In This Issue:

General Updates

• Statement on the un-naming of Moses Hall

Upcoming Events

• “Come from Away: Newfoundland and Labrador’s Food Security Dilemma”

Program News

• Introducing our spring Sproul Fellows, Eric Guntermann and Lance McCready!

Research Opportunities

• Last Chance: AEIQ/ACQS Research Funding for Quebec Studies
• Call for Papers: ACSUS 26th Biennial Conference and Student Colloquium

External Events

• “Locating Canadian Slavery: A Comparative and Transnational Approach”
• Canadian Heritage Night: Habs vs. Sharks

Statement on the Un-Naming of Moses Hall

As some of you may have heard, last week the University of California approved the un-naming of the building that houses our program, formerly known as Moses Hall. I am writing to let you know of this change, provide you with some context, and explain why our Program has supported this move.

Moses Hall was formerly named in honor of Bernard Moses, a founding professor of history and political scientist at UC Berkeley. Unfortunately, as demonstrated by the Name Review Committee, Professor Moses held and defended white supremacist views in his work. As his beliefs are in opposition to our university’s values of inclusion and diversity, the University has determined that it is inappropriate to continue to honour him with a building name

Moses’ beliefs are also contrary to Canadian Studies’ principles of equality, and our desire to provide a welcoming space for all, particularly for our friends in the Indigenous community. For this reason, the Canadian Studies Faculty Committee unanimously endorsed the unnaming proposal last year.

Per the University’s decision, the building will be provisionally called Philosophy Hall until a final determination has been made for a new name. While our event announcements will show this new name going forward, be aware that our Colloquia are taking place in the same building as in the past.

Sincerely,

Irene Bloemraad

Program Director

Image: UC Berkeley News / Julian Meyn.

UPCOMING EVENTS

“Come from Away”: Newfoundland and Labrador’s Food Security Dilemma

Wed., Feb. 15 | 12:30 pm PT | 223 Philosophy | RSVP

This presentation illuminates past and current complexities of Newfoundland and Labrador’s unique food system. Following confederation with Canada in 1949, the province’s once- abundant fisheries fed North America to the point of over-exploitation, creating both cultural and food system disruption. Currently, most food is imported into the province and transported by ferry, including produce from California’s Central Valley. Though hunting is prevalent in rural communities, high priced, pre-packaged, and processed food, rather than fish, are the dietary mainstay. Recent efforts to expand agricultural production within the province would improve local control over the food system. This would ostensibly be more expensive than most imported foods, given the province’s short growing season and relatively small, diffusely located population. Yet financially supporting such endeavors might be justifiable to facilitate a basic human right to access and produce food.

Note: The speaker will also share Newfoundland and Labrador artwork and handicrafts at the in-person presentation.

About the Speaker

Dr. Catherine Keske is a professor of management of complex systems in the School of Engineering at UC Merced. She is an agricultural economist and social scientist who studies sustainable food, energy, and waste systems. Prior to joining UC Merced in 2017, she was associate professor of environmental studies (economics) in the School of Science and the Environment at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Her research on food security and Newfoundland and Labrador includes an edited book, Food Futures: Growing a Sustainable Food System for Newfoundland and Labrador, and “Economic feasibility of biochar and agriculture coproduction from Canadian black spruce forest” published in Food and Energy Security.

PROGRAM NEWS

Canadian Studies is pleased to announce two new recipients of the John A. Sproul Postdoctoral Fellowship for the Spring 2023 semester. The fellowship provides support for a visiting scholar engaged in research on Canada to spend time at UC Berkeley.

Dr. Eric Guntermann is a political scientist and data scientist in the Travers Department of Political Science at UC Berkeley, where he also holds a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship. His research examines the links between political elites and ordinary citizens, including both the representation of citizens’ preferences by governments and the influence of political elites on citizens’ preferences. He is particularly focused on the influence of electoral systems and voting behaviour on representation, as well as inequalities in representation and the extent to which political institutions can reduce them.

Dr. Guntermann completed his undergraduate degree at McGill University, and received his Ph.D. in political science from the Université de Montréal. He also holds a master’s of research in comparative politics from the Sciences Po in Paris. His research has been published in the Canadian Journal of Political Science and Canadian Public Administration, among numerous other journals. Among his recent projects was a study assessing the impact of greater public acceptance on the voting preferences of gay, lesbian, and bisexual Canadians. He was also formerly a postdoctoral researcher at the Canada Research Chair in Electoral Democracy.

Dr. Guntermann’s Sproul Fellowship will allow him to expand his current research project, which assesses the influence of far-right parties on public attitudes, to the Canadian context. While the far right has long been marginal in Canada, the populist People’s Party of Canada saw a significant increase in support between 2019 and 2021. Using panel surveys, his research will assess the effects of the PPC’s campaign on its supporter’s attitudes towards immigration and COVID-19 vaccinations, and whether the party makes its voters more ideologically consistent.

