Let’s talk about the law that the state of Arizona passed last year shortly after its infamous anti-immigration legislation. The anti-immigration bill received most of the attention, understandably so, but this one feels more troubling to me. At its core this new law, which went into effect January 1, “prohibits a school district or charter school from including in its program of instruction any courses or classes that promote the overthrow of the United States government, promote resentment toward a race or class of people, are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group, or advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.” Check out this story of a Latino ethnic studies class at a Tucson, Arizona, high school to get a real-life sense for how this law will be targeting ethnic-based courses and programs. And below is a PBS news report on the issue from late last year.
On the one hand, it’s obvious that no public-school program should be teaching insurrection against the government or hatred against another race. But who gets to decide what constitutes those things? (Just a guess, it likely will not be folks of a non-white ethnic heritage.)
At its heart, this law seems to be driven by xenophobic fear and paranoia. It troubles me that it gives the state the power to imperiously assign sinister motives to courses and programs designed to expose students to aspects of American history that often get overlooked or ignored in the regular curriculum. While there certainly may be situations where these ethnic-based programs challenge the typical majority-culture American view on history and politics, it’s a stretch to suggest that this naturally promotes “the overthrow of the United States” or “resentment toward a race or class of people.” In fact, isn’t that kind of insulting to the teachers and students who participate in these courses?
I don’t know, folks. This one really bothers me. The American classroom should be a place where the reality of our history can be honestly discussed, debated, and wrestled with. This law feels just a tad “un-American.” But what do you think? Unlike the architects of this legislation, I’d love to hear some other perspectives.
Reconciliation Blog 
How about stop given so much power to the government in the education of our children. This may sound like I am radical and paranoid but the real issue, in my opinion, is that our American schools are places of indoctrination and they have been deciding for a long time what agendas should be fed to our children. So why get mad now? We would have to start back when we decided school should be as industrial as the other factories that were being built during that age. What agenda was that pushing? The public school can push whatever agenda it wants because it is run by the government and we continue to act like we have control. Our country is full of a generation that has been educated by our federal government and how it pains me that you can talk to most adults of a certain era and they have opinions that are not based on history or facts. They have been fed attitudes and opinions that are so a part of them they don’t even know how to explain why they believe the way they do. This issue may seem distasteful but can we look at the big picture and see how far gone we really are. I am not saying this is alright but it is a very minute piece of the problem. I remember being in college and a teacher who was homosexual was pushing her agenda on my sophomore english class. We cannot separate when an agenda is good or bad, has selfish motives or is really seeking to do something deemed as helpful because we are always having a lopsided view of ones’ ” rights”or having to try and see the “rights” of the one who is pushing for the agenda. Even with AZ trying to uphold a FEDERAL law about border protection it is looked at as racial prejudice. What are the many people who have been harmed supposed to do to feel safe? The border patrolmen are not safe. As long as we live in this sinful nation we will continue to have these issues of agendas because every man is always seeking his own way if he is not under the authority of our Creator. And because we can’t forgive, not really, and wipe the slates clean, not really, we will always look at things through colored lenses and most times we will be wrong.
Of course! Your penultimate statement says it all: “As long as we live in this sinful nation we will continue to have these issues of agendas because every man is always seeking his own way if he is not under the authority of our Creator” Your solution is quite clear: return to systems of government based on religious authority rather than democratic ideals. I think there are some countries that have been trying this out lately. Perhaps you would be more comfortable in one of these.
Don,
It is silly to try to read someone’s mind and know how they think and feel about a complex issue based on one sentence in a blog reply.
Personally, I support more freedom in parent’s choices of where to send their child to school. If you would like to send your child to a school that teaches a worldview similar to what your current public school does, then you should be free to send your child there.
However, if parents have different priorities and values, they should be free to send their children to a different school, be it religious or otherwise. This puts the power in the hand of parents and families rather than some government or religious authority. Not everyone has the time, money, or other resources to homeschool, and it is not fair that many have to send their children to a school does not share their values because it’s the only school that’s free for their children to attend.
😀 Cute. And almost pithy. It seems that my family has been offered this suggestion more and more lately. Nonetheless we will see if I can draw you away from my “penultimate statement” (QOD with real QOY potential) and bring you back around to my POINT.
Take more real responsibility for the education of your children and stop sending them off to GIC’s (Government Indoctrination Centers) expecting them to come home thinking like you.
Yeah… I think that about covers it.
Oh and then you would be at liberty to teach them words like “penultimate” – you KNOW the GIC’s don’t.
I agree with you that this does seem fear-driven. I don’t understand how learning about your own and other cultures and their history is threatening. Maybe the dominate culture is afraid that learning the truth about the treatment of minorities and immigrants will lead to unrest. When will we learn to value people as people, celebrate differences and allow people to have pride in their ethnicity? I am weary of fear.
There are complex issues here: people don’t trust their school system; people who are passing laws haven’t learned what is actually happening in the classroom; people react out of fear; people try to get votes. Of course, there are more.
It seems to me that passing a law without ever entering a classroom or actually investigating what is happening is not only un-American, it is anti-American. From the report, it seems that the law was passed on the word of one man, the ex-teacher.The suit should be interesting to watch.
If one thinks that their school system is a government indocrination center, they should investigate: that’s fundamental. I know of no pulbic school that will not allow parents to visit the classroom. I have done so here in Virginia, personally.
If one does not trust his child’s teacher, he should go and see that teacher and voice his concerns. He can also ask students about the teacher. (Caution should be used here; students say all sorts of things about teachers they don’t like.) He can also talk to other parents.
If these investigations cast doubts about the school being a government indoctrination center, be thankful. If not, see the school board, or, better, RUN for the school board.
As a white female, I look back at my elementary teachings of history and see the Euro-White influence on what was taught and how it was taught. In high school I had a European History class where I first was given history from another cultural perspective, the perspective of the Native American, the African and African American, the Haitian, the Mexican, and so on. Interestingly, it was taught by a white woman and contained all white students. As a class, I feel like we journeyed and struggled through the actions of our ancestors and how it impacted whole groups of people. I first learned about injustice here. If there had been a law prohibiting this in my school, I feel my life would be completely different and my understanding of right and wrong tainted.
What I see in AZ is an attempt to justify the teaching of history from one perspective for hundreds of years. America is becoming more and more multicultural, and some fight to keep things the way they always were, “the right way.” Unfortunately, without being taught history and even current events from the perspective of the marginalized, these individuals are impaired by ignorance and continue in this perspective without being given the opportunity to be informed.
What the video portrayed was each class being guided by one marginalized perspective. While I experienced an integrated marginalized perspective, there is no harm in providing such educational experiences (classes devoted to one perspective), especially if students are able to take more than one of these classes in their education career. The difference in this type of approach than that of history is ability of the oppressed to share their side. The teachings as legislated in AZ will be ethnocentric, even if that is not the intent of the law. If the law succeeds in the school system, young people will not be given the tools to thrive in current and future society. They will not able to be culturally competent, which comes from continuing to provide education from various perspectives.
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