Club Spotlight at USC: SCAPE
By: Antonia Le ‘22
For students both newly arriving at USC or returning for another semester, finding a new organization to join can be overwhelming. On campus, tables used to line Trousdale as clubs competed for the attention of students just trying to get from one class to another. Over the course of the pandemic, the process of recruitment has shifted to Zoom meetings, where clubs not only had to compete with one another but also the feeling of Zoom fatigue.
One club that has made the most of the past few semesters is the Student Coalition for Asian Pacific Empowerment, also known as SCAPE.
Since Spring 2020, SCAPE (which I am a member of) has expanded both its membership base and its overall reach. Once an organization primarily focused on holding meetings to educate USC students on issues impacting the Asian American community, SCAPE has found its footing as an activism and advocacy-based group. Over the course of the pandemic, it has embarked on a variety of initiatives dedicated to helping Asian Americans all around Los Angeles.
Over the course of summer and fall 2020, for instance, SCAPE worked with the organization API-Equality Los Angeles to create a phone tree meant to connect QTAPI (Queer and Trans Asian Pacific Islander) individuals with resources during the course of the pandemic.
During Fall 2020 and Spring 2021, SCAPE also partnered with the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA) to hold several phone banking sessions to advocate for safe policies for workers in Koreatown over the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the most ambitious and long-running projects SCAPE has taken on in recent months is its partnership with Chinatown Community for Equitable Development (CCED) to advocate for tenant rights and fair housing in Los Angeles. The partnership between SCAPE and CCED aims to pressure USC into taking action with regard to Jerome Fink, one of the board members of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate. Fink is the co-founder of VF Developments, a housing company that has been trying to evict long-term tenants of the 920 Everett Street apartment complex through predatory practices in an effort to hike up rent prices. Tenants have argued that employees of VF Developments have harassed them and destroy their property in an effort to get them to move out of their homes.
To raise awareness regarding Fink and VF Developments and pressure USC to take responsibility for one of its board members, SCAPE has started an online petition, created a social media campaign, and written a piece for the Daily Trojan about the situation–with more action to come in the future as the fight continues.
SCAPE’s work isn’t stopping for the summer, either. I spoke to SCAPE’s Director of External Affairs Joseph Cho, who described several upcoming initiatives: “We are collaborating with API Equality Los Angeles to launch two events this summer. In June, we’ll hold a mental health workshop about finding QTAPI-affirming therapists and resources with an inter-generational community dialogue. In July, we’ll hold a youth outreach event for QTAPI youth in the San Gabriel Valley area. We will also be continuing our press campaign in collaboration with CCED to hold Jerome Fink accountable for his attempted displacement of vulnerable Chinatown tenants.”
To accommodate all it wants to do, SCAPE is restructuring its organization in the future, removing focus from general meetings and putting more emphasis on community. The restructuring will allow general (non-E-board) SCAPE members to be more involved with SCAPE’s work too. In the 2021-2022 school year, general members will have the chance to join various committees based on SCAPE’s initiatives and partnerships with organizations such as APIE-LA, KIWA, and CCED.
For those who want to be more involved, SCAPE will open applications for intern positions in the fall. However, those who want to work with SCAPE before then still have the chance to apply for a SCAPE E-Board position here, no experience required. Applications are open until Sunday, May 23.
Though SCAPE’s work can seem daunting to someone new, the organization is all about welcoming newcomers and teaching them the ropes. “From my conversations with new members, the number one commonality is that they were all drawn by our culture of radical kindness. We’re really good at welcoming newcomers warmly, and we make time to recognize and affirm each other’s contributions,” said Cho. "We both get work done and support each other along the way. “
If you’re interested in helping out Asian Americans in Los Angeles, there’s a place in SCAPE for you. "I feel a lot of us are frustrated about all the violence and injustice that Asian Americans are facing, but we don’t know what to do about it. If that’s you, SCAPE is a great way to get involved in community work, learn more about APIDA issues, and make some friends along the way,” said Cho.
This blog post has just given a small taste of what SCAPE has done and what it will do in the future. If you want to learn more (or get involved), email uscscape@gmail.com to talk to a SCAPE member or head over to the SCAPE Instagram to get the latest updates.
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