Dr. Lance T. McCready is an associate professor in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and director of the Transitional Year Programme at University of Toronto. Dr. McCready’s cross disciplinary research program focuses on the education, health, and welfare of Black families, youth and adults, and has three strands of inquiry: 1) educational trajectories, transitions and access; 2) dispute resolution, mediation and restorative justice; 3) health literacy and wellness of gay, bisexual, transgender, men who have sex with men (gbtMSM).

Dr. McCready specializes in qualitative methodologies using community-based participatory approaches that emerge from collaborations with K-12 schools, universities, social service agencies, community health centres and queer youth programs. He is the author of Making Space for Diverse Masculinities, published by Peter Lang, and principal investigator of the African, Caribbean, Black Family Group Conferencing (ACB-FGC) Project and Black Youth Leaving Care study. In addition, he is co-investigator on the Black CAP GetaKit Home HIV Testing study and International Partnership for Queer Youth Resilience (INQYR), while serving as a mentor for the Investigaytors community health leadership program and Steering Committee member for Black Gay Men’s Network Toronto.

Dr. McCready holds a B.A. in psychology (minor in educational studies) and an M.A. and Ph.D. in social and cultural studies in education (designated emphasis in women, gender and sexuality studies) from UC Berkeley. He is the 2017 recipient of the Ludwik and Estelle Jus Memorial Human Rights Prize and 2018 recipient of the Distinguished Research Scholar Award from the Ontario Education Research Symposium.

During the period of his Sproul Fellowship, Dr. McCready will focus on completing an academic book proposal on the educational trajectories of Canadian Black queer youth, as well as article-length manuscripts broadly related to the health and welfare of Black youth, gbtMSM and families in Canada.

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Last Chance: AEIQ/ACQS Research Funding for Quebec Studies

Application deadline: February 15, 2023

The Association internationale des études québécoises (AIEQ) and American Council of Quebec Studies (ACQS) and are offering funding to support U.S.-based scholars seeking funding to participate in training or research on Québec. Fellowships are available to graduate students in the social sciences or humanities working on a thesis with a substantial relation to Quebec or its relations with the United States. The program covers up to $2,000 CAD in research expenses for travel to Quebec. Applicants must be a US citizen or permanent resident.

Click here to learn more.

Call for Papers: ACSUS 26th Biennial Conference and Student Colloquium

Main conference deadline: March 1, 2023

Student submission deadline: April 15, 2023

The Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS) is excited to announce a call for papers for a student colloquium, set to take place alongside its biennial meeting and conference from November 16-19, 2023 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Washington, D.C.

ACSUS welcomes strong proposals from students at both the graduate and undergraduate level, individual submissions as well as group proposals. Students accepted to the colloquium will receive funding support from ACSUS in the form of: 1) $125 USD to cover registration and a 2-year ACSUS membership and 2) $1,000 USD to assist with travel and accommodation costs.

Please review the full call for papers posted online.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Locating Canadian Slavery: A Comparative and Transnational Approach

Friday, Feb. 17 | 1:00 pm PT | Online | RSVP

Western Washington University’s Center for Canadian-American Studies continues their “Why Canada Matters” series with a special Black History Month talk on the little-known history of slavery in Canada. This history can only be understood in a transnational context, as proximity to the United States and the wider Atlantic world shaped enslaved people’s experiences in bondage in the Maritime colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Their stories help us grasp the vast, violent, and insidious power of slavery in North America and give nuance to the opportunities they seized and obstacles they faced as a result of their enslavement in what would later become part of Canada.

The speaker, Sarah Chute, is a Ph.D. student studying slavery and freedom in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century North America. Her research interests are in the history of enslavement in Canada, transnational free and forced migration, trade, and how slavery connected the Maritime colonies to other parts of the Atlantic world, including the British Caribbean.

This talk is co-sponsored by WWU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Department of History, and delivered in partnership with the WWU Alumni Association.

Canadian Heritage Night: Habs vs. Sharks

Tuesday, Feb. 28 | 5:30 pm | San José, CA | Buy tickets

The Digital Moose Lounge and Consulate General of Canada in San Francisco and Silicon Valley invite you to join them for a special Canadian Heritage Game Night! Get your hockey gear ready as the San Jose Sharks face off against the Montreal Canadiens. Tickets get you VIP access plus seating in a dedicated Canadian zone. Don’t miss this fun, family-friendly event!

In This Issue:

General Updates

• Happy Black History Month!

Upcoming Events

• “Come from Away: Newfoundland and Labrador’s Food Security Dilemma”

Program News

• Mark your calendars: Big Give is one month away!

