Here are some more announcements, links, and job postings about academic-related jobs, fellowships, and other opportunities for those interested in racial/ethnic/diversity issues. As always, the announcements and links are provided for informational purposes and do not necessarily imply an endorsement of the organization or college involved.

Position: Campaign Manager, Immigrant Rights

Define American Campaign Manager
Define American is changing the way we think and talk about immigration. Our mission: change the public conversation by reaching new audiences with fresh content about, and by, immigrants and their champions.

About Us:
We’re a unique social media campaign launched in June 2011 that is already creating dramatic waves across the country. We draw on the stories of immigrants and their non-immigrant champions – telling the untold truths about how our nation’s immigration is impacting real communities. The effort was launched by a small team of dynamic leaders, inspired by our co-founder Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer prize winning former journalist, who “came out” as an undocumented immigrant in a courageous piece in the New York Times Magazine. Unlike many non-profits that want to live forever, we are hoping to be so successful that we work ourselves out of existence.

About You:
You are a fierce self-starter with black-belt multi-tasking ability. You are tenacious, and ambitious, and somehow, maintain an ability to laugh at yourself. You can work remotely and still drive the project forward. You know how to tell stories and produce content. You’re able to manage big personalities and balance competing interests. You’re able to think creatively and outside-the-box about everything, but particularly immigration. You have a start-up attitude that is less Washington-centric and more mainstream-pop culture-social media savant.

Let’s be honest: This job is an all-consuming, multi-layered position that will require your utmost focus and commitment. We know we’re coming on strong, but if you’re hungry to make a mark and help own one of the most exciting movements of our time, then we know you’re picking up what we’re putting down.

Responsibilities:

• Work with Executive Team to determine priorities and implement Define American’s overall strategy for promoting a new national conversation around immigration
• Manage daily operations including relationship with Tides Center
• Manage a growing team of interns, volunteers and support staff
• Initiate, plan, and coordinate public events that encourage a public dialogue on immigration
• Plan and coordinate private meetings with opinion leaders and key stakeholders
• Manage production and dissemination of written and video content for DefineAmerican.com and social media collateral
• Work in coalition with other organizations with related interests
• Manage incoming requests for partnership, events, etc.
• Establish work flow systems and process to manage the work of multiple team members

Requirements and Qualifications:

• Experience and demonstrated creativity with campaigns, organizing and communications
• Exceptional project and time management skills – with the ability to balance multiple projects at once
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with an emphasis on editing and writing for the web
• Team management experience, and ability to manage up
• Proficiency in social media tools and web-centric communities (such as list-serves and other groups)
• Demonstrated knowledge of immigration reform and commitment to Define American’s goals

Physical Demands:
(These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the described essential functions of the job.)

• Requires sitting, talking, keying and/or listening for up to 5 hours per day
• Standing and moving for up to 3 hours per day, reaching with hands and arms for up to 3 hours per day
• An average of 3-5 hours per day spent at computer
• Occasional stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling and lifting up to 25 pounds
• Requires moving from place to place, sitting, and talking for 5+ hours per day

Define American, a project of Tides Center, is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, people of color, including bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, medical condition (cancer-related) or conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related conditions (ARC). Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.

To Apply:
Please send a letter of intent outlining who you are, why you do what you do, what are you most proud of, how you fit into this conversation and how you will expand it, along with your resume to jobs@defineamerican.com by December 3rd, 2011. Salary commensurate with experience. Competitive benefits package.

Position: Sociology, State Univ. of New York, Plattsburgh

The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the State University of
New York College at Plattsburgh is seeking an Assistant Professor in Sociology, effective fall 2012.

Responsibilities include: The successful candidate must be well qualified to teach in two or more of the following areas: qualitative methods, race & ethnicity, gender, globalization, or social stratification. Teaching will occasionally include the introductory course in sociology. Responsibilities also include engaging in scholarly work, student advising, and department
and university service.

Required Qualifications: Ph.D. in Sociology from an accredited institution required. ABD’s will be considered for appointment at a lesser rank. Evidence of promise in teaching, scholarship, and service.

