep an open mind. You never know how science might surprise you or how you might surprise yourself.

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

Kevin L. Keys, PhD

My name is Kevin. I am a researcher at UCSF, where I study the genomic basis of asthma in children. I also advocate for true diversity in the sciences. That is why I am a proud member of SACNAS, the largest multidisciplinary and multicultural science advocacy organization in the country, and a partner with the March for Science.

When I was invited to speak here, I was repeatedly asked why I march. Why do I march for science? The more I pondered that question, the more I realized why this march matters.

One inspiration to march stems from a test administered to children called the Draw-a-Scientist Test. As the name implies, the premise is simple: ask a child to draw a scientist. But while the premise is simple, the resulting drawings can reflect profoundly unsettling realities about the conduct of science in this country.

Ask a child in the year 1980 to draw a scientist, and the child would likely draw a white man in a lab coat. Ask a child today, nearly forty years later, to draw a scientist, and with luck, that child may draw a white woman. Stereotypes of who can become a scientist are deeply and stubbornly entrenched in society. Even here in the Bay Area, with its prestigious universities, its massive technology industries, and its numerous scientific laboratories, many of our children lack the opportunity to see science. To study science. To become a scientist.

Our economy and the nation’s scientific and technological advances depend on the strength of contributions from a diverse group of people. But our country has not ensured equity and access for everybody to contribute.

You may wonder: why is this our problem?

Let me stress how deeply representation matters in science. Over the last twenty years, my field of genomics has seen billions of dollars of federal investment in genome sequencing technologies and databases. We want to understand the genomic basis of disease, to develop new pharmaceuticals, and to make medical practices more precise. But the majority of sequenced genomes come from individuals of European descent. This reflects the background of genomic scientists, but not American society at large. Black and Latino and indigenous people constitute more than a third of the country. They will constitute an even larger share of the population by the year 2050. Yet those populations comprise about 4% of genomic study subjects. Where will the fruits of our genomic studies go? Who will benefit from new drugs, less disease burden, or new medical practices? Certainly not the 4%.

And I can go on. I can go on about how people of color disproportionately suffer from diabetes, obesity, and sickle cell disease. I can go on about how people of color are more likely to live near toxic waste plants, oil refineries, and polluted superfund sites. How people of color are more likely to lack access to potable water. How people of color are more likely to live in hurricane and flood zones. Historically, this country did not value the health of people of color. That mentality has changed little in recent years.

It is easy for us scientists to remain quiet in the face of environmental or social injustices. After all, the majority of scientists are not personally affected by these issues. But I refuse to ignore problems that do not affect me directly. I will not stay quiet.

Surveys have shown that scientists are among the most trusted members of society. Our collective voice carries tremendous authority. And with this power, we can bring attention to the ills of our society. We can bring rigor and evidence and clarity to complicated environmental, medical, and social problems. We can study, address, and rectify societal disparities.

We can use science to create a more just and diverse future for our children.

And I have hope for that future. Why? Because I work at a university that trains young scientists. Through them I can glimpse the future.

I see a future where scientists merge their interests with a mission to make the world better. Where scientists turn their attention to the environmental, medical, and sociological issues in society. Where scientists shed their reluctance and disdain for engaging with the public. Where scientists represent their communities, and their communities are represented in science.

I see a future where scientists collaborate across borders. Scientists of all genders and colors and cultures and social backgrounds. Science does not care about school district lines, neighborhood divisions, border walls, visas, or citizenship documents. Science cares about evidence. Evidence is taller and stronger than any border. Evidence never carries a passport.

I see a future where I can ask a child to draw a scientist. And no matter where that child comes from — be it Richmond, or Oakland, or San Francisco, or Sacramento, or Stockton, or Riverside, or Los Angeles or San Diego — I ask that child to draw a scientist, and that child draws itself.

Why do I march for science? I march to make that future a reality. I hope that you do too.

Thank you.

SANTA CRUZ

Amanda Brambila

Today I stand here in front of you representing UC Santa Cruz, SCIENCE, and SACNAS, Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science. Behind me stand students from many backgrounds, genders and ethnicities. Although each of us have a unique journey that brought us here, our stories intersect in many ways; we are first generation college students, we are underrepresented, and we stand here as a community with the same cause: to increase awareness in policies affecting science, and to increase awareness about achieving TRUE Diversity in STEM.

