The History Honors Senior Thesis Colloquium was a great success this year thanks to Professor Adrienne Edgar and all the students, discussants, friends and family who put so much time and energy into the event. The papers covered a wide range of themes but many examined how race, gender, and political machinations undercut individual rights in the 19th and 20th century US.
Here is a list of the day’s events.
Session I (9:15-10:45) Race and Ethnicity
Ciaran Hiney (Spickard) “Resilient Beyond Measure: Japanese-American Coping Mechanisms During WWII Internment.” Discussant: Prof. Kate McDonald
Jeffrey Kaplan (Bergstrom) “To Mislead and Misrepresent: The Failure of the Ninth Census.” Discussant: Prof. Giuliana Perrone
Ashlynn Deu Pree (Spickard) “White by Association: The Mixed Marriage Policy of Japanese American Internees” Discussant: Mika Thornburg
Session II (11:00-12:30) Foreign Policy and Law
Noah Fleishman (Amihay) “Carter’s Middle Eastern Policy and the Egypt-Israel Peace Agreement” Discussant: Prof. Salim Yaqub
Shervin Rafie (Yaqub) “The Eisenhower Doctrine in Syria: Intervention Behind the Scenes.” Discussant: Dr. Munther al-Sabbagh
Calvin Chiu (Kalman) “How to Lose a Supreme Court Nominee in 115 Days: The Story of the Robert Bork Confirmation and its Legacy Today,” Discussant: Prof. Randy Bergstrom
Session III 1:30-3:00 Colonialism and Eugenics
Nicholas Papazyan (Chavez Garcia) “The Darkest Chapter in the Golden State: A Legal History of Coerced Eugenic Sterilization in California” Discussant: Prof. Laura Kalman
Julia Madden-Fulk (Bergstrom) “From ‘Early Days’ to Alcatraz: A History of Native American Engagement with Public Space in California, 1890-present.” Discussant: Prof. Ann Plane
James Paules (Chikowero) “One Tide, Separate Shores: Towards a Delocalized Colonial Studies.” Discussant: Prof. Stephan Miescher
Session IV (3:15-4:45) Education and Public Policy
Sarah Kinane (Rappaport) “How Reagan Starved Children: The History of California’s School Lunches under the Reagan Administration.” Discussant: Prof. Lisa Jacobson
Chelsea Borg (Lichtenstein) “Unpaid Interns: ‘Breaking Persistent Barriers’ without Employee Status and Anti-Discrimination Protections?” Discussant: Nora Kassner
Kristina Ruvalcaba (Lichtenstein) “The Pacific Research Institute’s Influence on Labor, Education, and Healthcare. Discussant: Prof. Alice O’Connor