Salary: $45,000 per year minimum, plus excellent benefits. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Materials received by January 16, 2012 will be guaranteed full consideration. Please apply to http://jobs.plattsburgh.edu/postings/3029 and include CV, cover letter of interest, evidence of teaching effectiveness and contact information for 3 current references. Official transcripts from an accredited institution will be required prior to employment.

Summer Leadership Workshop: South Asians

The Washington Leadership Program (WLP) is pleased to announce that it is accepting applications from high-potential South Asian college students for the 2012 summer leadership program scheduled to take place from June 9, 2012 to August 3, 2012. The WLP cultivates the South Asian American community’s next generation of leaders by placing them in Congressional offices or Government Agencies for eight-week summer internships and a structured leadership-training curriculum. The students gain a firsthand view of the policy-making and legislative process, as well as gain access to high-profile South-Asian leaders in the nation’s capitol. Applications are available online. The deadline for submitting applications is January 20, 2012.

All students who are either US citizens or legal permanent residents are encouraged to apply. Selection to the WLP is highly competitive and not limited to students pursuing majors in social sciences. The backgrounds of past participants have ranged from medical school to art and business.

Interns will receive a total stipend of $1,500 and will be required to complete 2-3 short writing assignments during the internship.

The WLP has over 180 alumni who have interned for notable elected officials including Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN), and Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-LA). Alumni from the program have gone on to win Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, and Mitchell Scholarships, as well as acceptances into top-flight medical, law, public policy, and other post-graduate programs. Several alums are currently senior advisors to government officials, and one is an elected representative from the State of Maryland.

The original program built a strong reputation on both the Hill and in the community and continues to receive favorable reviews from former participants. Former House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt (D-MO) called the WLP “the best program of its kind on the Hill.” The program has continued to receive generous support from alumni, the community-at-large, and community organizations and corporations.

Scholarships: Japanese American Citizens League

The National Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) has kicked off its Scholarship Program for the 2012 academic year. The JACL offers over 30 awards, with an annual total of over $70,000 in scholarships. Awards are available in the following categories: Freshman, Undergraduate, Graduate, Law, Creative & Performing Arts, and Financial Aid.

The 2012 National JACL Scholarship Program informational brochure and applications were recently posted on the JACL website.

Freshman applications are to be submitted to the applicant’s local JACL Chapter by March 1, 2012. The chapters shall then review the applications and forward the “outstanding” ones to the National JACL Freshman Scholarship Committee (c/o Salt Lake City JACL, P.O. Box 584, Salt Lake City, UT 84110) by April 1, 2012.

All other National JACL Scholarship applications are to be sent directly by the applicants to: National JACL Scholarship Program, c/o Portland JACL, P.O. Box 86310, Portland, OR 97286. The deadline for these applications is April 1, 2012. For additional information regarding the JACL National Scholarship Program, please contact JACL Regional Director Patty Wada at (415) 345-1075, jacl-ncwnpro@msn.com or Jason Chang, National JACL Vice President for Planning & Development, at vpp-d@jacl.org.

Positions: MinKwon Center for Community Action

The MinKwon Center for Community Action (formerly YKASEC) was established in 1984 to meet the needs and concerns of the Korean American community through our five program areas: Community Organizing and Advocacy, Social Services, Civic Participation, Youth, and Culture. Since our founding, we have made a profound presence in the Korean American community through various grassroots organizing, education, and advocacy initiatives that address important community issues, including immigration policies at the national, state and city levels, voter rights, and cultural awareness.

The MinKwon Center places a special emphasis on meeting the needs of our marginalized community members who have less access to resources, including the youth, the elderly, recent immigrants, low-income residents, and limited English proficient residents.

Our goals are to educate community members about issues that are impacting immigrant communities, including the Korean American community; to increase Korean American civic participation and to promote immigrant rights through long-term organizing, advocacy and education programs; to serve the marginalized members of our community through various social service programs; and to preserve our cultural roots by involving members of our community in projects that promote our ethnic and cultural heritage.