I always wanted to pursue science, to earn a PhD. I always knew it was not going to be easy and made up my mind early on to give it my all, regardless of the challenge. Little did I know, that my academic acumen or scientific curiosity, would be often overshadowed by challenges rooted in being different, because others did not share my experience, because I was the minority, because I was underrepresented, because there is a lack of diversity in STEM.

I grew up in Tijuana, Mexico, a dynamic border city, known among other things, as a binational melting pot and the epicenter for many US-Mexico policies like immigration, manufacturing and trade. Upon graduating high school, I too decided to pursue the American dream. This pursuit, would start by earning my bachelors degree from a university in the United States. I lived at home while earning my degree, yes, this means that I crossed the San Diego-Tijuana International Border to attend school. Yes, this means waiting in line hours at a time at the border to get to my classes. As it turned out, this was the easy part. As it happens with many URM students, I struggled with culture shock and faced many challenges that made me feel like I didn’t belong.

You see, this is why mentors are important, specially mentors that recognize the challenges you face and can guide you past them or simply validate your challenge and push you to move on.

For me, the mentor who guided me and most importantly, assured me that I could and should pursue a PhD in science, is Dr. Nouna Bakhiet. It is greatly due to her and the impact and support she gave me early on, that I will be advancing to PhD in Biology candidacy in a week. It was also her that told me, who sadly assured me, that this was only the beginning of the challenges I would face, but would learn to overcome and move past them. It is because of the amazing mentors that have been part of my life, both male and female, Hispanic, black and white that I am standing here today.

It is through our stories, our experiences, our uniqueness and our cultures, that underrepresented minority students can bring different ideas to move science forward. We don’t all view the same problems the same way, science is not bias… It’s fact!

To start, we need to increase advocacy to make sure that kids from predominantly low income and diverse backgrounds, right here in the United States, get EQUAL access to a free quality public education so they can pursue careers in STEM. Current statistics from the National Science Foundation tell us that about 66.6% of the current STEM workforce is white, 20.6% Asian and close to 13% is a mix of Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian.

Additionally, we need to safeguard government programs, specially in the current political climate, that support underrepresented students in the sciences like those in the National Science Foundation and National Institute of Health. In turn, we need to make sure our lawmakers support funding for these programs. We need people like you, standing here today to vote for lawmakers that will champion these programs.

Change is possible, and it’s hopeful. My experience as a underrepresented minority student in STEM is different than that of the generation before me, and the one before that. It is up to us to pave the road for future generations, for those following our steps and listening to our stories. It is up to us NOW! to change the landscape, so that we can achieve TRUE diversity in STEM.

SEATTLE

Marco Hatch, PhD (Samish)

Today, I am speaking on behalf of an organization dedicated to achieving true diversity in the STEM field, called SACNAS. Joining me onstage are rising science superstars from the SACNAS Chapter at Western Washington University. {lead crowd applause to celebrate them}

SACNAS is leading the national movement to build a critical mass of STEM leaders from underrepresented communities. Our community has 26,000 students and scientists dedicated to creating a new STEM environment where minority scientists don’t feel they have to leave their cultures at the lab door. Rather, we believe that diverse scientists merge and integrate their diverse identities, creating a new science space that includes their unique contributions and perspectives.

In my lab at Western Washington University — quick shout out to the Coastal Communities and Ecology Lab — we say, “SCIENCE, NOT SILENCE”.

The voices of Indigenous people — the original inhabitants and caretakers for this land — are often silenced in favor of those with advanced degrees in scientific fields. Our system favors the voice of PhDs over individuals with multiple generations of first hand knowledge of environment. Rather than silencing a complete knowledge system, Indigenous knowledge, we need to find ways to uphold multiple ways of knowing so that we create a sustainable future for all people.

I’d like to tell you a story about respecting multiple ways of knowing that strengthen our future. The story originates with Chief Dan George and it’s called, “Two Trees, One Canoe”.

Long ago, when a family needed a new canoe they would meet the community carver. He would ask the family what the canoe would be used for, would it be for short trips? Long ones? to it visit family? Or to move through the islands? After learning what they needed, the carver would go into the woods and find the perfect cedar tree for this canoe.

Once the right tree was found, the carver couldn’t simply cut down the tree! He had to ask for tree’s permission. Through a series of conversations and prayers, which might take days, the carver would tell the tree about the family that needed the canoe, about what they needed it for, how it would help provide for the family. And if the tree agreed it would be honored, cut down, and have new life as a canoe.

