What Should Parents Look for in an Ethnic Studies Curriculum?
When taught properly, ethnic studies teaches the histories of America’s myriad ethnoreligious groups with appropriate attention paid to both triumphs and challenges. The United States’ motto, E Pluribus unum (“out of many, one”), is a testament to our nation’s ability to assimilate people from a wide variety of backgrounds and remains the guiding principle of our diverse country.
California's Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum describes ethnic studies as a way to help students understand the experiences, histories, and contributions of diverse communities while fostering respect, empathy, critical thinking, and interpersonal communication skills. These are indispensable life lessons, and it is important to ensure that schools are teaching them.
Too often, however, students encounter the “liberated” approach to ethnic studies, which counsels the exact opposite: that American history is defined by racist exploitation and that expecting new Americans to assimilate is a form of oppression. Aside from denying the notion of a shared American identity, this perspective sees all interactions through the lens of power dynamics, viewing society as a zero-sum game and relying on sorting people by immutable characteristics like skin color. This framework is necessarily divisive and toxic for young students.
If your child is taking ethnic studies – or related subjects, such as social studies – we strongly recommend taking a close look at the course syllabus. As you do so, you may wish to consider whether the curriculum is teaching a constructive, unifying form of ethnic studies, one in which individuals are respected as individuals, or a “liberated” form that disparages individuality and treats ethnic groups as either noble sufferers or racist oppressors.
Signs of a Constructive Ethnic Studies Curriculum, Aligned with California Standards
Promotes Understanding Rather Than Division
Students learn about the histories and contributions of diverse communities.
Lessons highlight both challenges and achievements.
Students gain a deeper understanding of how diverse groups have shaped America.
The curriculum explores both what makes communities unique and what Americans share.
Students are encouraged to judge others by their character and actions rather than by race or ethnicity.
Encourages Critical Thinking
Students are exposed to multiple perspectives on complex issues.
Students are encouraged to ask questions and carefully evaluate evidence.
Lessons help students develop their own informed conclusions.
Complex historical and social issues are presented with nuance and context.
Underscores the Importance of Civil Dialogue
Students learn how to discuss difficult or complex topics respectfully and with empathy.
Classroom discussions encourage listening as well as speaking.
Reasonable disagreement is welcomed and aired in a constructive environment.
Students practice engaging thoughtfully with viewpoints different from their own.
Prizes Academic Rigor
Lessons are grounded in history, scholarship, and evidence.
Students engage with primary sources and historical materials.
Claims are supported by facts and credible sources.
Signs of a Divisive, “Liberated” Ethnic Studies Curriculum
Parents have difficulty accessing curriculum materials, lesson plans, or assigned readings.
Students are encouraged to adopt political viewpoints rather than examine multiple perspectives.
Classroom instruction/activities focus unduly on activism and advocacy rather than on academic inquiry.
Complex issues are presented through a single interpretative lens – the oppressed/oppressor narrative – with a “right answer.”
Students are encouraged to view themselves and others through the “intersectional” lenses of race, ethnicity, or other identity markers.
Disagreement is discouraged and certain perspectives are disparaged.
Materials de-emphasize shared values, the American melting pot, and the concept of E Pluribus unum: out of many, one.
Students are evaluated based on agreement with particular viewpoints rather than the quality of their reasoning and evidence.
The Bottom Line
A constructive, unifying ethnic studies curriculum helps students better understand the experience of different communities, appreciate our shared humanity and Americanness, engage respectfully with differing viewpoints, and develop the critical thinking skills necessary to participate in a diverse society. Students should leave the course more informed, more thoughtful, and better prepared to learn from one another.