Sanctuary: Exclusion, Violence, and Indigenous Migrants in the East Bay
Book Talk with Dr. Cruz Medina
November 5, 2026
4-6pm
Hart Hall 3201
For three years, Dr. Cruz Medina volunteered as an English language teacher at a Spanish‑speaking church in the East Bay—a place of worship that also functions as a site for language instruction for many Maya Guatemalan migrants. His new book, Sanctuary: Exclusion, Violence, and Indigenous Migrants in the East Bay, grows out of that work. Drawing on decolonial critical race theory and autoethnography, Dr. Medina asks hard questions about how political rhetoric, immigration enforcement, myths of literacy-driven mobility, and gentrification shape the lives of Indigenous populations displaced by neo‑colonial capitalism. Hosted by The University Writing Program, The Graduate Group in Cultural Studies, Native American Studies, and the Writing, Rhetoric, and Composition Studies Designated Emphasis (WRaCS DE) as part of the Thursday seminar series, his talk is open to the public and will be followed by a Q&A.
This event also speaks directly to ongoing conversations in writing studies on UC Davis’ campus, especially for graduate students teaching first‑year composition. Dr. Medina was a co‑author of the 2026 revision to the WPA Outcomes Statement, as well as the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Position Statement on Media Education in English Language Arts, both of which set national frameworks for writing and media education. His visit offers a timely chance to ask how these learning outcomes and educational practices will shape writing instruction, especially in the wake of the de-chartering of the Conference on College Communication and Composition.
Finally, Dr. Medina is currently resisting AI in his teaching and researching the intersections of fascism, rhetoric, and Brazilian jiu‑jitsu. While the focus of the event will be on Sanctuary and his broader contributions to writing studies, attendees will also have the chance to hear his perspective on AI and its implications for teaching and learning.
4-6pm
Hart Hall 3201
For three years, Dr. Cruz Medina volunteered as an English language teacher at a Spanish‑speaking church in the East Bay—a place of worship that also functions as a site for language instruction for many Maya Guatemalan migrants. His new book, Sanctuary: Exclusion, Violence, and Indigenous Migrants in the East Bay, grows out of that work. Drawing on decolonial critical race theory and autoethnography, Dr. Medina asks hard questions about how political rhetoric, immigration enforcement, myths of literacy-driven mobility, and gentrification shape the lives of Indigenous populations displaced by neo‑colonial capitalism. Hosted by The University Writing Program, The Graduate Group in Cultural Studies, Native American Studies, and the Writing, Rhetoric, and Composition Studies Designated Emphasis (WRaCS DE) as part of the Thursday seminar series, his talk is open to the public and will be followed by a Q&A.
This event also speaks directly to ongoing conversations in writing studies on UC Davis’ campus, especially for graduate students teaching first‑year composition. Dr. Medina was a co‑author of the 2026 revision to the WPA Outcomes Statement, as well as the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Position Statement on Media Education in English Language Arts, both of which set national frameworks for writing and media education. His visit offers a timely chance to ask how these learning outcomes and educational practices will shape writing instruction, especially in the wake of the de-chartering of the Conference on College Communication and Composition.
Finally, Dr. Medina is currently resisting AI in his teaching and researching the intersections of fascism, rhetoric, and Brazilian jiu‑jitsu. While the focus of the event will be on Sanctuary and his broader contributions to writing studies, attendees will also have the chance to hear his perspective on AI and its implications for teaching and learning.