Today, we no longer have those big cedar trees and we need to make a canoe from two trees. When making a canoe from two trees, it is important that they meld well together, that they connect without giving up their identity as separate trees. For the canoe to work, the trees need to value each other and work together. If one tree thinks it is better than the other, that its way of doing things is only way, the tension will cause the canoe to come apart and its passengers will sink.

This relationship is just like the balance between western science and Indigenous science. Indigenous science holds thousands of years’ worth of intergenerational knowledge and has a sophisticated system for protecting and building knowledge. For our own survival, we need to bring together western science and Indigenous science in a respectful way. If we want to continue to explore and enjoy the Salish Sea that we all love, we need to make sure that our canoe stays together.

Today, I am marching for an inclusive scientific community that acknowledges all communities and their knowledge!

HY’SHQE

TUCSON

Neo Martinez, PhD

Thank you all so much for being here today on this beautiful morning. Thank you for coming out and rallying for science. Science needs your support. Science deserves your support. I would like to begin by reminding ourselves of what many of us love about science. Of course, we treasure the health and at least some of the wealth science gives us. If not for science, we could still be in the dark ages dumping sewage in our streets and subjecting ourselves to old world epidemics like the bubonic plague. But in addition to all the treasured products of science, what I truly love, and I suspect many of you love, is DOING science.

Here’s three things I love about doing science. Even if you haven’t personally done these things, it’s often thrilling hear about them. Give me a big shout of if you like them too.

The first has to be exploration! How many of you love the effort of trying to figure out how the world works? To strive to see nature in a way that hasn’t been seen before. To do it we scientists explore! How many love scientific exploration?! I do!

Here’s another: After all that exploration, The discovery! How many of you love science for those delicious “ah ha” moments when insight is suddenly achieved? Those moments are the best. And as we heard this morning, they make great stories… Discovery is awesome!

And here, the last but not least: The creativity!!! How many of you love figuring out new ways to solve a puzzle, coming up that trick that unlocks that which was hidden. Creativity! The gift from which so many gifts flow…

Yes, all that, scientists explore, discover, and create to generate new knowledge! Great job if you can get one! To discover a clearer way to understand the system you study?! To use that discovery to accurately predict things we didn’t even know about before! And enrich humanity while doing it! That’s certainly been one of my, and many other scientists’, great joys in life. Clearly, we love science or we wouldn’t be here…

But I’d like to talk to you today about a different perspective on science. It has to do with the attacks on science.. both those attacks from outside science, which you are probably well aware of, and also attacks from within science, ones that you might not being so well aware of. And I’m going talk about these attacks by telling you a story. It begins with my parents who were born here in the wonderful state of Arizona and ends with asking you to continue your march for science… specifically a march for true diversity in science. Let me begin.

As you heard, my name is Neo Martinez. I’m the son of Jose Vergara Martinez, apparently the first Mexican-American to get a PhD in any of the physical sciences in this country. Go dad. He was born and grew up in Flagstaff, where smart Chicanos like him were told by his High School Principal “Mexicans don’t do Science.” Yah, right… Not only was dad a native born American, Dad went on to become a professor who chaired his physics department after graduating from Northern Arizona University.

There at NAU in Flagstaff he met my Mom, Jayme Deppe, from Prescott, Arizona. It was quite scandal them dating. Mom’s family sent her 150 miles south to Arizona State in Tempe to stop their romance. The Arizona anti-miscegenation law prohibiting Caucasians from marrying people like my father wouldn’t be repealed until over a decade later: 1967.

My mom’s mom told my mom, “Nice girls don’t do that!” Do what you ask? Let me tell you. Back then, the municipal pool in Flagstaff was for whites-only except Thursday afternoons. Then, it was for non-whites only… as long as they stayed to scrub it clean after they drained it so white folk could enjoy swimming the rest of the week in water untouched by skin of a different color. Yeah, think about that for a bit. Perhaps then you can imagine what they thought of whites marrying people of color. Grandma told my mom, “Think about your children!” Why bring “mixed-race” children into a world that would subject then to such intense racism?

When I asked my mom, despite the laws, the racism and everything else, “Why did you still marry dad? “Because I loved him!” was her immediate response. Fortunately… especially fortunately for me!… it takes a lot more than all that to stop my mom. But unfortunately, the racism forced them out of Arizona to start a family far away from their communities that would have hugely helped raising my parents’ six kids. Still, mom and dad are happily married 64 years later.

