| What gives in Arizona? First they reject the | | | | studies classes did not even mention my ethnic |
| celebration of Martin Luther King Day; then the | | | | group; Mexican Americans and other Hispanics |
| Arizona legislators submit a tough law targeting all | | | | were invisible in the acceptable history and social |
| who appear to be illegal immigrants; and now | | | | studies taught at our schools. I don't even recall |
| Governor Jan Brewer has signed a bill prohibiting | | | | that much, if any, mention was made of African |
| the Tucson school district from offering certain | | | | Americans ("Negros," in the 1950s) or of the |
| types of ethnic studies in the high schools. | | | | Native Americans ("Indians," in the 1950s). History |
| The Associated Press reported that the measure | | | | was taught as if the only important players were |
| signed Tuesday (5/11/2010) prohibits classes that | | | | white males (mostly of Europeans descent) and |
| advocate ethnic solidarity, that are designed | | | | that they alone contributed to our great nation. |
| primarily for students of a particular race or that | | | | Furthermore; American History was taught as if |
| promote resentment toward a certain ethnic | | | | everything our country did was admirable and |
| group. The courses prohibited include courses in | | | | noble. All ugly facts and periods of American |
| African-American studies, Mexican-American | | | | history were simply neglected. We learned little or |
| studies and Native-American studies, which have | | | | nothing about the treatment of Native Americans, |
| been offered by the Tucson Unified School | | | | the destruction of entire cultures, our country's |
| District (see Associated Press story, 5/11/2010, | | | | acceptance and promotion of slavery for many |
| by Jonathan J. Cooper). The justification is that | | | | decades prior to Emancipation in the 1860s, and |
| such courses, while teaching ethnic solidarity, | | | | our long history of racism, bigotry, and oppression |
| encourage resentment toward other groups. | | | | of minorities, not to mention the oppression of |
| According to state schools chief, Tom Horne, | | | | women. Those things simply did not contribute to |
| these programs promote "ethnic chauvinism." | | | | patriotism and good citizenship, so those facts |
| Moreover, some students who don't belong to the | | | | were simply ignored. Of course, there weren't any |
| ethnic group at issue have reported that they | | | | suggestions that our country carried on unjust |
| experienced antagonism by instructors and | | | | wars against other nations and that our |
| students. | | | | government and international corporations |
| These are some of the reasons given for the | | | | contributed to the oppression and poverty in |
| prohibition of such courses. But I would argue that | | | | other countries. This simply did not happen |
| there are plenty of reasons on the other side; | | | | according to the wisdom of the educational |
| many of us hold that such courses provide | | | | establishment of the time. |
| enough benefit to students that far outweigh the | | | | Maybe that kind of official bias in education is part |
| putative liabilities. Let's consider the issue in more | | | | of what the political establishment in Arizona is |
| detail and try to see things from the perspective | | | | trying to revive. Don't mention those bad parts of |
| of the Arizona politicians. But before that, I have | | | | American history! After all, ethnic studies courses |
| a few personal remarks to show that I don't | | | | bring out those unsavory, ugly aspects of |
| have a bias against the state of Arizona. | | | | American history. Consider that Native-American |
| Arizona has always seemed a decent enough | | | | studies will emphasize the experience of Native |
| state. I love the natural beauty, the rugged desert | | | | Americans since the invasion of Europeans, |
| landscape, and the incomparable Grand Canyon | | | | contrary to official versions of history which tell |
| area. I have relatives and friends who live in | | | | students about the heroic European explorers |
| Arizona, and the people generally seem friendly | | | | who discovered this part of the world and opened |
| and intelligent. An Arizona State patrolman once | | | | it up to European exploration, settlement, |
| went beyond the call of duty to help me and my | | | | "civilization," and enduring exploitation. The |
| wife when we had been involved in an automobile | | | | experience of the Native Americans, whose |
| accident. So I retain positive feelings toward the | | | | cultures were destroyed, is not a happy one, and |
| Arizona law enforcement community; and I | | | | it is not one which puts American History in a |
| continue to believe that Arizona is a great state | | | | flattering light. So maybe we should go easy on |
| and largely populated by good people. However, | | | | these Native-American studies, Arizona suggests. |
| next time I visit the state I must remember to | | | | The intended purpose of such courses might be |
| take my passport along. | | | | good; admittedly they attempt to give some |
| In light of the many positive qualities of the state, | | | | understanding of the experience of Native |
| the actions of Arizona politicians are curious, to | | | | Americans and foster pride in being a member of |
| say the least. It is not an exaggeration to say | | | | that besieged group. But in the process, they also |
| that they appear to be antagonistic toward racial | | | | stimulate resentment against those who treated |
| and ethnic minorities. For a time Arizona politicians | | | | Americans in such a brutal fashion, so the Arizona |
| refused to honor the great civil rights leader, | | | | politician tells us. This is the type of thing that we |
| Martin Luther King; thus giving insult to African | | | | should either ignore or 'whitewash' in some way. |
| Americans and anyone who values the work and | | | | We can imagine similar remarks made regarding |
| progress of the civil rights movement in the | | | | African-American studies and Mexican-American |
| 1960s and 1970s. Lately they have cited the facts | | | | studies (sometime called "Chicano studies"). |
| of real trouble with drug cartels, violence, and | | | | African-American studies focus too much |
| drug smuggling at the border with Mexico to | | | | attention on the institution of slavery, the struggle |
| justify a new law requiring that anyone who | | | | of human beings to escape slavery and to gain |
