By: Madison Yue
On Oct. 8, 2021 Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law that made Ethnic Studies a required class for high schoolers by the year 2030. This decision comes two years after Newsom first vetoed the Assembly Bill. Unlike required history classes where students learn about American and World History, the new curriculum requires that students explicitly learn about case studies from diverse backgrounds. While schools have until 2030 to implement this law, Palo Alto Unified District (PAUSD) should implement this requirement now because it is important for students to understand all perspectives.
Both Gunn and Palo Alto High School (Paly) only offer Ethnic Studies as a semester history elective for juniors and seniors. Regardless of how important this class is, since it is an elective, the class does not run unless there are enough signups. According to Gunn history teacher Jeff Patrick, for over a couple of decades, Gunn has had ethnic studies in the course catalog. This year, however, Gunn is not running Ethnic Studies due to a lack of interest from students. Patrick says that they have gotten at most up to six signups compared to the 20 signups needed in order to run an elective.
Ethnic studies is an important class because Gunn has a wide range of different ethnicities and students who come from different backgrounds, cultures, and languages. According to the 2019-2020 report from the California Department of Education, out of 1, 996 students in Gunn, 1.2% are African American, 0.1 % are American Indian or Alaska Native, 44.1% are Asian, 1.1% are Filipino, 10.2% are Hispanic or Latino, and 0.8% are Pacific Islander. With the Ethnic Studies curriculum, it requires that students develop a “cultural understanding of how different groups have struggled and worked together, highlighting core ethnic studies concepts.” The curriculum will promote students to learn about the ancestral history of their peers which will allow students to understand one another on a deeper level. It will also provide students with new perspectives and empathy when discussing equity.
Many people may dismiss Ethnic Studies as an unnecessary course because it discusses topics that divide students along racial lines. However, it is important to address issues such as race instead of not recognizing it. The world is ever changing with new movements like the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest or the LGBTQ+ movements that have risen. It is more important than ever for students to understand all perspectives.
The fact that Paly’s Ethnic Studies class has run for a couple of years and is currently running right now, makes it that much easier to implement the class at Gunn. Since there is already a set curriculum in the district and teachers who have experience teaching this class, Gunn has all of the resources to make this a required class for students. Furthermore, statistics have shown that Ethnic Studies has been proven to be effective for students. According to research from the Stanford Graduate School of Education, “a high school ethnic studies course examining the roles of race, nationality and culture on identity and experience boosted attendance and academic performance of students at risk of dropping out.”
In order to increase sign ups, a representative should present a presentation to each history class about what Ethnic Studies offers. Seeing a small blurb on the course catalog of what the class offers is simply not enough information for a student to fully comprehend what they will learn if they sign up for that class. With over 40 elective classes for students to choose from, it is important for students to be aware of the benefits of this class. Gunn can also encourage signups through Gunn’s newly founded Student Equity Committee. With like minded students with similar interests, students may be interested in learning about Ethnic Studies and eventually apply what they have learned to the Gunn community.
PAUSD should follow other high schools and implement Ethnic Studies as a required course sooner because it will strengthen the Gunn community as students can understand their peers’ cultures and backgrounds.
Dos Mundos Juntos 