So yes, I grew up as one of the very few people of color to grow up in this country following a family trade called Science! Specifically, I became an Ecologist. Ecology is one of those many environmental sciences that’s currently under attack and I suspect many of you are here to support. That right?

Are you here to support climate science? Are you here to fight against climate deniers? You should be! Much like the greed and ignorance that motivates the denial of colored people’s rights, greed and ignorance motivates denial of the rights of people to a clean environment including freedom from the carbon pollution that is destroying earth’s climate. As documented in the wonderful 2010 book, “Merchants of Doubt,” greedy corporations are taking a page from big Tobacco’s play book to sow ignorance and doubt among us. By doing this, they help to maintain our self-destructive addiction to fossil fuel that’s destroying life on our planet. Our science makes it clear that fossil fuel addiction is driving countless species to extinction. It’s further impoverishing the poor people of color least responsible for the addiction. We need to fight against the scientific ignorance and moral poverty behind this addiction.

Many of us are here today because we love science and we recognize that we NEED to support science. Today we’ve heard about, and many of us have long experienced, the attacks on science: The war against inconvenient truths waged by the powerful against the search for truth. And as we know, we need to stand up for science, to defend it against immoral greedy attacks and to support its effective search for truth and new knowledge.

But if you love something, you especially should be the one to stop it from hurting itself and others. Right? Scientists in my field, ecology and evolutionary biology, did that. It hurt itself and many others when scientists from the 1700s through the mid 1900s declared that white people were intellectually and morally superior to non-whites. How’s that for irony. The immorality of claiming one’s own race is morally superior to all others… OUCH! It took a lot to fight against that convenient falsehood… and it’s still not dead.

And this gets to a deep moral issue with science. And this moral issue has to do with the exclusion of minorities from science. You know there’s a lot of stupid scientific endeavors that could have been avoided if science less enthusiastically embraced white male supremacy. One of them is Craniology, a deeply racist endeavor described in the book titled, “The Mismeasure of Man.” Another is lucidly described in a 1981 book titled “The Woman That Never Evolved.” Ha! Great title! Wonder why woman suffer inferior medical treatment? Read the book…

Well, it’s not surprising that research shows that science done by more diverse peoples is better science. But hey, even if it wasn’t better science, racial exclusion from science reflects a deep moral poverty that we need to rise above.

While many, but not all, recognize that truth, the prevalence of minorities among leaders of science, about 5% of full professors at top research universities, has not budged for decades… and it’s going down in some disciplines, such as in the wonderful field we just heard about: astronomy. Indeed, many of the top university departments still have all white faculty. I joined one! But despite me being one of the best published and funded in the department, they’ve decided to return to their all-white status.

The truth is, and as this past election so well demonstrated, underrepresented minorities are not wanted by many at the top rungs of society. Low rungs, no problem… well as long as those at the low rungs don’t mess with those upper rungs. Society makes sure of that by hiring folks like Sheriff Joe Arpaio, can I get a witness? Yah, he was pardoned by Trump for leading large police forces in their violently racist acts against Hispanics and others here in Southern Arizona… you know, that place where you can break our constitution by prohibiting people from being taught their own history…. Sound familiar Tucson? Up north in Flagstaff, they named a school after my dad’s racist principal. Yah, human evolution, history, Mexican-American Scientists… such inconvenient truths!!!

If you love science, you need to stop it from conducting such immoral acts. The exclusion of underrepresented minorities from scientific leadership has gone on too long. Studies show that institutional diversity programs don’t increase the diversity of institutional leaders. Instead, those programs protect their institutions from law suits. Those programs also threaten white males… who start acting even more threatened! God forbid if you don’t naively embrace white male superiority. For example, those studies show that woman who promote women, and minorities that support minorities, are systematically downgraded in their performance reviews. No wonder things aren’t changing!

The system is protecting its privileges. Scientists know that white males would be ten times less likely to be scientific leaders if they were Hispanic or Black or Native American. That’s a painful fact about people raised in this country. People have talked about the leaky pipeline and guess what, if that was the problem, things would have gotten better as more diverse people entered the pipeline. But as many more of us have entered the education pipeline, the ones at the top are just as white as they have been for the last several decades. Guess it’s going to take more than a few civil rights and a bit more access to the polls to change it.

