2004 COMA Annual Report

December 18, 2003

Dear Members of the Executive Board and Long-Range Planning Committee,

The Committee on Minority Issues in Anthropology is pleased to submit this annual report that outlines our accomplishments for 2003 and our goals for 2004. We are pleased that the AAA has taken-up many of the issues we have raised. And, like most sections and committees in the AAA, we have felt the pain of budget issues.

We look forward to continuing our work with various committees and sections of the AAA. Please feel free to contact me or any other member of the committee to discuss this report.

Finally, we would like to recognize the outstanding work of Kathleen Terry-Sharp. Her support of the committee, both as a leader and administrator, has been outstanding.

Our best wishes,

Miguel Díaz-Barriga, Chair
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore PA 19081
610 328-8108
mdiazba1@swarthmore.edu

2003-2004

Stated Tasks, 2003-2004

The AAA Committee on Minority Issues in Anthropology has a variety of tasks:

1. To administer and grant a minority dissertation award.
2. To develop plans and programs for members of Native Americans, Latinos/as, African-Americans, and other minoritized groups regarding their presence and participation in the Association.

3. To organize 2 panels for the annual meetings.

4. To plan a conference on Native-Americans and Anthropology.

Completed Tasks

We completed all of our tasks:

1. We awarded the minority dissertation award and an honorable mention. We celebrated by taking the awardees out to lunch.

2. Under the auspices of the committee Miguel Díaz-Barriga is conducting a survey on mentoring and the graduate student experience. The survey is specifically focused on the gender and race dynamics that inform the graduate school experience.

3. We organized a number of sessions and events at the AAAs including:

a. The panel, "Mentoring Latino/a Students."
b. The panel, "Religion, Politics, and Citizenship: Affinities, Divisions and Transformations Among Mexican Migrants in Non-traditional U.S. Destinations."
c. Co-organized, with the Public Education Initiative on Race, "Understanding Race and Human Variation."
d. Organized a Chair's breakfast on mentoring and increasing the presence of minoritized anthropologists. Panelists included representatives from the Melllon and Ford Foundations.

4. Met with Yolanda Moses and Peggy Overbey to talk about the race initiative.

Abandoned Tasks

Because of funding issues we were not able to organize a conference on Native-American issues.

Remaining Issues

We still have the following issues pending:

1. We have pushed for a reconsideration of the membership requirement (currently 250) for sectionhood. Groups such as Native-Americans and Latinos/as have never or are having trouble reaching these numbers. We have proposed the following:

Given the importance of the participation of Native-Amerricans and Latinos/as in the Association the AAAs has waived the minimum membership requirement of 250 for these groups.

We are pleased that, at our behest, that this issue is being explored by the Operations Committee. Our general sense is that these associations play a key role in encouraging members of minoritized groups to attend the meetings.

2. We have been in discussions with the Long-Range Planning Committee about the wording for increasing diversity and the presence of minoritized anthropologists. We have proposed the following for the long-range plan:

The AAA is committed to increasing the presence of minoritized anthropologists and to diversifying the discipline.

A. The AAA will support the impact and presence of minoritized anthropologists by supporting and fostering programs that bring more minorities into the discipline and through creating awareness of the issues facing minoritized groups in the United States.

B. The AAA is committed to promoting a broader understanding of diversity and diversifying the association and discipline, in practice, research, and training. Diversity is understood to be inclusive of sexual orientation, gender expression, disability, class, national origin, and religion.

The CMIA has been in contact with Karen Nakamura as well as, through Cheryl Rodriguez, COSWA, about this proposed change. We look forward to hearing from the long-range planning committee on this issue.

3. We have raised the issue of the American Sociological Associations statement on race since it specifically singles out anthropology in its overview of why/how many are arguing that racial statistics should not be kept. We are pleased that the AAA, through the work of Amy Beckrich is taking-up this issue.

4. The CMIA greatly enjoyed participating in the Public Education Initiative on Race and looks forwatrd to further collaborations.

2003 and Long-Range Plan

As stated above the CMIA has, through its panels, collaborations, and proposals to increase the participation and presence of minoritized groups within the discipline.

Budget Issues

The CMIA has been frustrated by budget issues at three levels:

1. The funding and expansion of the Minority Dissertation Award. Attempts by AAA development staff to increase the number and funding of the awards have not been successful.

2. The funding of a reception at the AAA meetings. The reception served as a good tool for bringing members of minoritized groups together.

3. The attempt to organize a conference on Native Ameicans and Anthropology fell through because of a lack of funds.

2004-2005

Plans for 2004

Our plans for 2004 include:

1. Organizing three panels at the AAA meetings in San Francisco.

2. Administering and awarding the Minority Dissertation Fellowship.

3. Completing our survey on the graduate student experience.

4. Continuing our efforts to find funding for a conference on Native American issues.

5. Maintaining a dialogue with Karen Nakamura and the long-range planning committee about the definitions and plans for diversity and increasing the numbers and presence off mionoritized anthropologists.

6. Explore ways, perhaps through a comprehensive mentoring plan, to help graduate students from minoritized groups.

2004 and Long-Range Plan

All of our efforts back the long-range plan in that we seek to increase the presence of minoritized anthropologists within the discipline.

Budget Issues

We have no budget. Our efforts have been funded mainly through our departments (such as our survey).

General Issues

The CMIA did a lot of work last year and I suspect that we will be equally effective this coming year. Our recommendations to the Long Range Planning Committee are to refine the language for increasing the presence of minoritized anthropologists and for diversifying the discipline. We look forward to working with the Long-Range Planning and Executive Committees in developing programs aimed at fulfilling these goals. In addition, while we recognize that the impact of AnthrOSource remains to be seen, we hope that the rules for section-hood might be addressed so that the presence of groups such as Native Americans can be recognized more formally. We hope to continue working with the various committees of the Race Initiative. Finally, we have been hampered in our attempts to gain funding for more minority fellowships, to organize events and conferences, and to make our presence known through reception events. I suspect that many of our sections and committees are facing similar budget pressures.

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