NOTE: Faculty, if you are interviewed and quoted by news media, or if your work has been cited, and you have an online link to the article or video, please let us know. Contact us at news@csusb.edu.  

Expressions of Art — Opera Theatre at CSUSBKVCRMay 27, 2018

The public radio station’s latest “Expressions of Art” segment profiled the opera theatre program at California State University, San Bernardino. Professor of music Stacey Fraser is the director of this 10-year-old program at CSUSB. Fraser and her partners talk about telling stories on stage with music and movement.

Listen to the online audio interview at “Expressions of Art - Opera Theatre at CSUSB.”

CSUSB professor comments in article on Spanish spoken in public becoming a flashpoint in anti-immigrant incidentsLos Angeles TimesMay 28, 2018

Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at CSUSB, discussed in an interview how foreign language is being used as a dividing line in the anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Spanish, the first European tongue to take root in North America, has established itself as perhaps the most relentlessly polarizing language in the United States. Two decades ago it sparked an emotional debate in California about banning bilingual education, a topic that divided even Latino families. During heavy immigration into California and other border states, Spanish was the language of choice in whole neighborhoods.

Now, the presidency of Donald Trump has reignited the linguistic divide. Trump has railed against illegal immigration, attacked the character of those who cross the border and once said 'this is a country where we speak English, not Spanish.'

At the same time, Spanish is making inroads in American pop culture. Luis Fonsi's global hit 'Despacito' broke numerous records on the pop charts and became the first YouTube video to hit 5 billion views.

'When we're living in a world where symbols become dividing lines, language can be one of those,' said Levin.

Since the election, there has been a rise in hate crimes and the emergence of bigotry in public spaces, he said, captured and widely shared on social media.

Read the complete article at “'You need to speak English': Encounters in viral videos show Spanish is still polarizing in the U.S.”

CSUSB hate crime expert comments on growing anti-immigrant sentimentAssociated Press/Inquirer.net (Manila, Philippines)May 27, 2018

Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, is interviewed for an article about anti-immigration sentiment being expressed towards people who speak a language other than English.

Being multilingual in the United States brings advantages like job opportunities and social connections. But speaking something other than English in some public places also can risk drawing unwanted attention, as evidenced recently by widely viewed videos of a rant by a New York lawyer against restaurant workers and a Border Patrol agent in Montana questioning people for speaking Spanish.

It’s not just Spanish; native speakers of Arabic, Farsi and many Asian and Indian tongues have long had to make the personal choice of when to stray from English.

But some Latinos in particular feel the Trump administration’s harsh rhetoric and tougher policies toward immigrants from Mexico and Central America have helped turn unwelcome glances into open hostility.

“The bottom line is anti-immigrant sentiment is now a part of mainstream discourse. It is not only present in barrooms, in the heartland — it is present at press briefings in Washington, D.C.,” said Levin.

Read the complete article at “Amid anti-immigrant sentiment in US, some Spanish speakers wary.”

CSUSB professor participates in Aspen Institute Symposium on the State of Race in America 2018The Aspen InstituteMay 24, 2018

The Aspen Institute posted video of its Symposium on the State of Race in America that included Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at CSUSB and professor of criminal justice. Levin was one of several panelists who spoke at the event that took place on May 24 in Washington, D.C. The symposium explored new attitudes, opportunities, and challenges for and about people of color in 21st century America. This annual event is presented by the Communications and Society Program in association with Comcast NBCUniversal. 

The video can be viewed at “Aspen Institute Symposium on the State of Race in America 2018.”

This news clip and others may be found at “In the Headlines” on the Inside CSUSB website