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Idiotas: No History Is Illegal
Arizona's racist move to ban ethnic studies programs - aka - real history including that of brown-skinned people - and a long list of "objectionable" books pertaining to same - aka any books they don't like, ranging from the seminal Rethinking Columbus to award-winning novels - may have backfired. Along with a legal fight to reinstate them, there are a host of other actions: Activist teachers have launched a month-long initiative - "They say shut it down. We say spread it around." - students are holding teach-ins and workshops, lists of the books are circulating, the American Library Association has blasted the move - "WHEREAS, 'The freedom to read is essential to our democracy... No society of free people can flourish that draws up lists of writers to whom it will not listen, whatever they may have to say.' - and commentators are declaring themselves understandably weary of "enduring fools."
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12 Comments so far
Show AllIf this is not the beginning of fascism, I do not know what is.
We are so desperately in need of REAL education - REAL studies in the humanities. You can have all the economic power in world, but if the means by which it is acquired demands the exclusion of the history of the peoples involved, you have NOTHING as a society and human evolution is crushed. NOT IN MY NAME!
Arizona's idiotic law effectively bans even standard Arizona and regional history. Those doing the banning must be the ones banned.
Think black studiies at Oregon State University in the late 1960s with virtually an all whie student body but much support for a boycott in support of black studies at that university! Good example!
Fraid not,
Asian-American, Native-American and African-American ethnic studies and American History are still taught at TUSD.
FYI, many MAS classes count as core credit, why the advocates like to brag about the increases graduation rate. AZ school board wants to level the playing field but as always, Mexicans always need an exception.
Funny, I don't hear the Blacks, Asian or Native-Americans complaining yet the Mexicans dishonestly try to convince everyone that it's all "Ethnic Studies" that are under attack and not just MAS.
You obviously cannot hear even your own soul complaining, you are utterly devoid. Why don't you list your own heritage, since you seem able to list everyone else's and speak for them. FYI-you are not funny, just simple and plain.
Do you wish to provide some specific points about the TUSD MAS issue in your rebuttal or just the usual cosmic platitudes? Try to recruit a few more brain cells from the left side.
There are misrepresented and intentionally omitted facts that can help one from jumping to conclusions about this issue.
Do you have a picture of that adobe you built?
Let me see if I've got this straight.
Assuming for the sake of argument that what you say is accurate, you've informed us that one particular group is being excluded from having studies related specifically to them, while the studies of many others continue.
And you think that makes it better?
Trouser, I'm well acquainted with "loaded questions". Look at your reply, the question you ask at the end is prefaced by your assumption. You may think it clever but it's a loaded question by definition.
Anyway, for the sake of argument, as you say, your assumption is obvious. Take it a little further.
If "exclusion" really was the grounds of their complaint you would think they would use that in their protest. Anyone with a curious mind would wonder why only MAS is being singled out. The last thing the Mexicans want is closer scrutiny of a controversial program where none exists in the other ethnic studies.
To clarify further, The African American Studies, Native-Americans Studies, and Pan Asian Americans, offer comprehensive services to their target students, including mentoring, tutoring, and counseling services. Mexican American/Raza Studies, OTOH, only offers classes to their students. The classes in this program also have a specific social justice, critical race theory focus. The AZ education dept determined it's in violation of the guidelines that apply to ALL AZ classes. Apparently other ethnic groups have no trouble.
There's a lot more to this issue that's too lengthy to post here. I'd suggest trying to ferret out as much as possible. Friend of mine from the area assures me it involves a relatively few vocal self-styled radicals and their unfortunate young followers. AZ Education Dept is merely trying to get MAS in compliance so they can resume classes.
As I've said before, progs need a bit of skepticism; especially when it comes to articles in the left-hand column of CDs webpage.
Loaded? Perhaps, but no more so than Huppenthal's arguments - didn't he write (with Horne) what complied and what didn't?
A specific social justice and critical race theory focus? According to Maureen Downey at ajc.com "At the middle school level, the Mexican American Studies classes were electives and included literature, mathematics, Chicano studies and an independent study course. At the high school level, MAS classes were offered in literature, American history, American government/social justice, and Chicana/Art, and could be used to satisfy graduation requirements."
The summation of American Law Judge Ruling 11F-002-ADE claims that [at least one of the lessons on at least one of] the courses weren't "teaching oppression objectively".
I think suggesting that anyone can or should be objective about oppression is missing (or possibly intentionally obscuring) the point.
Just because courses are taught doesn't make them legitimate vehicles for education. To deny mention of Spanish, Native, or Mexican people from Arizona history is to grossly falsify that history. I was once credentialed to teach history in Arizona and know it cannot be properly taught--students will NOT learn their actual history--by denying the presence of vital actors who weren't WASPs.