Yes, you know it’s going to take more to change things for science. We’re here to protect it from immoral and greedy challenges from outside science against the search for truth, and I’m here to say we have to also protect science from immoral challenges also coming from the inside. I’m talking about active racism and its legacies. The trouble with such institutional immorality is that it has a lot of protectors. We’ve recently seen this in the countless assaults inflicted on our Olympic women gymnasts, how universities can work to maintain immoral acts among its leadership. As she stepped down, the disgraced president of Michigan State University said all she did was to protect the university. She allowed decades of abuse of so many children by one of their professors and, as charged more recently, similarly immoral acts by one of her Deans in charge of that professor who has since been sentenced to multiple life sentences.

My father often warned me: “The system protects itself.” These horrendous stories show how appallingly right he is. If we want true diversity in science, we’re going to have to fight for it. There’s many who don’t want it, and they occupy the highest offices in the land. Most of the others, indeed all of us, are saddled with constant reminders of white supremacy when we look at our leaders especially our scientific leaders. That makes it an uphill battle… a steep uphill battle. And we won’t make much progress until we demand that leading institutions diversify their faculty and other leaders and instead INCLUDE those that have been excluded for so long. Far from a just meritocracy, the system is rigged. We have to fix that. And we need to do it the way we’re doing it here and the way things have changed before. We have to rally and we have to march on our universities and other institutions to change this. Right here in Arizona and elsewhere, we have to march on our departments to change this. Exclusion should no longer be accepted. We need to support science for the spectacular knowledge and advances in the human body, mind, and spirit it enables. But to do that both morally and more effectively, we need to support true diversity in science.

It’s only been about 50 years since miscegenation laws were repealed. Civil rights were only starting to get recognized then and they’re still too often denied today. Science advances knowledge incredibly quickly, but as an institution, it is one of the slowest to change. A prominent description of the scientific leadership of my science in particular has been criticized in one of our top journals for reflecting, and I quote, “a legacy of white male dominance in our field and the epidemic of unconscious bias that continues to this day.” That bears repeating, so let me say it again. Professor Julia Baum, a wonderful marine ecologist, has rightfully accused published praise of scientific leadership in my field, ecology, quote: “as an ode to a legacy of white male dominance in our field and the epidemic of unconscious bias that continues to this day.” If you’re not up on the newest lingo, unconscious bias is the politically correct term for discrimination these days. Well unconscious bias might make it sound less offensive but it doesn’t make it more acceptable. If we don’t demand it change, it won’t do it by itself.

So I’m asking you, to continue to support science, and also to support true diversity in science. True diversity in science is the mission of the organization that sponsored my talk here. It’s an organization that my father helped found. The organization is SACNAS, the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos, Hispanics and Native Americans in Science. We have thousands of members who attend our national conferences. We have a wonderful SACNAS chapter right here at the UA. So you can help support true diversity in science by joining and supporting SACNAS. It’s a wonderful organization that’s worked almost a half century to help young people of color succeed in science. But I worked with SACNAS since I was a kid and I’m pretty sure that even SACNAS can’t change things at the top levels if people don’t demand change.

So what do you say. Do you support science? Do you support diverse science? Do you support TRUE diversity in science? Great, so please, talk your leaders! Write to your leaders… Demand Change! in all science related organizations. And continue to march for science and for diversity among all types of leaders but especially among scientific leaders. We’ve managed to eliminate many white-only swimming pools but too many whites-only science departments and companies continue to this day. Please support inclusive science at all levels. It’s the right thing to do.

Inclusive science is better science and it looks and feels a lot more like some of the greatest strengths of America: Exploration! Discovery! Creativity! and Diversity!

WASHINGTON, DC

Evelyn Valdez-Ward

I stand in front of you today as a Dreamer. I stand in front of you as a Latina, a Mexicana, and as a female scientist. My identity is a source of strength. My existence is resistance.

As a selfless act of love, my parents brought me from Mexico to the US, in order to have access to higher education. To honor their sacrifice, me puse las pilas, and became the first in my family to obtain a degree.

As an undergrad with DACA status, I had limited access to financial aid. This led me to work multiple full-time jobs to cover my tuition, and took time away from my studies. Meanwhile, my father often traveled out of state to find work. As the eldest in my household, I had to help my mom, and look after my siblings. Work, school, and being the head of household was difficult to handle.

Eventually, I found myself having to make the choice between family and school. One of the most difficult decisions I ever made, and felt like betrayal to my family, was moving to California to get my PhD. Especially during this past year, while my family evacuated their home because of Hurricane Harvey, and I was stuck a thousand miles away.

Getting into graduate school was not easy. Institutional and systemic barriers that already exist against me as a Latina, are only heightened as an undocumented student.

