Professor Watchlist

Victoria Huynh is a Ph.D. student and instructor in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. According to her university profile, her fields of study include “critical refugee studies, abolition feminism, trauma & memory, and Vietnamese & Southeast Asian Studies.”

On October 24, 2023, Huynh sent an email out to students in her “Asian American Communities and Race Relations” class offering them a “field trip and/or extra credit opportunity” to attend a Pro-Palestine rally. According to a flyer, the event is a “national call to walk out in solidarity with Palestinians facing bombardment, genocide, and settler-colonialism.”

Hyunh’s email said:

“(1) Students can attend the national student walkout tomorrow against the settler-colonial occupation of Gaza (info attached below) OR (2) Students can watch a short documentary on Palestine and call/email your local California representative using this linktree.” 

The full email can be seen below:

A spokesperson for the University of California, Berkeley said in a statement the extra credit assignment was changed after it was brought to the attention of school officials.

“Students can now attend any local event they wish—such as a book talk or a panel discussion—related to the course’s subject, including the protest…or they can watch any documentary they wish about the Middle East.” 

“As soon as the administration was made aware of the assignment it moved quickly to ensure that it would be changed. The situation has been remedied, the assignment has been changed and there are now a number of options for extra credit, not just one.”

 

Published – October 31, 2023