Canadian News

• Dr. Debra Thompson uncovers hidden parts of Canada’s Black history on new podcast

External Events

• Canadian Heritage Night: Habs vs. Sharks

Happy Black History Month!

In both the United States and Canada, February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the many contributions people of African descent have made to our nations’ histories and culture.

In Canada, the theme of this year’s celebration is “Ours to Tell“. Canadians of all backgrounds are encouraged to listen to the diverse stories Black Canadians have to tell about their communities and histories, and engage in an “open dialogue” about the Black experience in Canada. The CBC project Being Black in Canada, ongoing since 2020, is a good place to start, highlighting a diverse selection of Black Canadian voices.

In his official statement, Prime Minister Trudeau noted that this year marked the 30th anniversary of the election of Jean Augustine, Canada’s first Black female MP. Born in Grenada, Augustine arrived in Canada to work as a nanny. She later became an elementary school teacher, then principal, and worked as an activist in Toronto’s Caribbean community. Elected to Parliament in 1993, in 1995 Augustine spearheaded a successful campaign to officially recognize Black History Month in Canada.

In his statement, the Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of supporting historically disenfranchised Black communities through targeted local investments and working with provinces and municipal governments to combat racism and discrimination by “empowering communities…. and building awareness.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

“Come from Away”: Newfoundland and Labrador’s Food Security Dilemma

Wed., Feb. 15 | 12:30 pm PT | 223 Moses | RSVP

This presentation illuminates past and current complexities of Newfoundland and Labrador’s unique food system. Following confederation with Canada in 1949, the province’s once- abundant fisheries fed North America to the point of over-exploitation, creating both cultural and food system disruption. Currently, most food is imported into the province and transported by ferry, including produce from California’s Central Valley. Though hunting is prevalent in rural communities, high priced, pre-packaged, and processed food, rather than fish, are the dietary mainstay. Recent efforts to expand agricultural production within the province would improve local control over the food system. This would ostensibly be more expensive than most imported foods, given the province’s short growing season and relatively small, diffusely located population. Yet financially supporting such endeavors might be justifiable to facilitate a basic human right to access and produce food.

Note: The speaker will also share Newfoundland and Labrador artwork and handicrafts at the in-person presentation.

About the Speaker

Dr. Catherine Keske is a professor of management of complex systems in the School of Engineering at UC Merced. She is an agricultural economist and social scientist who studies sustainable food, energy, and waste systems. Prior to joining UC Merced in 2017, she was associate professor of environmental studies (economics) in the School of Science and the Environment at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Her research on food security and Newfoundland and Labrador includes an edited book, Food Futures: Growing a Sustainable Food System for Newfoundland and Labrador, and “Economic feasibility of biochar and agriculture coproduction from Canadian black spruce forest” published in Food and Energy Security.

PROGRAM NEWS

Mark your calendars: Big Give is one month away!

It’s that time of year again: on March 9, show your support for Canadian Studies by making a gift to our program during Big Give, Berkeley’s annual day of giving. Canadian Studies is a donor-supported program, and your donation goes directly to support education and research about Canada. Multiply your giving impact by competing in challenges at no extra cost to yourself. Your gift can make a big difference! So make sure to set a reminder, and we’ll see you on March 9!

NEWS FROM CANADA

Dr. Debra Thompson Uncovers Hidden Parts of Canada’s Black History on New Podcast

McGill University professor Debra Thompson is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on North American racial politics. A fifth-generation Canadian with ancestral links to the United States, Dr. Thompson recently returned to Canada after a decade in the U.S. (an experience she shared at a Canadian Studies Colloquium in 2020.) This long sojourn outside of Canada gives her a unique insight into how Canada’s Black history is – and isn’t – talked about, and how that impacts contemporary Black Canadian life.

Dr. Thompson shares her experiences with veteran Canadian journalist Peter Mansbridge in a new episode of his podcast, The Bridge, titled “What We Should Know About Black History Month”. The two have a frank discussion about Canada’s current racial dynamics, and the often-ignored challenges the country’s Black community continues to face. While Canadians often compare their country’s racial politics favorably to those of the United States, Dr. Thompson argues that often serves to mask real issues in Canada. In exploring a history of structural racism and its continuing effects on the Black community, Dr. Thompson takes aim at the hesitancy of many white Canadians to acknowledge the existence of racism in Canada, and to challenge their complacency.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Canadian Heritage Night: Habs vs. Sharks

Tuesday, Feb. 28 | 5:30 pm | San José, CA | Buy tickets

The Digital Moose Lounge and Consulate General of Canada in San Francisco and Silicon Valley invite you to join them for a special Canadian Heritage Game Night! Get your hockey gear ready as the San Jose Sharks face off against the Montreal Canadiens. Tickets get you VIP access plus seating in a dedicated Canadian zone. Don’t miss this fun, family-friendly event!

