We the undersigned faculty at the University of California, Davis, join our many colleagues at sister universities and university programs in condemning President Trump’s Executive Order banning visitors from 7 Muslim majority countries. Exercising executive power in this manner not only goes against principles of democracy, but undermines the very functioning and credibility of the United States and its institutions, domestically and internationally. The unprecedented and chaotic implementation of the de facto Muslim ban is a direct attack on democracy. This reckless executive exercise of power destabilizes the academic functioning of our universities, which rely on the open exchange of ideas, scholarship, and scholars. Just as racialized campaign tactics have no place in our national electoral process, they have absolutely no place in the conduct of the business of the US State by its chief executive.
This is a time to stand for democracy – and to stand against the dismantling of the rule by law and constitutionality that this Executive Order represents. We recognize the Executive Order as part of a broader effort to dismantle democracy by fracturing the populace. We demand respect for all people. We fully expect our government to protect democratic institutions and to foster the democratic process that has taken this country centuries and the sacrifice of millions of people to build. We call on President Trump to rescind his Executive Order or the Congress of the United States to pass legislation to overturn it. We call on Congress to refuse to confirm Cabinet appointments who will undermine the institutions they are charged to steward. It is in the national and global interest of the United States of America to hold fast to principles of democracy and to the integrity of democratic institutions.
Sasha Abramsky, University Writing Program
Ali Anoosaar, History
Diana Aramburu, Spanish & Portuguese
Rebecca Armstrong, School of Education
Carrie Armstrong-Ruport, Human Ecology
Gwen Arnold, Environmental Science and Policy
Melissa Bender, University Writing Program
David Biale, History
Gina Bloom, English
Monique Borgerhoff Mulder, Anthropology
Beverly Bossler, History
Stephan Boucher, Agricultural and Resource Economics
Angie Chabram, Chicano/a Studies
Poonam Chauhan, Classics
Christina Cogdell, Design
Cecilia Colombi, Spanish & Portuguese
Katherine J. Conger, Human Ecology
David Corina, Linguistics
Maxine Craig, Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
Marcela Cueller, School of Education
Natalia Deeb-Sossa, Chicana/o Studies
Marisol de la Cadena, Anthropology
Pamela Demorey, University Writing Program
Gregory Downs, History
Aliki Dragona, University Writing Program
Jessie Drew, Cinema and Digital Media
Omnia El Shakry, History
Kerry Anne Enright, School of Education
Sarah Faye, University Writing Program
Margaret Ferguson, English
Gail Finney, German/Comparative Literature
Jaimey Fisher, German
Elizabeth Freeman, English
Isao Fujimoto, Human Ecology/ Asian American Studies
Ryan Galt, Human Ecology
Laurie Glover, University Writing Program
Claire Goldstein, French & Italian
Carmen Castaldi Gomez, French & Italian
Liza Grandia, Native American Studies
Talinn Grigor, Art History
Laura Grindstaff, Sociology
Claire Gupta, Human Ecology
Noah Guynn, French & Italian
Theresa Harvath, School of Nursing
Shayma Hassouna, Classics
Bruce D. Haynes, Sociology
Margherita Heyer-Caput, French & Italian
Wendy Ho, Asian American Studies/Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
Carole Hom, Evolution and Ecology
Lynette Hunter, Theatre & Dance
Hsuan L. Hsu, English
Mark C. Jerng, English
Alessa Johns, English
Jill G. Joseph, School of Nursing
Suad Joseph, Anthropology/ Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
Susan B. Kaiser, Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies/ Textiles & Clothing
Caren Kaplan, American Studies
Rick Karban, Entomology & Nematology
Richard Kim, Asian American Studies
Lisa Klotz, University Writing Program
Anna K. Kuhn, Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
Bill Lacy, Human Ecology
Kari Lokke, Comparative Literature
Jonathan London, Human Ecology
Robyn Magalit Rodriguez, Asian American Studies
Sunaina Maira, Asian American Studies
Amina Mama, Gender, Sexuality, Women’s Studies
Danny C. Martinez, School of Education
