Edgar Moreno-Garcia

This is the script to the video.

Hello People of the world…We are…anonymous.

 

Over the years history has been taught in schools through a eurocentric perspective. Eurocentrism places an emphasis on European concerns, culture and values at the expense of other cultures. This perspective usually diminishes other cultures as lesser than European culture. History taught in Europe and in the United States, only teach European and United States in detail, while barely going over history from other cultures that do not come from a European background. However, when the Americas, Africa and Australasia are not mentioned until colonized.

 

In order to challenge this, multiple organizations have fought to change this beginning in the Civil right movement. In the Civil right movement, students of color have demanded an education that is relevant, meaningful, and affirming of their identities. In 1968, the Third World Liberation Front, a coalition of the Black Students Union, the Latin American Students Organization, the Filipino-American Students Organization, and El Renacimiento, a Mexican-American student organization, organized at San Francisco State University to protest in support of ethnic studies courses. This led to the first ethnic studies program at a college level. Soon other universities established an ethnic studies program, but why should these students wait until college to learn about their culture.

 

In 1968, high school students from East L.A. walkout from school in order to protest for a reform in their curriculum. The students wanted their stories to be taught in their curriculum so they protested for a change.

However there are people who are against ethnic studies, such as the Arizona government and their House Bill 2281 in 2010.The bill was written to target the Chicano, or Mexican American, studies program in the Tucson school system, said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne. This bill is a ban on ethnic studies in schools. This bill has also prohibited certain books in Arizona to the point where people have to smuggle books into Arizona. The Arizona education system views these books to be as harmful as drugs to the point where people from Texas have to traffic these books into Arizona, also known as Lee pro tra fee can days, book smugglers. The legislature claims that ethnic studies promotes hate of other ethnicities and overthrowing of the government. This is…a lie…This all began in the Tucson Unified School District, were a Mexican American Studies program was put in place since 1988.

 

Statistic show that the Mexican American Studies classes substantially boost the graduation rates for lower income students. For the very low income group, Mexican American Studies students had a 79% graduation rate versus a 67% graduation rate for non Mexican American Studies students. For the low income group, Mexican American Studies students had an 83% graduation rate versus a 76% graduation rate for non Mexican American Studies students.

Students have claim that since joining the program they became more interested in their academics because they were able to see themselves in the curriculum. Students claim that it stopped them from dropping out and encourage them to continue their education in higher institutions.

In Arizona students of color make up more than half of the student population with the latino population being 43% of the student population. So programs that helps students, especially those that come from low income, is banned and instead the students are supposed to conform to a eurocentric history that completely ignores all other accounts of history.

 

Students in Arizona have challenged this and are still continuing the fight of

House Bill 2281 but had no success so far. However, in California, students and the community have spoken and they want ethnic studies in their schools. California has the most diverse student population with 71% of students are of color. In California, the Latino Population has surpassed every other ethnic group. Currently, 4 districts in California have had success implementing ethnic studies as a graduation requirement in their school districts. Those cities are Los Angeles, San Francisco, El Rancho and Montebello. The next district that has made a lot of noise in support of ethnic studies is Sacramento. But the fights keeps going. In order to make this a statewide requirement we must fight in support of Assembly Bill 101 by assembly member, Luis A. Alejo.

 

“Ethnic studies curricula have provided important gateways for students to learn about the diversity of heritages in the United States, a key educational goal of the liberal arts education that is the bedrock of American higher education. Policies that curtail this vision will weaken the quality of education.” Former Modern Language Association President, Sidonie Smith wrote in her letter to to Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona in 2010.

 

Having this bill is great but it is meaningless if we do not have adequate teachers that are passionate about teaching ethnic studies or dedicated to their students quality education.

Now it is up to you…citizens of the world…to take action.

 

Knowledge is free.
We are Anonymous.
We are Legion.
We do not forgive.
We do not forget.
Expect us.