An email from Victoria Huynh, a lecturer at University of California, Berkeley, has circulated online after she offered students extra credit for taking actions against Israel in support of Palestine.
Huynh, according to the university’s page, is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Ethnic Studies. The site featuring her work has been made private.
Huynh’s email, sent on October 24, reads:
“Hi everyone, We’re offering a field trip and/or extra credit opportunity:
“(1) Students can attend the national student walkout tomorrow against the settler colonial occupation of Gaza (info attached below) OR
“(2) Students can watch a short documentary on Palestine and call/email your local California representative using this linktree.
“Doing so will either count as a field trip or an extra five points on the field trip category of your grade. Section 101/102 students can email me….to let me know which option they choose, and a screenshot/photo with proof of their participation…
“For sections 101/102, we’ll spend some time today talking about Palestinian history in relation to class concepts like colonialism, imperialism and third world solidarity.”
Economic Marxism is dead but political Marxism is bigger than ever. Identification of the oppressor and the oppressed is all you need to know. Other facts don't matter. Re Israel vs. Hamas, look what this UC Berkley prof offers. pic.twitter.com/OjMwR7HKzo
— Rick Arnonal (@RickArnonal) October 25, 2023
Reactions to the assignment
The diversity and inclusion organization that Huynh worked for, Model Expand, has since distanced itself from Huynh, the Jewish Chronicle reported.
“I wanted to share that Victoria Huynh has not contracted with us for over a year. I am sorry for the pain that I can feel in these messages. We are deeply heartbroken by what is happening in the world right now,” the founder of Model Expand is cited as saying.
UC Berkeley has allegedly maintained that students can continue to receive extra credit by fulfilling the activities asked for by Huynh, but has expanded the extra credit opportunity to include any and all documentaries on the Middle East.
“Students can now attend any local event they wish—such as a book talk or a panel discussion—related to the course’s subject, including the protest… or they can watch any documentary they wish about the Middle East," the university said in a statement.
“As soon as the administration was made aware of the assignment it moved quickly to ensure that it would be changed," it said. "The situation has been remedied, the assignment has been changed and there are now a number of options for extra credit, not just one.”