California Sociology Forum vii 

 

Letter from the Editors 
 
Dear Reader, 
 
 We are pleased to present the latest publication of the student-
run CSF journal, featuring a range of works created by Cal State LA’s 
Department of Sociology students (and even a few of their peers from 
other departments as co-authors). Volume 6 continues our goal to expand 
beyond traditional texts and provide students the opportunity to exhibit 
creative pieces. Several discussions and panels were held with the goal 
of encouraging student contributions to the journal. The formal structure 
of these lectures served to illustrate the advantages of being a peer-
reviewed author as well as the process of becoming published.  
 Similarly to CSF’s last volume, CSF’s founder Dr. Hyojoung 
Kim (and Director of the Center for Korean American and Korean 
Studies) presented CSF with Korean Barbecue in three stages. Stage 1 
was composed of typical cuts of KBBQ meats, Stage 2 was a Korean 
Bulgogi specialty not commonly offered in Southern California. Dr. Kim 
expressed the significance of the bulgogi’s unique preparation on a 
special grill allowing it to cook in a soup typically eaten over steamed 
rice; something he grew up eating on special occasions as a child. Stage 
3 was a serving of cold noodles meant to cleanse the palate of all the 
protein digested.  

 

 
A collage of photos showcasing the multiple stages of KBBQ 

Experiencing this food and learning the meaning behind the 
preparations together contributed to the fostering of community, in this 
moment we were family. This sense of community felt symbolically 
relevant to the experiences CSF members were having outside of the 
journal.  



California Sociology Forum viii 

 

The Fall 2023 semester was filled with calls to justice. The first 
movement was from students against tuition hikes organizing a walkout 
across all the CSU’s. Then the genocide in Gaza demanded attention, 
with students and faculty alike rallying to offer programs and protests in 
support of solidarity to #FreePalestine. The transition into the start of the 
Spring 2024 semester was eventful, as classes were delayed due to 
multiple unions striking for contract negotiations. Students and faculty 
alike were utilizing their agency as community members in the CSU, 
bargaining for better conditions for all. Such organizing and acts of 
resistance against greed and the corporatized university set the tone not 
only for the semester but for the CSF board as a whole.  

Consistent with the spirit of solidarity, the 9th Annual Social 
Theory Conference, hosted by the Department of Sociology, picked the 
theme of “Conflict, Ideology, and Critical Humanitarianism.” Half a day 
was devoted to “Social Justice” – allowing labor and union organizers to 
sit on a panel followed by a mixer enacted to teach the students agency 
and how to advocate for themselves. 

 
As volume 6’s completion progressed, themes of resistance 

began to emerge organically from the submissions. We as a board 
followed our authors’ lead with fluidity, reinforcing the decision to not 
produce a normative sociology journal. We encouraged the spirit of 
imagination to roam free in our journal and pivoted away from the 
standard formatted journals common to academia. The work in this 
journal, although untraditional, is impactful and depicts how knowledge 
can be produced through art and community. The varied expressions of 
the sociological imagination reflect CSF’s platform to assist in the 
decolonization of students’ minds and challenge the heteronormative, 
patriarchal, ableist, white supremacist institution. We are thrilled with 
this volume and look forward to what CSF has ahead of it.  
 
In Solidarity, 

The CSF Editorial Board  

Description of "UNION" as seen on the 3rd Floor of the CSULA U-SU 


	Letter from the Editors