Wild rice which is known to the Anishinabe people as manoomin, meaning “good berry”, is a staple part of Minnesota and Wisconsin ecosystems and Anishinabe culture. Harvesting manoomin is a way in which Anishinabe people show their love and care for the gifts earth has given. Changing climate and land uses are threatening manoomin. The loss of manoomin would negatively impact ecosystems and the health and economic well-being of Anishinabe people. The loss of manoomin would also directly cause the loss of cultural and spiritual practices which are essential to the Anishinabe way of life. The purpose of this research is to learn from the Anishinabe people who harvest manoomin how to protect manoomin and its harvest. This will help researchers learn what we should be focusing our efforts on when trying to protect manoomin and build good relationships with members of the Anishinabe tribe. The research team interviewed five tribal and inter-tribal organization representatives who are partners on the Harvesting Manoomin project. The interview guide was developed in collaboration with partners and included questions around relationships to manoomin, the experience of harvesting, and ways to honor and protect manoomin. Interview transcripts were analyzed following qualitative research methods including thematic and comparative analysis techniques. The data from this research will not be available until August 2022.

In this research to adopt and raise black children in America means understanding that their identity is taken into account in all aspects of their lives. I will examine if black adoptees who are raised by white parents feel out of place amid the changes brought out by the BLM movement when it comes to debates about race, identity, representation, and the fears of adopting an African American child and failing them in these areas. It is imperative to understand what it means to grow up as a black person and to raise a black child in America. Butler-Sweet (2011) argues that black children belong physically, psychologically, and culturally in black households, where they gain a complete sense of self and create a solid vision of their future. Only black families can convey the emotional complex views and behaviors required for a black child's survival in a racist society. So, having white adoptive parents adopt and raise a black child amid a movement that raises problems of identity and race makes it difficult to think that white parents are equipped or even sufficient to confront these issues with their black child. Drawing on, in-depth interviews my primary investigators and I will identify and analyze themes to determine specific race socialization strategies and practices; White adoptive parents have use to help their adopted Black children to develop a positive racial identity and learn how to effectively cope with issues of race and racism. While comparing these responses with black children who are raised by black parents.

How has COVID-19 impacted work and mobility behavior of people in Los Angeles county? The pandemic has, over the last two years, added risks and barriers to all aspects of daily life. Among the challenges introduced by the pandemic are the risks associated with shared modes of transportation, alongside risks associated with work that involves in-person contact. Research on work-commute behavior has shown reduced risk tolerance for direct interpersonal contact, and a strong preference towards lower risk alternatives such as work from home and solo commute behavior. However, the ability to switch to lower risk work-commute behavior is strongly tied to socioeconomic indicators, such as income. When compared with high-income counterparts, low-income individuals faced many barriers to their ability to alter their work-commute behavior. I’m interested in understanding how these disparities have emerged in Los Angeles county populations, and will survey Los Angeles residents to understand how their work-commute behavior has changed in response to COVID-19. Along with surveying individuals, interviewing a number of participants will offer the opportunity to share their personal experiences. These surveys and interviews will offer insight about residents’ responses to the pandemic, and give them an opportunity to discuss their experience of the socioeconomic disparities mentioned above. I hope that my research will contribute to the understanding of how COVID-19 policies have contributed to socioeconomic stratification.

One of the biggest challenges in education is the under-representation of teachers of color in the teaching profession. However, literature shows that student teachers of color (specifically BIPOC students) face multiple challenges in completing teacher education programs. To address these challenges, this study explores the attitudes and experiences of pre-service teachers of color who are enrolled in Early Childhood Education programs. In-depth interviews were conducted with four participants who identify as BIPOC and were enrolled in a Early Childhood Education program at a large Midwestern University. Based on their responses, four themes were identified: 1) the feeling of isolation and discomfort, 2) the silence of white peers and their racism, 3) a lack of multicultural education courses within their courses, and 4) feeling the responsibility to speak up but won’t because of a fear of being targeted. These findings highlight experiences of racism throughout these spaces, making it especially difficult for BIPOC students to complete their education requirements. There is a clear need for teachers of color in this field, thus, the racial barriers must be addressed to keep these students enrolled in Early Childhood Education program.