San Jose college students demand changes to 988 hotline
November 18, 2022
Activists are demanding changes to Santa Clara County’s suicide prevention hotline amid concerns the service is failing to live up to community expectations. College advocacy group Students Against Mass Incarceration gathered at San Jose State University on Thursday to urge the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to make several changes to how the 988 hotline is run. The group is asking supervisors to increase transparency about how 988 calls are dispatched, provide a direct phone number to the county’s newest mobile crisis team and expand public information about the hotline.
September 22, 2022
The Silicon Valley Pain Index, a meta-analysis crafted by San José State University’s Human Rights Institute that revealed Santa Clara County’s growing racial and wealth disparities along with a troubling trend of housing and food insecurity among young adults, inspired a pilot program to serve unhoused students in Santa Clara County that was led by Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg and California State Senator Dave Cortese.
After Times investigation, law passed to force California to clear pot convictions faster
September 22, 2022
California has new deadlines to dismiss and seal many cannabis convictions under a law signed this week by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The move comes after a Times investigation found that tens of thousands of Californians still have felonies, misdemeanors and other cannabis convictions on their records.
By the Numbers: Breaking Down the Silicon Valley Pain Index
June 22, 2022
This year’s Silicon Valley Pain Index shows the gap between the poor and the wealthy is widening. NBC Bay Area’s Raj Mathai spoke to Dr. Scott Myers-Lipton, author of the Pain Index and professor at SJSU for some insight.
Silicon Valley Pain Index: Income gap widens along racial lines
June 22, 2022
For three years now, the San Jose State professor Scott Myers-Lipton has held a mirror to Silicon Valley’s staggering wealth divide, and reflected the racial disparities: Less than 1% of the Valley’s households account for 25% of the region’s bountiful wealth, while more than 45% of the Valley’s children live in households that cannot cover basic needs.
Full report: Silicon Valley Pain Index 2022
June 21, 2022
The Silicon Valley Pain Index is produced by the San Jose State University Human Rights Institute. The annual study focuses on racial discrimination and income inequality in the region. The report, first published in 2020 in response to the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, was inspired by an index compiled about New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The Human Rights Institute released its latest findings this week. Here is the full report.
June 21, 2022
La brecha entre familias pobres y familias adineradas continúa aumentando en el Silicon Valley, esto según un reporte dado a conocer por la Universidad Estatal de San José. El reporte llamado Silicon Valley Pain Index indica que al menos el 46% de los niños de la región viven en familias que no pueden cubrir todos los gastos sin recibir algún tipo de ayuda local. “No pueden proporcionar lo básico. No puede proporcionar alimentos, vivienda, transporte, atención médica sin el apoyo del gobierno o de una organización sin fines de lucro”, afirmó Scott Myers-Lipton, autor del reporte.
Annual Silicon Valley Pain Index Highlights Growing Wealth Inequality
June 21, 2022
San Jose State University's annual Silicon Valley Pain Index this year shows almost half of the children in the region come from families who do not make enough to pay the basic bills and put food on the table. The report is a powerful look at the challenges facing one of the wealthiest areas in America.
Inequity in Silicon Valley persists for people of color
June 20, 2022
The Silicon Valley Pain Index, which focuses on Santa Clara County and San Jose, is produced by the San Jose State University Human Rights Institute. Some of the data used in the report also includes San Mateo County. The annual study focuses on racial discrimination and income inequality in the region.
San Jose State student housing protest turns into unexpected win
April 22, 2022
“Fight! Fight! Fight! Housing is a human right,” and “No more loans, give students homes,” shouted members of the Student Homeless Alliance as they marched across the San Jose State University campus on Wednesday. They stopped at places used by homeless students to shower or sleep, when something extraordinary happened. SJSU Interim President Dr. Stephen Perez showed up at the protest—the first university president to do so.
Students demand San Jose State fix homelessness response, provide emergency shelter
April 20, 2022
Student advocates are calling on San Jose State University leaders to make good on their promise to provide resources for students who are sleeping in cars, couches, the campus library and even the streets because they can’t afford housing in one of the country’s most-expensive housing markets.
Afghanistan: Taliban Deprive Women of Livelihoods, Identity
January 18, 2022
Taliban rule has had a devastating impact on Afghan women and girls, new research shows, Human Rights Watch and the Human Rights Institute at San Jose State University (SJSU) said today. The organizations looked at the conditions for women since the Taliban took control in Ghazni province, in southeastern Afghanistan.
