Students, Friends, and Colleagues:
Jose Lara at Ethnic Studies Now is orchestrating the ethnic studies effort in CA and he just sent this to me. Please sign and pass on to others, as well, for their signatures. Consider making a contribution, as well.
Angela Valenzuela
Angela --
Good news! AB 2016 (Ethnic Studies) passed unanimously in the CA Senate's Education Committee -- many thanks to all those who called! There are a few more challenges ahead & we'll keep you posted. Right now we'd like ask for your help on our recommendations to the CA State Board of Education (SBE) for the new CA History-Social Science Framework’s (HSSFW) Ethnic Studies elective course:
Please sign your name in support: (CLICK HERE)
The SBE’s next meeting is scheduled to be the last time to make any changes to this framework for at least another 8 years!
How can a general Ethnic Studies course description not have any mention of students learning about their ancestral roots, or about colonialism, or about self-determination for that matter? Community cultural wealth? Please see our recommended line edits to the SBE that will ensure that these main concepts are not left out.
Today, please sign and spread the word! This will only take a moment and with your support, we can affect the HSSFW’s offical description of Ethnic Studies, and help make it more genuine, critical, and transformational for thousands of students across California – it is what they deserve. Please sign and spread the word!
~~ETHNIC STUDIES NOW COALITION: IMPERATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CA SBE FOR CA HSSFW~~
1. Our first recommendation is for Chapter 14, p.425, line 648, to explicitly include four core concepts and academic language of Ethnic Studies, after "...a more complex understanding of the human experience". ADDITION: "This understanding relates to student knowledge of the concepts of indigeneity, colonialism, cultural hegemony, and self-determination, as they have occurred throughout history and today”.
2. Our second recommendation is that these concepts be explicitly culturally relevant and responsive to students in Chapter 14, p.426, line 675, after "co-investigators in the inquiry process". ADDITION: "This reflection of instructors and students' own personal histories should be considerate of how the concepts of indigeneity, colonialism, cultural hegemony, and community cultural wealth, relate to their own ancestral legacies as historically situated human beings".
3. Our third recommendation, is to respect the Ethnic Studies tradition of explicitly acknowledging the Indigenous peoples of the land where any course is taking place. We recommend adding a sentence in Chapter 14, p.427, line 692, before the following sentence: “Students can investigate the history of the experience of various ethnic groups within the United States...”. ADDITION: “In studying various ethnic groups, the Indigenous peoples of any area under academic investigation and of any land where a course is taking place (e.g. Miwok in Sacramento, Chumash in Santa Barbara, Kumeyaay in San Diego), are respectfully acknowledged as the original peoples of the community”.
Please click here to sign on your support.
Please Consider a Donation
If you support the work we are doing with the Ethnic Studies Now Coalition please help us fund the movement. We cannot do it without you. With your help we can expand our community organizing/advocacy campaign, provide professional development support for teachers and curriculum design for school districts. PLEASE make a donation to Ethnic Studies Now! by clicking the link below: http://www.ethnicstudiesnow.com/donate
Warmly,
José Lara
Coordinating Committee Member,
Ethnic Studies Now Coalition
http://www.ethnicstudiesnow.com
info@ethnicstudiesnow.com
Tel. (213) 267-9031
Fax. (323) 844-0110
Ethnic Studies Now Coalition · California
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