Watch Banned in Arizona on PBS. See more from Need To Know.
United States Circuit Judge Wallace Tashima recently upheld portions of HB 2281, an Arizona state law that prohibits Mexican-American Studies (MAS) from being taught in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD). This is the same law that allowed school officials to remove books, such as Sandra Cisneros' THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET and Sherman Alexie's TEN LITTLE INDIANS from being used in classrooms (See Librotraficante for an essay and complete list of books by Elaine Romero).
Every time I've asked myself how the government and our courts could specifically prohibit the teaching of Mexican-American Studies (MAS) I've been reminded that fear stemming from ignorance, intolerance itself, and book burning are older than the bubonic plague. Anybody remember the great Library of Alexandria (A.D. 391), where mountains of knowledge were destroyed in religious fervor? There, original manuscripts of literature and history were lost forever. Luckily, HB 2281 has accomplished the opposite.
Banning books and killing ethnic studies is only going to further flame suspicions that those in positions of authority in Arizona seek to disempower minorities for political gain. Rather than be so afraid of our country's history that erasing it is the only plausible solution, why not accept it with all its blemishes, discuss it honestly and openly, and learn from it? It's revisionist history that engenders anger and resentment.
Here are my responses to what Arizona believes it's outlawing:
I need to see tangible evidence of this. If discussing historical events makes certain people uncomfortable, then so be it. What's important is that students be allowed to talk about how we can avert making the same kinds of mistakes in the future, and MOVE ON.
Courses such as the Mexican-American Studies (MAS) program and others like it are needed to fill in gaping holes in a curriculum that is not culturally relevant to the majority of the students in many of these Tucson classrooms, particularly when these same classes have been shown to narrow the achievement gap for Latino students. And, please, let's not promote the reading of only one kind of literature. Our students should be reading literature as diverse as our country's/world's population.
Tucson Unified School District (TUCSD) officials say they want a curriculum that treats students as individuals and that does not "promote ethnic solidarity." Great, let's see a proposal for a revised curriculum that is factual and inclusive. I'd like to see a curriculum that shows through examples that we can be individuals and still be part of a whole -- our country's history of immigration.
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Two final thoughts:
1) Scholars should be the ones writing our students' curriculum, not politicians.
2) Moving forward, I'd like to hear civil dialogue and see respectful behavior.
Arizona completely went crazy. That's all I have to say about them without going on a rant.
ReplyDeleteI was born in Arizona and grew up there half the year, every year. My parents picked lettuce and followed the crops to AZ each year. It was definitely eye opening when we moved each year.
Bringing awareness to the issue always helps. Thank you for posting this and letting other people know what is going on. Too often we turn off the TV or news because we don't want to hear all the bad stuff but forget that mixed in are important news that effect everyone. Like this.
The struggle continues.
Melissa, thank you for sharing your story. It's difficult to not get angry, I know. What worries me is that Texas (of all states) and a couple others are exploring similar legislation. :-(
DeleteThis is unbelievable - How can this even be possible?! This seems so incredibly antiquated to me.
ReplyDeleteLisa, I agree. It is unbelievable and is setting the Civil Rights Movement back 50+ years.
DeleteEzzy, very well thought out on your behalf. You make strong arguments, especially your thoughts on "scholars, not politicians writing curriculum.
ReplyDeleteWe are Americans, but can not deny our different heritages that make this country great. As a child I felt proud when we learned of the ancient Greeks, particularly the Spartans (my ancestry). So personally I could see how it would affect other students as well.
Let the scholars determine what's best. We should celebrate all our pasts so every child can be proud of where they come from, ultimately propelling them into the future with a sense of pride.
Thank you, William. I couldn't agree with you more. Children should be proud of their roots, like you were growing up. There's a certain amount of validation that contributes to the fostering of a healthy identity when our pasts are acknowledged. The great thing, here, is that the Latino community is not going to sit by and watch this white washing of history without being heard. Thanks for stopping by!
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