Open Position #1: Advocacy & Organizing Director (Full-Time)

The Advocacy & Organizing Director would help lead our Advocacy and Community Organizing Program to engage in advocacy campaigns on issues such as comprehensive immigration reform, fairer allocation of city and state budgets and other social justice issues; and to develop an informed, active base of community members engaged on these issues. The Director would have the following specific responsibilities:

• Work closely with senior-level staff and Board to plan, develop and strengthen both existing and new campaigns
• Represent MinKwon and play leadership role in meetings with other coalition groups on joint campaigns
• Supervise and work closely with MinKwon’s Community Organizers
• Work with organizers to engage in intensive outreach to Korean community members
• Mobilize community members to participate in MinKwon campaign events
• Work with Organizers to develop members’ leadership’ abilities, coordinate regular member meetings, and track members contacts in our membership database
• Speak at rallies, campaigns and media appearances on behalf of organization
• Work closely with development staff & Administrative Director on grant reports & applications

Job Requirements/Candidates will be evaluated on the basis of the following:

• Experience in advocacy and/or community organizing (strongly preferred)
• Demonstrated interest, experience and commitment to working on social justice issues, such as immigrants’ rights and civil rights
• Ability to work closely and cordially with co-workers and allies in close-knit team environment
• Excellent communications skills and ability to guide and help lead group meetings
• Ability and willingness to participate in regular evening/weekend events
• Ability to be highly organized, adapt to simultaneous timelines, and take initiative on projects
• Strong communication skills in Korean

Open Position #2: Development Director (Full-Time)

The Development Director will work closely with the Executive Director and with other staff, Board and volunteers to plan, execute and implement a robust fundraising strategy for the organization. Specifically, the Development Director will have the following responsibilities:

• Help develop, oversee and strengthen our organization’s long-term fundraising strategy, working closely with Program Directors and Board
• Set annual fundraising goals together with organization’s leadership, and meet goals through strong execution of development efforts
• Prospect potential funding streams of all sources (foundation, major donor, individual, corporate, government), and develop new funding partnership opportunities
• Lead cultivation and solicitation of donor prospects and coordinate with leadership, program staff, and Board
• Help plan, execute and implement annual Gala and a Spring Reception to raise funds and awareness of the MinKwon Center and its mission
• Plan and execute at least two mailed fundraising appeals per year
• Develop, draft and edit proposals for our specific program areas as well as for general organizational support
• Prepare, draft and edit grant reports to funders, and work with Administrative Director and other staff to gather needed financials, statistics and budget information
• Maintain detailed grants management database, records, and systems
• Help manage and grow volunteer Friends of MinKwon group
• Ensure regular communication with current and prospective program officers and funders

Job Requirements

• 2+ years experience in development and fundraising efforts and developing relationships with funders (strongly preferred)
• Interest, experience and demonstrated commitment in working on social justice issues, such as immigrants’ rights, workers’ rights, and civil rights
• Ability to work closely and cordially with co-workers and allies
• Excellent ability to communicate our mission, impact, growth trajectory, and programs
• Strong project management skills working in team environment
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to manage funder relationships
• Ability to be highly organized, adapt to simultaneous timelines, and take initiative on projects with minimal supervision
• Ability and willingness to participate in occasional evening/weekend events
• Demonstrated strong writing skills

Open Position #3: Youth Program Associate (Part-Time)

The MinKwon Center views young people as potential leaders, both now and in the future. Our Youth Empowerment Program provides the opportunity for local Asian American high school youth to become future leaders for the community, by educating them on critical issues and providing them opportunities to advocate for themselves on these issues. Through our work, we hope to raise a generation of socially conscious individuals that understand the importance of community engagement and civic involvement. The Associate would have the following specific responsibilities:

• Help plan, coordinate, and facilitate weekly meetings with youth
• Help maintain direct contact with youth through follow-ups
• Participate in community organizing efforts to engage youth
• Help conduct educational activities for youth to inform them of issues that are impacting immigrant youth communities, including the Korean American community
• Engage in advocacy efforts on behalf of youth, immigrants, and low-income community members

Job Requirements/Candidates will be evaluated on the basis of the following:

• Strong interest in social justice issues
• Have the desire to empower the Asian American community
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong organizational skills and independence, requiring minimal supervision
• Experience in working with youth (strongly preferred)

For all three open positions, the MinKwon Center will accept applications on a rolling basis until each position is filled. Please prepare a detailed cover letter and resume describing your interest in the organization and position to:

Steven Choi
Executive Director
schoi@minkwon.org