The Center for Labor Education and Research (CLEAR) at the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu hosts a presentation by Rachel Rickard Tjoeng, UH Mānoa PhD candidate and former nurse, who will share insights and experiences from research conducted in CLEAR’s archives about Hawai‘i nurses, healthcare, and the labor movement.
Tjoeng’s presentation, titled “Found in the Folder: Vital Nurse Refusals Through Time in Hawai‘i Nei,” will be held from noon to 1:15 p.m. on Friday, March 27, via Zoom.
It will be the inaugural session of CLEAR’s new series, “Research Spotlight,” which will bring scholars, researchers, and community members who have used CLEAR’s archival resources for presentations of their findings.
“Archival research gives depth and credibility to our understanding of the past,” said CLEAR Director Dion Dizon. “By returning to primary sources, we uncover voices that may have been diminished or overlooked. Such discovery challenges assumptions, and reveals the context that shapes events and ideas today.”
The organizer of the event and discussant for its Q&A session is Issay Matsumoto, a University of Southern California PhD candidate and Visiting Colleague at CLEAR.
“For CLEAR’s first lecture, we are so excited to bring Rachel Rickard Tjoeng, an anthropologist at UH Mānoa and former nurse conducting historical and ethnographic research on nursing labor in Hawai‘i,” Matsumoto said.
Matsumoto continued, “Healthcare workers are a cornerstone of today’s labor movement. This lecture is a great opportunity to learn about some of the unique challenges they face, as well as their efforts to improve their own working conditions and transform our communities here in Hawai‘i.”
The event is open to UH West O‘ahu students, faculty, and staff, and the general public. Register for the Zoom event at https://go.hawaii.edu/DCN. For more information, call 808-689-2760 or email clear@hawaii.edu.