And yet here I am, making my parents sacrifices count by getting my PhD. I’m in my second year at the University of California Irvine, where my work focuses on the effects of climate change on the interactions between plants and soil microbes. I’m helping make a difference for Latinx students and undocumented students who want to pursue higher education.

Current federal policies, like the rescinding of DACA, and the inability for this administration to pass legislation to protect Dreamers, obstruct our ability to create a diverse academic community. Unfortunately, policies within higher education systems are also creating a harmful learning environment that are personally attacking undocumented students.

For example, restricting undocumented students from in-state tuition, a sad tragedy affecting students in Arizona and other states. Funding opportunities for undocumented students are already incredibly limited, this places additional barriers to Dreamers, who seek academic safety and refuge within our school systems.

We contribute to this nation in invaluable ways. Dreamers are in our scientific communities. Dreamers are helping fight climate change. Dreamers are doing the science that will bring this nation to the next level.

This fight is about this nation losing prospective students, because we stand to lose talented minds if they do not find support here. We desperately need a scientific community that reflects our nation’s demographics.

To remain academically and globally competitive, we must harness the powerful work of ALL Dreamers, and ALL students. And provide support regardless of background, sexual orientation, or citizenship status.

As I stand here, surrounded by influential people in power, I want to say, change starts with you. A true ally makes their voice heard. A true ally uses their influence for positive change. Because everyone plays an important role in ensuring that this nation becomes a safe place to learn. Free from policies that create divisions within our community. Don’t stand idly by while your community, and your colleagues, are hurting. I encourage you to step up. And make your voice heard.

Corey Welch, PhD (Northern Cheyenne)

My name is Corey Welch. I am the Director of an undergraduate STEM Scholars program that is diversifying our scientific workforce.
I also serve on the Board of Directors of SACNAS, the largest, multidisciplinary and multicultural STEM diversity organization.

I am a first generation, low income, college graduate.
I am a biologist and an educator.
I am a proud member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Nation. Natchess-Stah.

With this in mind, I want thank the Piscataway people on whose land we stand today. Thank you for hosting us.

My roots as a scientist began in Montana with my grandfather & other family members on the red dirt roads of the reservation. We described these drives as “seeing what we can see.”

I saw deer and black bears, we looked for arrowheads at the buffalo jump, and fished at Crazy Head Springs. These memories shaped how I interact with the world.

And LATER…in my first college biology class, I realized that, thanks to my family’s training, I was actually pretty good at this biology thing!

Through a series of federally funded programs and mentors, I learned about undergraduate research and what graduate school was. I realized that I loved doing research…. and importantly, that you got paid to do a PhD in the sciences!

As a biologist, I answered questions on ways to improve the management of our forests and later, I worked on biodiversity questions leading toward the conservation of an endangered species.

I want to be clear…We don’t do science to get rich. We do science because it is our passion and we get to use our creativity to understand real world problems and through failure and success we provide solutions that benefit us all.

I use underrepresented STEM students…

What do I mean by underrepresented students? I mean minorities…people with disabilities…the LGBTQ+ community, students who are low income, who are the first in their family to go to college, and (in most of the sciences) women.

The challenges are real for underrepresented students in science. We have to overcome the reality that few or no faculty share our identities or fully understand our situation on campus and in our home communities.

For too long, science has been limited to a subset of our society and as a result, my mission is to help train the Indigenous Albert Einstein, the Latinx Marie Curie, the gender-non conforming Jonas Salk.

The diversity research clearly demonstrates the following: Bringing all people to the scientific table leads to better ideas, kinder, more ethical solutions, and always, a more informed public policy.

Your investment in my life and the lives of hundreds of students that I have worked with, so I am doing my best to pay it back and pay it forward.

We have an opportunity here today and in the future, to fund science to its full need, to bring all Americans into the laboratory and the field, so we can have the best science informing our public policy.

How can you make a difference? I have two DEMANDS.

FIRST, support the organizations that have supported me by contacting your representatives and remind them to support science funding:

— The National Science Foundation, The National Institutes of Health, and STEM diversity organizations such as SACNAS.

I met my African American PhD advisor at a National SACNAS conference. Google S-A-C-N-A-S. It is an amazing organization that is training our future STEM workforce. In fact, 21 SACNAS leaders are speaking at March For Science Events today.

TWO, get registered and vote in EVERY election: from the school board to the mid-term elections. We need your science-loving voices in the discussion.

THANK YOU and thank you for supporting Science!