Will the ethnic studies plan include Pacific Islanders and Arab Americans? Eventually

The debate of whom to include in the state’s ethnic studies curriculum continues.

This time much of the concern was over why lessons on Pacific Islander and Arab American communities were no longer included under Asian American studies.

The state’s Instructional Quality Commission met on Thursday to discuss its latest draft of the ethnic studies curriculum, after several revisions and edits, which ultimately left out some of the original communities included in the first draft.

The committee, under the California Department of Education, heard from thousands of people through public comments, emails and petitions. Most of the discussion revolved largely around whether to include Pacific Islander and Arab American studies in the curriculum, the latter an extension of a year-long controversial debate about representation, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.

The curriculum was created with the intention to cover four groups: Black/African American Studies, Chicano/a Studies, Native American Studies and Asian American Studies.

The draft curriculum originally provided sample courses for ethnic communities under Asian Americans: Pacific Islanders and Arab Americans.

But the latest draft did not include either of those ethnic groups, prompting an outcry from many community organizers, teachers and students.

State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond on Thursday assured the committee and the public that both ethnic groups will be included in later drafts and up for review.

“There is an acknowledgment that Arab American studies is part of ethnic studies,” Thurmond said.

He said he looked forward to having this curriculum in the nearly 1,000 school districts in California.

Ethnic Studies curriculum originally had several lesson plans about Pacific Islanders and Arab Americans, but only one lesson for Pacific Islanders and one on immigration and Arab American experiences will move forward.

The curriculum, which is being created through a bill signed in 2016, is currently meant to serve as a guideline for schools, and an ethnic studies course would be a requirement for high school graduation. Currently, one out of five California high schools offer a course in ethnic studies. A bill, authored by Jose Medina, could make ethnic studies a high school graduation requirement.

But the bill was delayed amid the controversy.

The Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Advisory Committee dissolved after the work was completed, but some IQC members and the California Teachers Association want the committee to still work with the state in revising the draft.

Critics assail removal of groups

Most of the public comments on Thursday called for the reinstatement of the original 18-member committee which created the curriculum, and the inclusion of Pacific Islander and Arab American curriculum.

The curriculum has gone through several revisions and drafts, and has been criticized, particularly by Jewish legislators and organizations for being anti-Semitic and anti-Israel.

Community members, including several Jewish groups in California who supported the curriculum, stated they believed the Arab-American studies should be included, and should have discussion of oppression and Palestine.

“Criticism of Israel is not anti-Semitism,” said Marsha Green. “Criticism of Israeli policy is not anti-Semitic.”

Teachers and educators said teaching Arab American studies will help fight rising Islamophobia in the U.S., and that scholars from both Pacific Islander and Arab American communities should be consulted when re-including the lessons in the curriculum.

“The notion that an Arab American curriculum or any mention of Palestine is inherently anti-Semitic is deeply offensive,” said Lara Kiswani. “We hope that moving forward, a strong anti-racist ethnic studies curriculum will help eradicate these stereotypes and Islamophobic tropes.”

Others called to question why dozens of callers — many of them who identified as Jewish — focused on including Palestinian history.

“I haven’t heard anyone talk about any other country – not one,” said Carmel Johnson. “We are here to educate Americans, we are not here to teach them to destroy foreign countries.”

Others, such as Sandra Strongman, said that even with revisions, the curriculum shows “blatant disregard” for the Jewish community.

“It is deeply troubling that it does not include the struggles of Jews and Irish,” said Ron Belman. “We should not be ranking certain struggles over others.”

The committee stressed that the curriculum would focus on ethnic communities within the U.S., and not international political conflicts.

Ethnic studies should include whom?

Sikh, Armenian, and Jews, among others, shared their concerns that the curriculum’s focus was so narrow, that it left out too many important communities, a criticism that has existed since the earliest drafts..

Several people called the curriculum “oppression studies,” raising concerns that the lessons did not include historic figures, but history of conflict and struggles.

Many contested that argument, stressing the importance of learning about the challenges ethnic communities face in the U.S.

“Historically marginalized communities have always been represented within our school text books,” said Sharif Zakout of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center. “The problem was how we were being framed and by whom. A multiculturalist framework that views our people through a colonialist lens is what literally led to the need for ethnic studies.”

Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, said the draft has improved, but still contains “jargon” and that the language should be clearer.

Manuel Rustin and other IQC committee members said calling some of the language “jargon” could be perceived as erasing important terminology relevant to ethnic studies and social science.

The IQC committee will meet in November to review and revise the curriculum.

State law requires the State Board of Education to take final action on the model curriculum by March 31, 2021.

The Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum serves as a guidance document to help districts interested in adopting lesson plans into their teaching. It serves as recommendation and guidance and is not mandatory for classroom use.

This story was originally published August 14, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Will the ethnic studies plan include Pacific Islanders and Arab Americans? Eventually."