California state senator proposes universal basic income for some CSU students
January 15, 2022
California State Senator Dave Cortese is drafting a bill to establish a universal basic income program for low-income students at some California State University campuses. The proposed program could send students $500 a month for a year. For more, KCBS News Anchor Dan Mitchinson spoke with San Jose State sociology professor Scott Myers-Lipton, who is working with Cortese on the plan.
SJSU Honors Smith And Carlos Legacy 53 Years After Iconic Olympics Protest
October 20, 2021
On Tuesday [10/19/21], students, faculty and alumni gathered in front of that statue to honor Smith and Carlos' legacy, which not only shed light on the plight of Black Americans, but also influenced a myriad of social justice movements on and off campus. The gathering at the statue has become an annual celebration since it was unveiled.
Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ legacy continues at San Jose State
October 19, 2021
Campus event marks the 53rd anniversary of their famed protest at the Mexico City Olympics and the release of “Racial and Social Justice at San Jose State University: Students Respond with Social Action,” a booklet from the university’s Human Rights Institute that documents 10 events and student actions related to social justice over the years.
September 01, 2021
A historic infrastructure bill is winding its way through the U.S. legislative process, seeking to modernize the nation’s infrastructure while helping grow the economy and create jobs. It would help fund major upgrades for worn-down roads and bridges, modernize public transit, expand high-speed broadband, invest in clean water and lead pipe replacement, as well as expand clean energy, electric vehicle charging stations, and public transit to help fight climate change.
Bay Area Professors Working to Help Afghans During Crisis
August 21, 2021
San Jose professor Halima Kazem has her own experience of leaving Afghanistan as a child. She speaks with NBC Bay Area’s Terry McSweeney on how she is now part of a group of professors working to bring several Afghans to the Bay Area.
How Bay Area Universities are Helping Afghans During the Taliban Coup
August 20, 2021
Halima Kazem-Stojanovic, an Afghan American journalism professor at San Jose State University, speaks on how Bay Area Universities are working together to help Afgans during the Taliban Coup.
Fifth & MIssion: "The Bleakest Moment:" Local Afghans Share Their Devastation (Podcast Episode)
August 19, 2021
As the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan continues to develop, for some California residents the latest news is more than a headline. Host Cecilia Lei talks to local Afghans and Afghan Americans about their hopes and fears for their home country, including Khaled Hosseini, author of “The Kite Runner,” Afghan-American professor Halima Kazem, and two 16-year-old twin sisters who made it back to the U.S. just in time before the fall of Kabul.
‘All hope was lost’: Bay Area Afghan community uncertain over country’s future
August 18, 2021
As the world anxiously watches Afghanistan fall to the Taliban, many living in the Bay Area with family and relatives overseas worry about what the future of the war-ridden country will look like. “On Sunday when I woke up to the news that Kabul had fallen to the Taliban, it was devastating, it was emotional,” said San Jose State Journalism lecturer Halima Kazem-Stojanovic, who was part of the first large wave of refugees that came to the states from Kabul in 1980 as a child when the country was taken over by the Soviet Union.
How Twitter, Facebook are handling the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on social media
August 17, 2021
In the days since Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, social media companies are trying to figure out how to navigate the situation. Social media is how many get their news, and different outlets been documenting the chaos happening in Afghanistan all week. SJSU Journalism Lecturer and Department of Justice Studies Journalism Coordinator, Halima Kazem-Stojanovic, came to the United States from Kabul as a child and has been following along with friends there on social media.
August 16, 2021
Halima Kazem Stojanovic, Journalism Coordinator for the HRI, was interviewed in regards to the recent Taliban takeover of Kabul and the potential fallout for refugees, journalists, and scholars.
Dr. William T. Armaline Appointed to Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board
July 14, 2021
Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) has appointed Dr. William T. Armaline to the Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory (RIPA) Board. Pro Tem Atkins appointed Dr. Armaline to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of the last member.
‘Bad to horrific’: Racial discrimination and wealth inequality grew under COVID-19
June 22, 2021
Inequality in Silicon Valley has gone from “bad to horrific” over the pandemic, as indicators such as hunger, homelessness, income inequality and the wealth gap have all increased since last June, new research shows. “While our community was shocked at the incredibly high levels of racial discrimination and income and wealth inequality detailed in the 2020 (report), the 2021 Silicon Valley Pain Index shows how the level of inequality during this pandemic has gone from bad to horrific,” the report said.
2021 Silicon Valley Pain Index: Racial and Social Class Inequality on the Rise
June 21, 2021
During the pandemic, racial and social class inequality increased dramatically, according to this year’s Silicon Valley Pain Index. The annual report by San Jose State University's Human Rights Institute looks at everything from housing to education to incomes in Santa Clara County.
Environmental Justice Podcast with Bill Armaline and PJ Lyer
April 30, 2021
SJSU professors chat about climate and environmental justice on this podcast co-facilitated by Chelsea Nguyen and Parul Puri as part of Earth Month 2021. This podcast is in collaboration with Office of Sustainability.
Santa Clara County inmates report unsafe conditions, go on hunger strike as COVID-19 cases soar
Inmates in the SCC jail system are currently on HUNGER STRIKE to protest conditions and treatment that violate their Constitutional and Human Rights under the brutal conditions of the COVID 19 pandemic. *UPDATE* After 9 days - those inside Santa Clara Main Jail have stopped their hunger strike after getting several key demands met. But they are asking for supporters to keep pressure on jail admin to ensure promises are kept and health standards are honored.
Please see the detailed report from our partners at SV DeBug
San Jose Police Department racism scandal: Will history repeat itself?
June 29, 2020
As the San Jose Police Department reels in scandal after the emergence of officers’ bigoted and anti-Muslim social-media comments, it has evoked the memory of a notorious incident when another San Jose officer was fired for making offensive remarks directed at Black Lives Matter supporters.
Calls to defund San Jose police intensify after racist Facebook posts exposed
June 27, 2020
Four San Jose police officers are on administrative leave after being linked to a private Facebook group rife with bigoted and racist comments, but South Bay community leaders say that’s not enough.
Silicon Valley Pain Index shows ‘white supremacy’ prevalent across institutions
June 23, 2020
This pain index–which is inspired by Professor Bill Quigley's Katrina Pain Index following the devastating 2005 storm–will be an annual report on the state of inequality and quality of life for San José and Silicon Valley residents. Silicon Valley Pain Index measures are meant to reflect fundamental (IBHR) International Human Rights and to serve as one of many potential illustrations of Santa Clara County’s [SCC] performance as a “human rights county.”
SJSU student activists celebrate county’s cannabis-conviction clearance
May 11, 2020
SJSU Human Rights and Sociology students partnered with the SJSU HRI and community coalition to clear over 13,000 cannabis records for over 9,000 Santa Clara County residents in a recent BIG WIN for South Bay communities.
Coding and cannabis: Santa Clara County expunges thousands of marijuana convictions
April 29, 2020
With judge’s signature, District Attorney’s Office will use software created in-house to automate the deletion of 13,000 convictions from local and federal law-enforcement databases.
An interview with Raj Jayadev from SV DeBug
April 27, 2020
SJSU HRI Director William Armaline interviews Silicon Valley De-Bug Co-Founder and MacArthur Fellow Raj Jayadev on how our most vulnerable communities are fighting to survive the pandemic and record unemployment.
The dangers of looming austerity for the working class and POC
April 20, 2020
Director Armaline examines the dangers of looming state austerity for working class people and people of color. Next month, HRI News Coordinator Halima Kazem-Stojanovic will explore increased surveillance tactics and privacy threats to the public under the pandemic.
SJSU unveils new housing plan for faculty, staff and students
January 27, 2020
Sociology and HR Minor Program Students, HRWG Member Dr. Scott Myers-Lipton, and local housing advocates formed the Student Homeless Alliance [SHA] to find solutions to student and local housing insecurity in the nation's most expensive housing market. In January, SHA announced a number of housing solutions including renovation of the Alquist building into approximately 1000 apartments for faculty, staff, graduate students, and students with faculty.
Halima Kazem Stojanovic, Feminist Studies Doctoral Student
November 22, 2019
Halima Kazem Stojanovic is an investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and Ph.D. student in the Feminist Studies Department at UC Santa Cruz. She currently teaches journalism and human rights at San Jose State University. Halima is the News Coordinator for the SJSU HRI and will lead the building of our upcoming Human Rights News Network [HRNN] as well as a new concentration in Human Rights Journalism at SJSU.
