House Bill 2281, banning ethnic studies classes in Arizona’s charter and district schools, passed in the House on the last day of the legislative session and awaits Governor Brewer’s signature. The governor must act on the bill, like dozens of others on her desk, by May 11th, next Tuesday.
Tom Horne, Superintendent of Public Instruction, currently seeking the GOP nomination for AZ attorney general, authored the bill and saw it through, despite repeated and completely unfounded accusations of racism. He is to commended.
Horne’s target is the Tucson school district’s Mexican-American program, Raza Studies. The very name “Raza” means “race.” Hispanic students, for whom the course is primarily designated, learn they are being systematically oppressed and all non-Hispanics are suspect. This is probably a new way of looking at America for the majority of these youngsters, whose parents or grandparents immigrated – most of them legally – to the “land of opportunity.”
Raza’s extra-curricular component, M.E.Ch.A. is a nationwide movement, committed, according to its website, to ending “the cultural tyranny suffered at the hands of institutional and systematic discrimination that holds our Gente captive.” And we, as AZ taxpayers, pay for this hate-filled brainwash.
HB 2281 prohibits classes that:
- promote the overthrow of U.S. government;
- instill resentment toward a race or class of people;
- are designated primarily for pupils of a particular racial or ethnic group; or
- advocate ethic solidarity.
Students will learn about other cultures and traditions in their regular social studies classes, as they have all along.
The fact that some Arizona educators need legislation to convince them it isn’t in their students’ best interests to teach them to look upon themselves as victims is disturbing. But given that reality, HB 2281 needs to become law, now.
Following so closely behind SB 1070, however, the ethnic studies ban could further incense those who believe Arizona’s new immigration enforcement law is racist and mean-spirited. In light of the current high levels anxiety and outrage, especially in parts of the Hispanic community, Governor Brewer should sign this bill into law promptly but without pomp and circumstance.
Amy H Laff is a StateBrief.com partner. A graduate of Univ of Penn and Stanford Law School, Amy practiced law and mediation on the east coast before relocating to the Valley, where she founded and chairs the AZ chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition. Amy makes frequent media appearances, including AZ Law Channel and Tony Katz Radio Spectacular. Additionally, she works with companies and candidates on branding and communication. 
Amy,
This is an interesting issue. While I do not support programs or courses that teach hate and divisiveness I’m not entirely sure I agree with you.
You see, I do believe that Latinos and other minorities have been and are currently systematically and institutionally repressed. To say otherwise is glossing over colonial history (I mean all over the New World), American history, and current events. Most often, these courses are not “hate-filled” but look at historical events from a different perspective.
I’ll give you an example. While in school I learned about the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs. It was interesting to read Bernal Díaz del Castillo’s “The Truthful History of the Conquest of New Spain,” but what I found more fascinating was reading “The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico.” Either way I knew which side “won” but it was great to learn about the Aztec perspective and it gave me a greater grasp of all the factors that went into the Spanish conquest.
Similarly, when I was involved in MEChA (yes, I’m a MEChistA) we talked about abuse by police in South Phoenix or how local elected officials didn’t seem to care much. We debated why the Roosevelt School District was so dysfunctional. We discussed why groceries and other items were more expensive in South Phoenix than in other parts of town. And at some point, we decided that the only way to change this reality was get involved, register voters and kick lazy politicians out, mentor elementary students at some of the worse schools in town, and most importantly pursue our education. None of use ever hated our country, nor did we ever hate white people, but at my school MEChA was the only group that ACTUALLY CARED about the social and political issues were confronting our community.
The unfortunate thing about “Raza” studies is the tone of the debate. Instead of being civil and thoughtful we have the opposite. I think TUSD erred with its defensive reaction to Superintendent Horne’s request, but I think Horne is fundamentally opposed to this type curriculum, so it may not matter much anyways.
My question is: what’s best for students? Is it necessarily bad for them to learn of the outrageous and egregious examples of prejudice and outright racism in our history? Does learning about these things make a student feel like a victim or does it empower them?
Finally, I won’t say SB 1070 is racist, but as I’ve expressed before it is mean spirited and unjust. I’m curious what future students will be taught about SB 1070. In fact, I’m curious to know what students are taught now about Evan Mecham, the MLK Holiday, and those who opposed it.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment Victor. I would contend that it’s important for ALL students, not just Latinos, to understand prejudice and cruelty and to learn about slavery, the Holocaust, and other blots on European and American history. And if the juxtaposition of The Truthful Conquest of New Spain and The Broken Spears provides a balanced perspective on the Spanish conquest, why should Hispanic students be the only ones to benefit from such an important lesson in the history of history.
I agree with you that the situation regarding police treatment in S. Phoenix demanded political engagement. But MECha’s activities don’t seem to be an appropriate use of taxpayer money designated for education.
I am just amazed at the inability of some to think out-of-the-box. I am a rare case, where I am a Jew, born in Latin-America, Caucasian, whose father is a holocaust survivor, that immigrated to the USA over 30 years ago, by standing on-line for two years around an American Embassy. I have never lost my roots, and I have become an American by choice, never expecting to be have my new country adapt to me, but rather the opposite. I am a Latino, and a Jew, and a Caucasian, and well, my country is the USA, and although many of my friends are Latinos, none of us expect to be taught or spoken in any other language but English. Otherwise we would have voluntarily migrated elsewhere…
1070 could have been written better, and other bills could be different. Yet, I am no ashamed of having integrated my way of life to this great country, nor do I care of I have an accent. My ancestors were prosecuted at all levels, and in this country, I am sure of this, that will not happen. And, it will not happen in English.