Arizona outlaws Ethnic Studies programs

On May 11, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law House Bill 2281, which eliminates ethnic studies programs from the state’s K-12 schools. This came just three weeks after she signed the repugnant anti-immigrant Senate Bill 1070.

The HB 2281 bill, which was pushed through the state legislature by the same racist forces that pushed SB 1070, not only eliminates the Tucson Unified School District’s popular Mexican American Studies and Raza Studies programs but also slanders TUSD’s programs with outright lies. It states that the ethnic studies programs teach students to “resent or hate other races” and that they “promote the overthrow of the United States government.”

Mixelle Rascon is a graduate of Tucson High School’s Ethnic Studies program and a current Raza Studies/Pre-Law student at the University of Arizona. She told this writer about her experience in the ethnic studies programs and how they benefit oppressed youth: “In Latino Literature class, for example, I was introduced to writers like Sherman Alexie, Sandra Cisneros, Luis Urrea and many more, whose narratives touch upon the bicultural identities that are neglected in mainstream books and classes. The readings and assignments are thought provoking and become a breath of fresh air.

“Without these classes, a first look into diversity,” Rascon continued, “when does one become inquisitive about other cultures? If all you have been exposed to is Eurocentric history, when does one become inquisitive about the contributions other cultures have made to this country?”

Rascon concluded that students will organize against these attacks. She vowed that they will “take to the streets and fight xenophobic policies because as students and alumni, we realize we have been deprived, and that sterile and one-dimensional history does not serve students or highlight the contributions of various cultures.”

She added, “We are not anti-government or anti-white but rather [we are] anti-ignorance and anti-xenophobia. ... We are resilient and will continue to fight and make our mark through various avenues, whether these may be artistic, political or disobedient. We know that the greatest threat to justice is to threaten education.”

Students fight back

The latest attack against Arizona’s Latino/a community was immediately met with outrage. Word quickly spread over the social media networks Twitter and Facebook that State Superintendent of Education Tom Horne was planning to visit TUSD headquarters on May 12 for “talks” regarding ethnic studies. The notorious Horne has been waging a battle against these programs for many years. (See Workers World, July 10, 2008.)

On that day 700 chanting students confronted Horne when he arrived at the TUSD building. They formed a human chain around the building and denied him entrance. TUSD canceled the meeting and Horne retreated to the State Building in downtown Tucson.

Protesters, including ethnic studies instructors, then followed Horne downtown and entered the State Building after him. Horne refused to speak with them. When the building closed at 5 p.m., the students and instructors refused to leave. A confrontation with the state police ensued, with the police arresting 15 protesters, including two instructors.

Students continued their militant stance against the rightwing attack on May 14, when they once again gathered in front of the TUSD building to demonstrate. They burned copies of SB 1070 and HB 2281 and called for the repeal of these racist laws. They called for more protests and organizing against them.

In fact, as of this writing, on May 17, students are gathering at Arizona Sen. John McCain’s office to protest his anti-immigrant actions. McCain has called for dispatching 3,000 National Guard troops to the Arizona-Mexico border, citing “security concerns.”

The struggle continues. A national march against SB 1070 has been called for May 29 in Phoenix. It is expected that this march will be large and attract many groups and individuals who are outraged by the racist offensive unleashed in Arizona. On May 30, there will be a one-day strategy meeting in Tucson to build a united fightback movement to take this struggle forward. For information on that meeting, email [email protected] or call 520-762-6629.