In This Issue:

General Updates

• Happy Year of the Rabbit!

Upcoming Events

• “Historical Connections Between Canada and American Immigration Policy”
• “Come from Away: Newfoundland and Labrador’s Food Security Dilemma”

External Events

• “Roots, Routes, and Reckonings: On Blackness and Belonging in North America”

Happy Year of the Rabbit!

Canadian Studies wishes our best to our many friends celebrating the Lunar New Year this week! For many East Asian cultures, this is the most important time of the year – a time for reconnecting with family, friends, and their cultural roots. In Canada, celebrations are happening from Vancouver (with PM Trudeau in attendance) to St. John’s, many for the first time since 2020. And in California, the holiday is being officially recognized for the first time ever. So from all of us, have a safe and happy New Year!

Did You Know? While 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit in most countries that adopted the Chinese zodiac, in Vietnam it’s the Year of the Cat! Vietnam is the only country that includes a cat in its zodiac, thought to be the result of an ancient translation error.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Historical Connections Between Canada and American Immigration Policy

Wed., Feb. 1 | 12:30 pm PT | 223 Moses | RSVP

Canadian Studies faculty affiliate Hidetaka Hirota will explore historical connections between Canada and American immigration policy in the long nineteenth century. Based on his earlier and current works, Professor Hirota will discuss three aspects of this history: Canada as a destination of deportation from the United States; Canadians as targets of restrictive immigration policy; and Canada as a potential ally of the United States in migration control. In doing so, he will illuminate the experiences of Irish migrants in the mid-nineteenth century, Canadian migrants in the late nineteenth century, and Japanese migrants in the early twentieth century. These migrant groups’ experiences demonstrate that Canada remained an important part of the history of American immigration policy.

About the Speaker

Hidetaka Hirota is a social and legal historian of the United States specializing in immigration, and an associate professor of history at UC Berkeley. He is particularly interested in the history of American nativism and immigration control. His first book, Expelling the Poor: Atlantic Seaboard States and the Nineteenth-Century Origins of American Immigration Policy, shows how an influx of impoverished Irish immigrants to the United States in the early 19th century led nativists to develop policies for deporting destitute foreigners to Europe and Canada, and laid the groundwork for later federal legislation. His current projects include an examination of long-running tensions between nativism and a demand for migrant labor in the United States, as well as an exploration of the Japanese immigrant experience before 1924.

“Come from Away”: Newfoundland and Labrador’s Food Security Dilemma

Wed., Feb. 15 | 12:30 pm PT | 223 Moses | RSVP

This presentation illuminates past and current complexities of Newfoundland and Labrador’s unique food system. Following confederation with Canada in 1949, the province’s once- abundant fisheries fed North America to the point of over exploitation, creating both cultural and food system disruption. Currently, most food is imported into the province and transported by ferry, including produce from California’s Central Valley. Though hunting is prevalent in rural communities, high priced, pre-packaged, and processed food, rather than fish, are the dietary mainstay. Recent efforts to expand agricultural production within the province would improve local control over the food system. This would ostensibly be more expensive than most imported foods, given the province’s short growing season and relatively small, diffusely located population. Yet financially supporting such endeavors might be justifiable to facilitate a basic human right to access and produce food.

Note: The speaker will also share Newfoundland and Labrador artwork and handicrafts at the in-person presentation.

About the Speaker

Dr. Catherine Keske is a professor of management of complex systems in the School of Engineering at UC Merced. She is an agricultural economist and social scientist who studies sustainable food, energy, and waste systems. Prior to joining UC Merced in 2017, she was associate professor of environmental studies (economics) in the School of Science and the Environment at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Her research on food security and Newfoundland and Labrador includes an edited book, Food Futures: Growing a Sustainable Food System for Newfoundland and Labrador, and “Economic feasibility of biochar and agriculture coproduction from Canadian black spruce forest” published in Food and Energy Security.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Roots, Routes, and Reckonings: On Blackness and Belonging in North America

Wednesday, Feb. 1 | 10:00 am PT | Online | RSVP

Western Washington University’s Center for Canadian-American Studies invites you to join their second “Why Canada Matters” talk, featuring Dr. Debra Thompson. Through an intimate exploration of the roots of Black identities in North America and the routes taken by those who have crisscrossed the world’s longest undefended border in search of freedom and belonging, this lecture combines memoir and analysis to highlight the tensions and contradictions that anchor our understandings of race.

Dr. Thompson is an associate professor of political science and Canada Research Chair in Racial Inequality in Democratic Societies at McGill University. She is a leading scholar of the comparative politics of race, with research interests that focus on the relationships among race, the state, and inequality in Canada and other democratic societies.

This talk is co-sponsored by WWU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Department of History, and delivered in partnership with the WWU Alumni Association.