Symposium in Honor of Michael Omi on the Occasion of His Retirement
Michael Omi retired in June 2021 after 35 years as a beloved and inspirational faculty member at UC Berkeley. This symposium features his colleagues and former students discussing his work and its implications in the academy and community. Professor Omi is best known as the co-author of Racial Formation in the United States, a groundbreaking work that transformed how we understand the social and historical forces that give race its changing meaning over time and place. The third edition of the book was released in 2015. At Berkeley, he is known as an outstanding instructor and thoughtful leader who has served the campus in numerous positions, including as Director of the institute for the Study of Societal Change (now the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues), as Associate Director of the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society (now the Othering & Belonging Institute), and as founding chair of the Asian American Research Center. Professor Omi’s primary appointment was in the Department of Ethnic Studies with affiliations in Sociology and Gender & Women’s Studies. Students in these departments and many more had the pleasure of taking his classes; Michael Omi is a recipient of UC Berkeley’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Fortunately, Professor Omi will continue to be active on campus and beyond; this symposium acknowledges the milestone of his retirement and provides an opportunity to appreciate his many contributions.
Masks are required at these in-person events.
Friday, October 1 | 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm PT
Schedule (See Details Below)
Honoring Michael Omi: Racial Formations
Virtual | 12:10 – 1 pm PT
Racial Formation: Theoretical Interventions
In-person | 1:30 – 3 pm PT
Raciality, Relationality, and Community-Engaged Scholarship
In-person | 3:15 – 4:45 pm PT
Reception
In-person | 5:00 – 7:00 pm PT
Event Details
Panel 1: Honoring Michael Omi: Racial Formations
12:10 pm – 1 pm PT
Virtual Event | Register here (Free)
Welcome:
Carol Christ, Chancellor, UC Berkeley
Moderator:
Stephen Small, Director, Institute for the Study of Societal Issues; Professor, African American Studies, UC Berkeley
Speakers:
- Victor Rios, Professor, Sociology, UC Santa Barbara
- Lisa Lowe, Samuel Knight Professor of American Studies and Professor of Ethnicity, Race, and Migration
- Troy Duster, Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus, UC Berkeley
- Michael Omi, Professor Emeritus, Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies, UC Berkeley
This event is part of Homecoming 2021!
Panel 2: Racial Formation: Theoretical Interventions
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm PT
Heyns Room, Faculty Club
Welcome:
Juana María Rodríguez, Professor and Chair, Ethnic Studies, UC Berkeley
Moderator:
Lok Siu, Associate Professor, Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies, UC Berkeley
Speakers:
- Tomás Almaguer, Professor Emeritus, Latina/Latino Studies, San Francisco State University
- Nadia Y. Kim, Professor, Sociology and Asian & Asian American Studies, Loyola Marymount University
- Gary Okihiro, Visiting Professor, American Studies, Yale University
- John A. Powell, Director, Othering & Belonging Institute, and Robert D. Haas Chancellor’s Chair in Equity and Inclusion, UC Berkeley
Panel 3: Raciality, Relationality, and Community-Engaged Scholarship
3:15 pm – 4:45 pm PT
Heyns Room, Faculty Club
Welcome:
Keith Feldman, Associate Professor, Ethnic Studies, UC Berkeley
Moderator:
Khatharya Um, Associate Professor, Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies, UC Berkeley
Speakers:
- Edward Park, Professor and Chair of Asian and Asian American Studies, Loyola Marymount University
- Jessica Vasquez-Tokos, Professor, Sociology, University of Oregon
- Linda Trinh Vo, Professor, Asian American Studies, UC Irvine
- Daniel Woo, American Culture Studies Postdoctoral Fellow in Ethnic Studies, Washington University in St. Louis
Concluding remarks:
Howard Winant, Professor, Sociology, UC Santa Barbara
Reception | 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm PT
Heyns Patio, Faculty Club. Please register here so we know how many people to expect.
Featuring light refreshments, live music and remarks by:
Philip Kan Gotanda, Professor of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies, UC Berkeley Michael Omi, Professor Emeritus, Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies, UC Berkeley
Sponsored by: Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies, Asian American Research Center, Institute for the Study of Societal Issues, Othering & Belonging Institute, Ethnic Studies, Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice, Center for Race & Gender
This event is free and open to the public. If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) in order to fully participate in this virtual event, please contact aarc@berkeley.edu or (510) 642-0813 with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event.