Ethnic Studies Talking Points
Below are some talking points that you can use in meetings with school officials, other parents, or at school board meetings.
Different Types of Ethnic Studies
It is important to highlight that there are different ways to teach Ethnic Studies. This chart presents the contrast between the two types of Ethnic Studies.
Constructive Ethnic Studies focuses on understanding and countering racism, teaching respect for all and the need for social justice.
Critical/Liberated Ethnic Studies (ES) activists propagate the falsehood that their opponents do not support Ethnic Studies or "teaching history honestly." Of course, this is untrue. Most people support the idea of Ethnic Studies and want to fight racism and build understanding among ethnic groups. This does NOT require placing students in boxes and pitting them against each other. And it does NOT require dictating a specific, narrow ideology that elevates neo-Marxism and violent movements.
In short, the issue is NOT Ethnic Studies – rather, it is the very particular brand of ES that is taught by "scholar activists" on college campuses: LIBERATED/CRITICAL Ethnic Studies.
As Liberated activists bring out students to talk about the important role ES played for them, these activists are attempting to shift the discussion from the specific, ideological brand of ES to ES in general – and to paint those that disagree with them as "racists." Emphasize that you agree that ES is important, as is teaching history honestly – that is not the issue.
In the process of conflating Critical/Liberated ES with ES in general, Liberated activists also point to several research studies. Indeed, there is some evidence that well-designed Ethnic Studies curricula have positive academic outcomes for students. However, these studies do not refer to the Critical/Liberated brand, which divides students instead of uniting them.
Indoctrinates a Specific, Narrow Ideological Agenda (Liberated/Critical ES)
Critical/Liberated Ethnic Studies inculcates a specific ideology into K-12 schools. This ideology is not simply included in the discussion but is the ideological framework of the curriculum.
Informed by neo-Marxist dogma, this curriculum teaches that one racial group will always oppress another.
Capitalism and “our consumer economy” appear as villains in Critical/Liberated Ethnic Studies, yet Marxists, regardless of their repressive behavior or violent acts, are not. Capitalism is described as a “form of power and oppression,” alongside “patriarchy,” “racism,” “white supremacy” and “ableism.” Communism is benign even when connected to Pol Pot and the Killing Fields.
When asked in teacher trainings about the explicit Marxist concepts, the trainers acknowledge that some teachers may find this difficult, but explain that they must have the “correct political views” in order to teach this subject.
Critical/Liberated ES considers the following to be "characteristics of White Supremacy culture": individualism, objectivity, meritocracy. (equitablemath.org)
The curriculum teaches children WHAT to think, not HOW to think, forcing students to accept a series of narrow assumptions and closing down inquiry by accusing as racist those who question or dig deeper to present countering facts. Students are then told that they must take action against a specific issue in order to be “anti-racist” or “anti-oppression”. This is a central concept of neo-Marxist ideology, where individuals are told what to believe and then are instructed to take specific actions in order to belong.
The curriculum focuses on political agendas and foreign policy rather than centering curriculum around racism and building understanding. Ethnic Studies is not meant to be a political theory class. It should focus on building ethnic understanding and pride in ethnic accomplishments. Rather than "challenge imperialist/colonial hegemonic beliefs" the curriculum should challenge racism and all its causes.
The curriculum calls for activism for specific, ideological causes, encouraging teachers “to fly under the radar” as needed to promote these causes.
Words matter. The below demonstrate differences between a Critical/Liberated and a Constructive approach to Ethnic Studies. Critical/Liberated Ethnic Studies focuses on political issues, critiquing empire building and recruiting students as Marxist resistance fighters. Constructive Ethnic Studies focuses on understanding and countering racism, teaching respect for all and the need for social justice.
Below are the key harmful aspects of Critical/Liberated Ethnic Studies (ES).
