Ethnic studies deal brings end to SF State hunger strike

Four hunger strikers called off their 10-day protest Wednesday at San Francisco State University after the school’s president agreed to provide an additional $480,000 in funding to the College of Ethnic Studies.

After a four-hour meeting inside the administration building, the four students and President Leslie Wong signed an 18-point statement that also provides for hiring two new Africana studies professors, creating a program in Pacific Islander studies and “hopefully implementing” a requirement that all students take an ethnic studies class in order to graduate.

Wong and the students also agreed to a “silent period” for the rest of the year, during which neither the administration nor the protesters will make public statements about the ethnic studies program.

Kenneth Monteiro, dean of the College of Ethnic Studies, said budget restrictions meant he must consider dropping about 70 classes from the 170 or so he planned to offer in the coming school year.