about echolalia

The University of California, Irvine is home to a huge number of students and, with them, a multitude of diverse stories and experiences. However, it is saddening to see the lack of space available to share these stories.

That’s where we come in.

 What started as a small idea soon grew into the passion project you are reading about now, Echolalia. “Echolalia” is the repetition of words or sounds heard from someone else. We have all experienced echolalia as children; an important step in language development, it serves as a sign of listening, understanding, and sharing. Simply put: the words we use today have been learned from another. 

Taking this concept, Echolalia hopes to serve as a place of listening and understanding. To not only share meaningful stories, but to learn from them and have them carried beyond this space.

What does this look like? Each year, we digitally publish an literary journal showcasing a variety of undergraduate writing; we also work to publish a physical version as well. This mix of undergraduate contributions could range anywhere from academic essays, short stories, community-based interviews, and forms of visual media! Our hope is to not only provide a supportive space for our peers to share their stories, but to bring and bridge together the various forms of writing and creative expression.

Want to get involved? Consider following our Instagram, joining our Discord, or checking out the Get Involved page here on our website!

land acknowledgement

We are mindful that the University of California, Irvine and with it, Echolalia is situated on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Tongva and Acjacheman nations. As Echolalia strives to create a safe space for marginalized voices and to learn from each individual’s unique experiences and stories, we acknowledge the implications of our roles as non-Indigenous settlers. We express our gratitude and stand in solidarity to the Indigenous communities who have cared for these lands and will continue to recognize and be cognizant of our roles in the settler colonial structures we find ourselves in.