Editorials

It may seem unnecessary or unreasonable to think about ASUCI in the midst of a busy and stressful college life; however, supporting our student government members and ensuring that ASUCI administration hears our voices will benefit everyone in the long run. 

The Irvine 11 and the interruptions of Yang’s discussion were both forms of disruption, yet, the reaction to the Irvine 11 was significantly harsher. This indicates UCI’s discriminatory reaction to student activism and free speech, which is based in Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism.

Tennessee governor Bill Lee signed Senate Bill 3, which seeks to ban  “adult cabaret entertainment” — including drag performers — from performing in public spaces, on March 2. While the bill has been hailed by some for protecting children from obscenity, the bill actually only serves to further stigmatize and endanger youths belonging to the LGBTQ+ community.

The celebrity-to-politician pipeline, most notable for Trump’s presidency, should be avoided to prevent unqualified people from holding positions of great political authority and influence. 

The greenwashing agenda is exploitative of consumers’ well-intended efforts to live more sustainably for the sole purpose of capital gain, which leads to a misinterpretation of environmentalism as a whole. 

AI is a powerful tool that is capable of tackling complex social problems, such as access to education, elimination of bias in decision-making processes and other essential services... While it has the potential to systematically eliminate these issues, without proper regulation to ensure the safe development and deployment of AI, it can perpetuate biases and infringe on individual rights.

Ultimately, the consequences of fast furniture in the United States are dire when considering its long-term effects on both the environment and marginalized communities. The implementation of sustainable policies for corporations contributing the most to this crisis, along with consumers adopting sustainable personal practices and advocating for governmental change are the best approaches towards fixing this issue.

Family content creators on YouTube rely on the exploitation and unnecessary exposure of their children to make a profit. Corporations like YouTube are dependent on the public for their income and, therefore, should have a responsibility to protect that public. Grossly displaying children on YouTube, where the most popular channels have millions of viewers, violates this responsibility. YouTube facilitates child exploitation by rewarding these channels with advertising revenue and subscriber milestone rewards. 

Dolores Huerta. Larry Itliong. Philip Vera Cruz. These forgotten leaders of the ‘60s farmworkers’ labor movement lie in the shadows while America honors Cesar Chavez Day on March 31. While Chavez’s contributions of leading one of the major organizations involved in the movement and working to negotiate labor contracts should not be forgotten, the efforts of these under-appreciated leaders of the movement must be recognized. Highlighting a singular individual with a problematic past isn’t entirely representative of the hundreds of farmworkers who made the movement what it was.

Dance has always been a means to unify the African community, and its significance goes far beyond entertainment. The WADG graciously allowed me to participate in their weekly practice as they prepared for a performance at the Nigerian Association Conference that will be held from April 14-16.

United States v. Rahimi is now among many instances of the judiciary branch stripping away protections of marginalized communities in favor of protecting the rights of people from privileged backgrounds. This ruling directly puts the lives of women and children in danger against gun violence, raising the question of whether the Judicial branch is committed to protecting the rights of all citizens equally.

From how we speak, to the music we listen to and the clothes we wear, many of the defining elements of American culture come from Black communities and creators. A commercialization of Black culture is happening with little to no benefit to Black creators. While Black communities face prejudice, others benefit from the exploitation of their culture.