By Robert Salonga
Daily Bruin Staff
A minority rights coalition is lobbying representatives on the
federal, state and UC levels to push for Latino/a appointees to the
UC Board of Regents and the chancellorship of UC Riverside.
Riverside will soon lose two important representatives to the
UC. UCR alumna S. Sue Johnson’s term as a regent expires
Friday, and current UCR Chancellor Raymond Orbach will head the
Department of Energy’s office of science this summer pending
Senate confirmation.
“The demographic factors justify a Latino
chancellor,” said Armando Navarro, coordinator for the
National Alliance for Human Rights and chair of UCR’s ethnic
studies department.
Navarro cited that Latinos will soon account for 50 percent of
the two-county area surrounding Riverside, and already make up 22
percent of the students at UCR. As of the 2000 census, Latinos
comprise 36 and 39 percent of Riverside and San Bernardino
counties, respectively.
Riverside is the only UC to have ever had a Latino chancellor,
when Tomás Rivera served from 1978 to 1983.
Congressman Joe Baca, D-Rialto, who represents the Riverside
area, has stated his support for the movement. State Assemblyman
Marco Firebaugh, D-Cudahy, is also working to secure the support of
the state Latino Legislative Caucus.
NAHR sent letters to UC President Richard Atkinson and Gov. Gray
Davis advocating the appointment of a Latino/a regent and UCR
chancellor. Baca sent a similar letter to Atkinson, backed by 16
other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
University spokesman Michael Reese confirmed that Atkinson
received the letter but said the UC is barred by Proposition 209 to
consider ethnicity in the appointment process.
“We urged them to recommend to us eligible candidates that
ought to be considered,” Reese said.
NAHR sent a list of 15 prospective chancellor candidates to
Atkinson and Davis.
Atkinson’s advisory committee to find a Riverside
chancellor ““ comprised of six regents and faculty members
throughout the UC ““ has narrowed the selection to 12
finalists from a pool of applicants from across the nation, said
UCOP spokesman Michael Reese. However, UCOP will continue to accept
nominations.
On the Board of Regents, Johnson’s departure and a
preexisting vacancy give Davis two seats to fill. Davis will not
consider ethnicity in his appointments, according to his staff.
“That’s not something that’s ever really a
huge factor at all,” said Alex Traverso, a spokesman for
Davis. “The person should be focused on education and making
it strong in the state.”
Baca, along with NAHR, stated his support for the appointment of
Colton resident Dr. Manuela Sosa to the regent post Johnson will
vacate.
“I believe it important to have a Latina regent from the
Inland Empire ““ as a reflection of our community,” Baca
said in a statement.
Sosa graduated from UCR with a B.S. in microbiology with minors
in chemistry and physics. Two years later she received her
secondary teaching credential from Riverside, and later graduated
from dental school at Loma Linda University in 1974.
“My interest in education goes back 40 years,” said
Sosa, who now heads a dental practice in Riverside.
“I’m tenacious and do not lose sight of my
goals,” she said. “I hope to improve accessibility to
the UC while maintaining its standards.”
Sosa is the recipient the UCR Community Alumni and Chicano
Alumni awards, and was named Woman of the Year by assemblymen in
the two districts where she lives and works.
She also founded the Inland Empire Scholarship, which provides
aid of $500 to $2,500 to students ranging from the community
college to the graduate student level.
Riverside needs leaders more reflective of the population, Sosa
said.
“We need more (Latino) representation than we have, since
we have an area that is highly ethnic,” she said.
“More importantly, with the proportion of minorities here,
it’s logical to appoint a minority, whether me or someone
else.”
However, Traverso said that Davis should appoint a qualified
regent regardless of their residence or race.
“If they are Latino or from Riverside, so be it, but the
priority is to have an excellent person on the Board,” he
said.