| "appears to be here illegally" provide documents | | | | some measure of civil rights. This, in turn, focuses |
| proving their legal right to walk the earth inside | | | | too much attention on the failings of our laws and |
| the borders of the United States. "Appear to be | | | | institutions until the recent past. It is best not to |
| here illegally": I wonder what that could mean? | | | | spend too much time there. Mexican-American |
| Guess which ethnic groups that law targets? It | | | | studies courses also spend too much time talking |
| surely won't be all those northern Europeans and | | | | about ethnic bigotry and injustice of the past; and |
| Canadians who might have overstayed their | | | | recent efforts to improve the lot of Hispanic |
| student or work visas. (You can bet there are | | | | minorities. Again, this underscores too much the |
| plenty of those people in Arizona.) No, the targets | | | | extent to which society and our institutions have |
| will be poor, working class people who appear | | | | not succeeded in treating everyone justly, |
| Mexican or Central American. | | | | regardless of ethnicity and skin color. This could |
| Returning to the ethnic studies issue, why forbid | | | | inspire resentment with regards to past practices |
| Native-American Studies? The various groups of | | | | and the oppressors of those times. This is not |
| Native-Americans in and around Arizona (Navajo, | | | | good for our contemporary society. |
| Hopi, Apache, etc.), who have probably suffered | | | | Better to bypass all that! While we're on the |
| the longest at the hands of the more powerful | | | | subject, maybe we should take a closer look at |
| white, European invaders, will likely wonder what | | | | those courses which emphasize the experience of |
| they have done recently to be included in the | | | | women and the Feminist movement. After all, our |
| group of undesirables. (?) | | | | wonderful country did not see fit to grant women |
| I have spent many years in class rooms of all | | | | the right to vote until the 1920s. Surely that fact |
| sorts: elementary and secondary schools in | | | | does not inspire patriotism and greater love for |
| Colorado, technical training in the U.S. Air Force; | | | | country. Better sweep all that under the rug! So |
| college courses in all levels of study in colleges and | | | | speak the Arizona political establishment. |
| universities in California, and finally technical | | | | Trying to give some credit to this perspective of |
| courses offered by governmental agencies and | | | | the Arizona politicians, we might add that we |
| private corporations. But I have never had the | | | | should not subject naïve young students to the |
| privilege of an ethnic studies course of any kind. | | | | harsh disillusion that might result from learning the |
| So I cannot speak from experience. I have | | | | facts of history and social relations. After all, |
| neither gained any educational benefit nor | | | | many young and impressionable students, including |
| suffered any ethnically inspired distortion of facts | | | | some of minority ethnic groups, have bought |
| or values in such classes. In my high school days, | | | | completely the myths and white-washed history |
| ethnic studies courses did not exist. During the | | | | that the 'patriotic' establishment promotes. You |
| later periods of my college and university studies, | | | | have surely heard the main points of this mythical |
| ethnic studies courses were in their early phase; | | | | history: America promotes freedom and |
| they were available but not too prominent in the | | | | opportunity for all; America is the best society in |
| college curricula. I was too busy with my formal | | | | the world; in our international relations, we only try |
| and technical courses necessary to attaining my | | | | to bring freedom to others nations. In short, |
| degrees; thus, I was not able to take advantage | | | | American has always done what is good and |
| of any ethnic studies offered. But I surely would | | | | continues to do only what is good. This is the |
| have profited from learning more about our | | | | version of history promoted by Ronald Reagan |
| history and social realities, studies which do not | | | | and repeated by the likes of G.W. Bush. People |
| shy away from the ugly facts of such history and | | | | who have bought into such myth might be |
| social reality. | | | | confused and hurt if they're exposed to the |
| Based on conversations with those who have | | | | types of things taught in Ethnic studies courses. |
| taken such courses and recalling my reading about | | | | So it is better, for the good of all concerned, to |
| the experiences of others, I would say that | | | | avoid such courses. Surely, we should not endorse |
| students gain much educational benefit and do not | | | | such courses in our educational system. |
| suffer the alleged negative consequences | | | | But doesn't all this begin to resemble regimes that |
| (distortion of history and hostility to the | | | | rewrite history and keep people ignorant about |
| oppressors of past periods of history) from such | | | | that which can hurt the established order? Isn't |
| studies. Yes, I have heard from some white | | | | this the type of thing one would expect in the old |
| students who felt they were in hostile territory | | | | Soviet Union or in some totalitarian theocracy |
| when they entered such classes and who | | | | where all must think only the State-approved |
| experienced some resentment, even hostility, by | | | | thoughts, or risk annihilation? |
| the ethnic group in the course. But I have also | | | | The study of Ethnic Courses does not result in |
| heard from other students, of all ethnic | | | | people who are subversives and antagonistic to |
| backgrounds and races, who were grateful for | | | | our democratic form of government. Such study, |
| such instruction because they learned much | | | | like all legitimate education, results in people who |
| concerning the history of inter-ethnic and | | | | are informed and operate on the basis of realism |
| inter-racial interactions, tensions, oppression of one | | | | and enlightenment. If that represents a threat to |
| group by another and such. Surely, you would not | | | | the Arizona political establishment, maybe it is |
| argue that it is beneficial to keep people ignorant | | | | time that the good people of Arizona take a |
| about those facts of our history? | | | | closer look at the types of individuals they elect |
| During my high school years, history and social | | | | to office. |