Omar Aziz

Omar Aziz currently serves as Director of the Middle Eastern Student Center at UC Riverside.

His experience includes working in student affairs, teaching, and community organizing. He has worked as a Coordinator for Residential Education at UC Santa Cruz, taught 10th grade math with the Teach for America program in Miami, FL and separately taught in Ramallah, Palestine. Omar's research interests include racial identity formation; immigrant experiences; Arab, South Asian, Afghan, and Muslim identity development; diversity in higher education, and looks forward to using this knowledge to make universities more inclusive for all its students.

Omar’s community work includes serving as Director of the Afghan-American Conference and co-founder of The Samovar Network (an online forum and podcast discussing issues affecting the Afghan diaspora). He grew up in the Bay Area and works tirelessly to convince doubters that he is a lifelong Golden State Warriors fan and never rode on any bandwagon.

AAPI* AFFINITY GROUP MEMBERS

• Are open to somatic practices

• Are open to creative expression

• Are aware of how the model minority myth has affected their lives

• Are overcoming internalized oppression and are seeking a safe place to share wild, human, creative expression and emotion

• Are ready to amplify their voices and visibility through creative arts as a direct response to the historic silencing of our people

*Pacific Islander, East Asian-, and Southeast Asian-American