California Governor Jerry Brown Fails Students by Vetoing Ethnic Studies Bill
Governor Jerry Brown failed California's students last week, when he vetoed AB 101, a bill that would have positioned California to lead the nation by developing the first-ever statewide curriculum in ethnic studies.
The Governor called the bill "redundant," maintaining that the state's curriculum process already includes guidance on ethnic studies. The bill's author, AssemblymanLuis Alejo (D-Salinas), countered by affirming the potential of ethnic studies courses to advance cultural diversity but also prepare students for success in different fields such as science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
The social and academic value of ethnic studies curricula is well documented. Unfortunately, Governor Brown's decision reinforces a "STEM or nothing" mentality that disparages the current need for building cross-racial understanding.
Ethnic studies emerged on California's college campuses in the late 1960s. At SF State and Berkeley, students called for a more inclusive university and a curriculum responsive to the experience and perspectives of ethnic and racial minorities. In southern California, students called for the creation of ethnic studies at UCLA and Cal State Long Beach. As scholar Laura Pulido has observed, at the core of this movement was "a vision of ethnic studies linking the university and community."
I teach in the newly formed Long Beach Ethnic Studies Program, a collaboration between LBUSD and the Cal State Long Beach ethnic studies departments. This California Governor Jerry Brown Fails Students by Vetoing Ethnic Studies Bill | Joseph Morales:
