Project Remix

By Hannah Kim ‘15

What brings together the Asian, Black, Latino and LGBT communities?

Project Remix is the meeting of four cultural centers at USC: Asian Pacific American Student Services (APASS), El Centro Chicano (the Latino Cultural Center), the Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs (CBCSA) and the LGBT Resource Center (LGBT RC).

Their mission is to create a space for students to dialogue about cross-cultural issues with monthly, interactive discussions. This first event allowed faculty and students to network in a casual, mixer setting.

Interestingly enough, many of these cultural centers were born out of activism:

• CBCSA and El Centro Chicano were both created during the Civil Rights Movement. 
• APASS was started in 1982 as a result of student activism. 
• In 1970, a coalition of students and faculty initiated the Gay Liberation Forum, a precursor to the LGBT RC and other LGBT organizations.

Decades later, these centers are still going strong and work to provide opportunities as well as advocate on behalf of USC students.  

I think Project Remix is an excellent initiative to bring together minority groups  that would normally not be exposed to one another. Divided, our voices may not be heard, but combined they can have great influence.

When you are a part of a minority group it’s easy to only surround yourself with members of that group. For example, the majority of people I interact with at school are other APA students. Events such as these force people like me to step out of our comfort zones and meet people from various backgrounds and walks of life. Minority groups often share a sense of marginalization and confusion in their identity, even if they don’t face the same issues. This is something that we can share across cultures and ethnicities and is not something we need to bear in isolation with our specific community. 

Moreover, if minority groups are indifferent or even antagonistic to one another this can stagnate progress. For instance, as a heterosexual Asian American, I’m aligned with APA issues but might be indifferent to LGBT issues because they do not personally affect me. We should act and speak out not only for ourselves and the perceived obstacles we face, but those of other minority groups who face similar issues. Social justice needs to be a collaborative effort in order to be efficient and effective.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

-Martin Niemoller

Meet the Directors:

Rev. Kelby Harrison: Director of LGBT Resource Center

Q: What is one way USC can improve the climate for LGBT students?

A: Share conversation about expression and discrimination in an honest and vulnerable way. Social justice is a struggle all minorities have and it’s important to recognize the struggles across difference is interwoven and embedded with each other.

Dr. Corliss P. Bennett-McBride: Director of Black Cultural and Student Affairs

Q: What is one problem that faces the black community today at USC?

A: Finding a sense of belonging. Finding a place where you think “I can sit here and relax for a moment.” Our office helps with that: we help students navigate the university, utilize its resources and manage their connections.

Mary Ho: Director of Asian Pacific American Student Services

Q: What improvement do you want to see 10 years down the road with the USC APA community?

A: I want APA students to be able to talk about what it means to be Asian Pacific American in the United States. They need to be more vocal about their identity and lived experience, and share their narrative.

Billy Vela: El Centro Chicano

Q: What is something that El Centro Chicano has accomplished that you’re proud of?

A: We worked closely with CBCSA and current Black/Latino student leaders for a big, encompassing program called the Black & Latino New Student Symposium.  This program provided workshops for 1st year and transfer Black and Latino students to help them navigate USC. We were able to reach 200 students in one day and make a difference in their lives by helping them feel like they belonged and providing strategies and tips to succeed.  

Visit! 

• APASS: STU 410
• CBCSA: STU 415
• El Centro Chicano: STU 402
• LGBT RC: STU 202B 

Upcoming events:

• Oct 2. Diversity Networking Mixer 

Ronald Tutor Campus Center Ballroom, 6pm-8pm

• Oct 21. Project Remix: Theme Parties

Talking about the thin line between cultural appropriation and appreciation  

El Centro Chicano, 6pm-8pm