Heath Massey, Human Ecology/Landscape Architecture
Julia Menard-Warwick, Linguistics
Zoila S. Mendoza, Native American Studies
Flagg Miller, Religious Studies
Gregory Miller, University Writing Program
Miles Miniaci, University Writing Program
Fiamma Montezemolo, Cinema and Digital Media
Sylvia Morales, University Writing Program
N. Claire Napawan, Human Ecology
Kien Nguyen, Anesthesiology and Pain Management
Beth Pearsall, University Writing Program
Noha Radwan, Comparative Literature
Vaidehi Ramanathan, Linguisitcs
Lynn E. Roller, Art History
Sven-Erik Rose, German/Comparative Literature
Parama Roy, English
Eric Louis Russell, French & Italian
Suzana Sawyer, Anthropology
Ann Savageau, Design
Seth Schein, Comparative Literature
Juliana Schiesari, Comparative Literature
Brenda Dean Schildgen, Comparative Literature
Kate Scow, Land, Air and Water Resources
Wyre Sententia, University Writing Program
William Sewell, University Writing Program
Jocelyn Sharlet, Comparative Literature
Michael Peter Smith, Human Ecology
Eric Smoodin, American Studies
Alexandra Sofroniew, Art History
Edward Spang, Food Science and Technology
Justin Spence, Native American Studies
Julie Sze, American Studies
Baki Tezcan, History
Laura L. Van Auker, School of Nursing
Mark Van Horn, Plant Sciences
Charles Walker, History
Theresa N. Walsh, University Writing Program
Karma Waltonen, University Writing Program
Karen Watson-Gegeo, School of Education/Linguistics/Geography/Community Development
Elisa Joy White, African American & African Studies
Susy Zepeda, Chicana/o Studies
Li Zhang, Anthropology, Department of Asian American Studies
Everyone who ever sees a doctor should be concerned about this ban. An increasing portion of our doctors are foreign born. One contributing factor to this is that the history of medicine in this country has been determined by doctors with a philosophy similar to that of Dr. Price, which has been to artificially restrict the number of doctors by limiting the number of positions in medical schools and residency programs to protect physician compensation. This has required a large influx of at least partially foreign trained physicians and other health care providers. Limiting the number of people coming in to the country has already disrupted the programs of a handful of these individuals and is likely to get worse under the current administration. For anyone who is not a doctor or other health care provider this may well be a matter of being careful what you wish for.
I recommend to everyone interested in health care and travel limitations on individuals from 7 predominantly Muslim countries ( for now) a NYT opinion piece by Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician researcher who discovered the lead poisoning of children in Flint.
She covers one potentially deleterious consequence of the travel ban which is the effect on foreign born doctors, residents, medical students and pre-meds who now make up approximately 1/4 of our medical profession and their training programs and their patients.
She does not cover an equally important issue. The lack of respect for science ( nearly all of his appointees), and in particular the lack of respect for the scientific basis of medicine ( Dr. Price).
Just a note to say that this probably significantly undercounts the number of faculty who would have been willing to sign – I would have signed it if it had come my way, but this is the first I have seen the letter. I’ve noticed before that individual UCD faculty do not seem to have a way to contact all other faculty, which is unfortunate when it comes time for faculty to take a stand.
Good point.
Who is this letter to, the Universal Spirit?
Alan
“We call on President Trump to rescind his Executive Order or the Congress of the United States to pass legislation to overturn it. We call on Congress to refuse to confirm Cabinet appointments who will undermine the institutions they are charged to steward.”
All snide commentary aside about the universal spirit, I do believe that you also are making a valid point. For any action, such as a petition or letter of concern or protest to have maximal effect there should be one or more individuals to whom it is addressed. The authors did, in fact, do this in the above paragraph, however it was buried at the bottom of the text and thus lost clarity.