This cluster was a mixed bag. For first quarter (fall 2016), the professors were Vilma Ortiz, Jean-Paul Deguzman, Mishuana Goeman, and Robin Kelley. Deguzman had really interesting and engaging lectures, and the most interesting readings. Kelley's lectures were sometimes too much information, but interesting, and readings were interesting. Ortiz's lectures were more broad, and her readings were less engaging. Goeman's lectures were the most disorganized; she often would not get even halfway through her lecture slides, and she focused too much on her personal history, rather than a broad history. Her readings were also always really long. The first quarter is two papers and a midterm, all graded by your TA, so if they're not good you might not get a good grade. Discussion participation is a huge part of your grade, again, decided by your TA. Overall, this portion of the class was interesting, but a bad TA made me really dislike it.

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This class is really interesting and overall I really enjoyed it. It "debunks" a lot of the information that you learn about US History in high school regarding race (Slavery, Japanese Internment, etc.) and also talks about modern cases of racism. It really opened my eyes to struggles that other ethnicities face (I am half white and half Mexican so learning more about Asian, Pacific Islander, Muslim, African-American, and Native-American cultures were new for me). This class is cool because it's like you are taking a multitude of ethnic studies classes in one class because you really examine almost all ethnicities in this class. I think it was a great class for me to take for my introduction to UCLA.
The reading can be super intensive at times, it's not crazy, but basically every time you go to class a different professor will speak and depending on who is speaking that is how long the reading will be (Goeman and Kelley typically had longer readings). The lectures are usually very intriguing and most of the professors are pretty funny and engaging.
There is a midterm that involves identifying key vocabulary with the readings and two essays over the fall quarter part of the class. The grading is entirely based on the TAs so make sure that you have a good relationship with your TA and go to their office hours for help with the essays. There is no final, the final is at the end of the winter quarter portion of the class and is cumulative (involving information from both fall and winter quarter).

Overall, this class is very interesting and is pretty straightforward. However, your grade basically lies in the hands of your TA. With that said, never, ever, ever, ever take William Rosales as your TA. He is dry, condescending, unhelpful, belittling, and completely unreasonable. If you want a more comprehensive review on his teaching style, click on this link. http://onision.xyz/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=618

Your grade relies solely on your TA, and two essays. Both essays seem pretty basic and easy, but your TA can possibly be a hard grader like mine who gave me a B for both essays even after even going to the writing center. There is a lotto reading and the course reader is 75, that is not worth it, they are just articles randomly chosen, but they are needed for class. Good luck. Professor Ortiz was the most monotone of the four professors teaching, she is in charge and she knows it, therefore her lectures you must pay attention to.

This class definitely taught me a lot about our history, from a fresh point of view. It can be a lot of (unnecessary) reading at times, but the workload is definitely manageable. Overall, I would only suggest taking this class if you're truly passionate about the subject at hand. AKA don't take this class for an easy A.

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Although the other reviewers seem to discourage future students from taking this course, I found this class extremely enlightening and liberating. If taken seriously, students can gain consciousness over themselves and the world we live in because the provides the tools and resources necessary to understand the immense role race plays in society. Although this course consists of heavy reading, I've been able to refer to and reuse many of the articles we read.

I also had the great TA Sharon Chon for all three quarters, making my experience with the course that much better. I truly believe that this course helped me to be a better student, writer, and critical thinker and I would HIGHLY recommend this course to anyone looking to satisfy a bunch of GEs.

GE clusters are a LOT of work, but in my opinion are worth it in the end. This particular cluster takes care of 6 GE requirements in only 3 quarters! The assignment breakdown for fall quarter:
Section Participation - 25% (reading forms, attendance, how much you interact)
Literature Paper - 30%
History Paper - 30%
Midterm - 10%
Ethnography Project Proposal - 5% (graded on completion only)

The class was very very informative, and it really sharpened my writing and critical reading skills. The grade you get depends ENTIRELY on your TA, so make sure you get one that takes an interest in the subject! The hardest part about the class in my opinion was the readings (it takes a solid 8-10 hours per week if you want to do them thoroughly).

I am selling both course readers (for 20A and 20B), as well as the two novels (Bad Indians and Boarding School Seasons) for a cheap and negotiable price! Email me at uclabookseller@gmail,com !

Profesor Ortiz was definitely my least favorite of the four professors in this course. She was very set on her own opinions and would refuse to argue with anyone who questioned her. If you asked "why" to anything she was teaching, she would say that she can't answer, she doesn't know or that she simply refuses to answer. She often contradicts herself as well within her own lectures. She has zero tolerance for anyone who has an opinion other than her own.

Awesome class, I learned so much! I am selling the course readers for both fall and winter quarters for this class (20A and 20B). The course readers have a couple notes/highlighted areas but overall legible, and at a cheap price. Email me if you are interested at sofiexcc@g.ucla.edu. Thanks!