Divides Students into Victim/Oppressor Boxes (Liberated/Critical ES)
Liberated/Critical ES defines and divides students into victims and oppressors based on the color of their skin. Instead of building bridges, it creates bigger divides by pitting students against each other. It judges people based on skin color, which is the definition of racist. In the words of proponents of Critical ES:
“whites continue, consciously or unconsciously, to do all in their power to ensure their dominion and maintain their control.” Derrick Bell, The Permanence of Racism
"The oppressors, who oppress, exploit, and rape by virtue of their power, cannot find in this power the strength to liberate either the oppressed or themselves." Paolo Freire, "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" (foundation of Critical ES
Rather than empowering students of color, Liberated/Critical ES teaches them that they have been, are, and always will be victims. It frames them as devoid of agency altogether.
Example from a mom: "My son has wanted to be a lawyer since he was 11. Then one day he came home and told me, “But Mommy, there are these systems put in place that prevent Black people from accomplishing anything.” The Atlantic, The Narrative Is 'You Can't Get Ahead'"
This page lists more examples.
Promotes alienation in multi-ethnic/multi-racial families and communities
Parent of 10-year-old inter-racial child: Daughter came home from school distraught because her teacher explained that all white people have privilege that is used to oppress black people. The child didn't understand why her dad (who is white) is oppressing her Mom (who is black).
Nevada lawsuit: A Black parent is suing her son's high school over their insistence that her biracial, "white-passing" son address his “White dominance.
“Critique empire in history and its relationship to white supremacy, racism, patriarchy, cisheteropatriarchy, capitalism, … and other forms of power.”
“FAIRstory teaches historic and contemporary racism while inspiring students to feel that their voices and actions count. The curriculum emphasizes the dignity and worth of each person because of our common humanity.”
Critical/Liberated Ethnic Studies’ Political Guiding Principle
“Connect ourselves to past and contemporary resistance movements that struggle for social justice on the global and local levels to ensure a truer democracy”
[“Truer democracy is a Marxist term for abolition of private property.”]
LAUSD’s Constructive Guiding Principle
“Teach students about social justice and social responsibility, and to understand that they can become agents of change at local, state, national, and global levels.”
Critical/Liberated Ethnic Studies’ Political Guiding Principle
“Conceptualize, imagine, and build new possibilities for post-imperial life that promotes collective narratives of transformative resistance, critical hope, and radical healing.”
Paso Robles’ Constructive Guiding Principle
“Promote critical thinking and rigorous analysis of history, systems of power, and the status quo in an effort to generate conversations about reconciliation and reform.”
Glorifies Militant and/or neo-Marxist Role Models and Movements (Liberated/Critical ES)
Critical/Liberated ES glorifies neo-Marxist and/or violent "role models.” Examples include:
Assata Shakur – engaged in armed struggles against the US and convicted of first degree murder of a police officer
Oscar Lopez Rivera – responsible for over 130 bombings in US cities
Lolita Lebron – led an armed attack the Capitol by firing over 30 bullets into the House chamber
Omitted from studying are seminal civil rights leaders, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, who are described as “passive” and “docile.” (CA Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum, p. 74 resource.)
Through the use of leading questions and the romanticizing of militant leaders and movements, Critical/Liberated ES encourages students to embrace radical and militant change as the ONLY means for change.
Critical Theory
The media and political talking heads have turned Critical Race Theory (CRT) into a political football. However, the main concern with Critical/Liberated Ethnic Studies is not CRT in general. CRT is a legal theory that has been taught for decades in law schools. This theory sees all of society's ills through a single lens - a racial one. It is one thing to teach and examine CRT in law schools, where it is taught among many others, including other race theories. It is quite another to push this very specific ideological theory into K-12 schools AND make it the lens through which other subjects are taught. Critical/Liberated Ethnic Studies makes CRT the sole ideological framework of the curriculum.
CRT in education discussion has been framed as right-wing vs. left-wing, black vs. white issue. This is not just misleading but entirely incorrect. Most people, including countless people of color who support fighting and teaching about racism, oppose CRT in education.
