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By Robert Salonga

Daily Bruin Staff

A minority rights coalition is lobbying representatives on the federal, state and UC levels to push for Latino/a appointees to the UC Board of Regents and the chancellorship of UC Riverside.

Riverside will soon lose two important representatives to the UC. UCR alumna S. Sue Johnson’s term as a regent expires Friday, and current UCR Chancellor Raymond Orbach will head the Department of Energy’s office of science this summer pending Senate confirmation.

“The demographic factors justify a Latino chancellor,” said Armando Navarro, coordinator for the National Alliance for Human Rights and chair of UCR’s ethnic studies department.

Navarro cited that Latinos will soon account for 50 percent of the two-county area surrounding Riverside, and already make up 22 percent of the students at UCR. As of the 2000 census, Latinos comprise 36 and 39 percent of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, respectively.

Riverside is the only UC to have ever had a Latino chancellor, when Tomás Rivera served from 1978 to 1983.

Congressman Joe Baca, D-Rialto, who represents the Riverside area, has stated his support for the movement. State Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh, D-Cudahy, is also working to secure the support of the state Latino Legislative Caucus.

NAHR sent letters to UC President Richard Atkinson and Gov. Gray Davis advocating the appointment of a Latino/a regent and UCR chancellor. Baca sent a similar letter to Atkinson, backed by 16 other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

University spokesman Michael Reese confirmed that Atkinson received the letter but said the UC is barred by Proposition 209 to consider ethnicity in the appointment process.

“We urged them to recommend to us eligible candidates that ought to be considered,” Reese said.

NAHR sent a list of 15 prospective chancellor candidates to Atkinson and Davis.

Atkinson’s advisory committee to find a Riverside chancellor – comprised of six regents and faculty members throughout the UC – has narrowed the selection to 12 finalists from a pool of applicants from across the nation, said UCOP spokesman Michael Reese. However, UCOP will continue to accept nominations.

On the Board of Regents, Johnson’s departure and a preexisting vacancy give Davis two seats to fill. Davis will not consider ethnicity in his appointments, according to his staff.

“That’s not something that’s ever really a huge factor at all,” said Alex Traverso, a spokesman for Davis. “The person should be focused on education and making it strong in the state.”

Baca, along with NAHR, stated his support for the appointment of Colton resident Dr. Manuela Sosa to the regent post Johnson will vacate.

“I believe it important to have a Latina regent from the Inland Empire – as a reflection of our community,” Baca said in a statement.

Sosa graduated from UCR with a B.S. in microbiology with minors in chemistry and physics. Two years later she received her secondary teaching credential from Riverside, and later graduated from dental school at Loma Linda University in 1974.

“My interest in education goes back 40 years,” said Sosa, who now heads a dental practice in Riverside.

“I’m tenacious and do not lose sight of my goals,” she said. “I hope to improve accessibility to the UC while maintaining its standards.”

Sosa is the recipient the UCR Community Alumni and Chicano Alumni awards, and was named Woman of the Year by assemblymen in the two districts where she lives and works.

She also founded the Inland Empire Scholarship, which provides aid of $500 to $2,500 to students ranging from the community college to the graduate student level.

Riverside needs leaders more reflective of the population, Sosa said.

“We need more (Latino) representation than we have, since we have an area that is highly ethnic,” she said.

“More importantly, with the proportion of minorities here, it’s logical to appoint a minority, whether me or someone else.”

However, Traverso said that Davis should appoint a qualified regent regardless of their residence or race.

“If they are Latino or from Riverside, so be it, but the priority is to have an excellent person on the Board,” he said.