Violates Education Codes (Liberated/Critical ES)
There are legal protections against discrimination in the US and state Constitutions and Education Codes. For example, statutes prohibit painting negatively one group of students in any way. California Education Code forbids teachers from discriminating against students. Teaching that white people are automatically oppressors and that people of color are automatically victims assigns students roles based on skin color, which is inherently discriminatory.
See Education Codes document for information that is helpful when speaking to educators about Critical/Liberated Ethnic Studies curriculum.
Bill Calls for a Balanced Approach to Ethnic Studies
AB-101, the California Legislature’s bill to make Ethnic Studies a high school graduation requirement, directs local educational agencies NOT to use the material that was rejected from initial ESMC drafts. That rejected, offensive material is currently being advocated by Critical/Liberated activists in their curriculum - a curriculum that is openly based on Draft 1 of the ESMC.
The following amendments were specifically added to ensure that school districts do not adopt and implement rejected drafts of the ESMC (emphasis added):
vi) … it is the intent of the Legislature that local educational agencies not use the portions of the draft model curriculum that were not adopted by the Instructional Quality Commission due to concerns related to bias, bigotry, and discrimination.
(IV) … The proposed course shall first be presented at a public meeting of the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school, and shall not be approved until a subsequent public meeting of the governing board or governing body at which the public has had the opportunity to express its views on the proposed course.
Specific Points
The Critical/Liberated ES curriculum is explicitly based on the initial drafts of the ESMC. The main authors of the Critical/Liberated ES are the same authors that demanded to remove their names from the ESMC after some of their ideological agenda was removed from the final version of the ESMC.
The narrow ideological agenda, as well as harmful biases, of Critical/Liberated ES has been rejected by California’s State Board of Education and should not be implemented by local school districts.
CA legislature has made clear in AB-101 that the rejected material should not be used by school districts.
Constructive Ethnic Studies
Constructive Ethnic Studies, implemented throughout California, builds bridges of understanding, inspires civic responsibility, fights racism, and celebrates ethnic accomplishments. It also emphasizes critical thinking and does not inculcate a specific ideology. Below are some examples.
California's largest district, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), offers Ethnic Studies, which calls for “presentation of various points of view consistent with accepted standards of professional responsibility, rather than advocacy, personal opinion, bias or partisanship."
Paso Robles Joint Unified School District’s Ethnic Studies educates students to be “politically, socially, and economically conscious about their personal and cultural connections to local and national history” and to “understand the historical themes of social justice, empathy, resilience, social responsibility, and social change.”
The Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR) is releasing its comprehensive, groundbreaking curriculum, which teaches "the historic and ongoing struggles against intolerance and racism," as well as "accomplishments and contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, and immigrant communities to progress in America.”
Share Real World Examples
It is important to frame your concerns around the children in the classroom. The primary goal of school should be to educate our children in a way that prepares them for college, the workforce, and beyond. Additionally, as a public institution funded by tax dollars, it is completely inappropriate for educators to insert their political thoughts into classroom lessons. Our local, state, and federal laws prevent such indoctrination.
Increasingly we hear stories from parents about what their children are being subjected to in the classroom. Schools and teachers are becoming more emboldened, with no regard for the emotional welfare of children. Click here to see some of the examples we have come across recently.
Keep in Mind
While there are likely times when it feels that you are alone in your concern over the curriculum in our schools, the truth is that you are not. But it is hard to know who is on your side and even harder to find people willing to share their views. However, without community outcry, educator activists will continue to insert Critical Ethnic Studies into all K-12 classrooms, in ways that have harmful repercussions for our children.
Fundamentally, we all want to address racism and continue to move our society to see beyond color. The values Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. shared with us 60 years ago still hold true today. We strive to have people judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Similarly, our job as parents is to teach our children that our world is not simply black and white - in skin color or in the evaluation of history. Society is a complex organism that grows and changes over time. We try to teach them to be a positive part of that change through understanding, acceptance, and forgiveness. Understanding and acceptance come in the form of learning that there is context to situations and that very few things are either all bad or all good. From these imperfections of others we learn to forgive, change, and do better ourselves.