BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | ACR 34|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: ACR 34
Author: Lara (D), et al.
Amended: 4/5/11 in Assembly
Vote: 21
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : Read and adopted, 5/23/11
SUBJECT : Ethnic studies programs
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution formally endorses the invaluable
work of Californias ethnic studies programs, and their
faculty, staff, and students, recognizes the leadership
provided by the beneficiaries of those programs, and
supports the continuation of ethnic studies programs in
California's institutions of higher education.
ANALYSIS :
Resolution Findings
1.The genesis and salience of ethnic studies as an
academic discipline encompass research, scholarship, and
programs that study and teach the experiences, history,
culture, and heritage of African Americans, Asian
Americans, Chicanas and Chicanos, Latinas and Latinos,
Native Americans, and other persons of color in the
United States.
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2.Formal ethnic studies programs and departments at
California's universities are a response to a
student-led movement dating back to the 1960's,
including demonstrations, student protests, and hunger
strikes, where students, faculty, and community members
demanded university courses that were relevant to them
and their communities.
3.The formalization of ethnic studies fostered greater
demand and recognition of the need for faculty and staff
from diverse communities, allowing for broader
representation at California's universities.
4.Ethnic studies have grown into a respected academic
field, complete with professional organizations,
institutionalized departments, and related programs
across the United States, and numerous research journals
and award-winning publications.
5.The study of ethnic populations has grown to include
comparative and international approaches to the study of
ethnicity and the intersections of race, class, gender,
and sexuality.
6.Ethnic studies acknowledge the role of America's diverse
racial and ethnic peoples as equal actors in the history
of California and the United States.
7.Latinos and other racial and ethnic groups account for
57 percent of California's population, making California
the most ethnically and racially diverse state in the
nation.
8.A broader education on diverse and racial and ethnic
groups provides a fuller and deeper understanding of
California and United States history and helps promote
greater understanding among people from different
backgrounds.
9.Ethnic studies departments, programs, and related
projects promote constructive communication and
collaborative efforts between different and diverse
groups and encourage the demonstration of respect,
understanding, appreciation, equality and dignity.
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10.Long-standing attacks on the ethnic studies departments,
programs, and related projects, and the recent increase
of attacks in particular, misrepresent the intentions
and serious intellectual and scholarly commitments of
the ethnic studies departments.
11.Support for ethnic studies departments, programs, and
related projects, within our state's higher education
segments, including budgetary commitments, will allow
for the continued guidance and teaching of a new
generation of students who will greatly impact and
positively influence California policy and government.
12.Support for ethnic studies within our K-12 public school
system will allow a new generation to greatly impact and
positively influence California's relations and policy
development.
13.Actions to ban ethnic studies in states such as Arizona
distort our hallmark as a diverse nation, and
mischaracterize educational curricula that affirm this
diversity as reverse racism, hatred, and ethnocentrism.
14.The elimination of ethnic studies within any of our
state's educational segments would put our students at a
disadvantage from a global perspective.
Comments
Arizona legislation, HB 2281, which went into effect on
December 31, 2010, bans schools from teaching classes that
are designed for students of a particular ethnic group,
promote resentment, advocate ethnic solidarity over
treating pupils as individuals, or promote the overthrow of
the government. School districts that do not comply with
the law could have as much as 10 percent of their state
funds withheld each month. The legislation did not affect
higher education programs.
Governor Brown recently signed legislation that reduces
funding for UC, CSU, and CCC by a total of $1.4 billion in
2011-12. Each of the segments is considering many options
for absorbing the funding reductions, including eliminating
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and consolidating academic programs.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/29/11)
California Teachers Association
Dr. Carlos Munoz, UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies Department
Dr. Ravi K. Perry, Director, Race and Ethnic Relations
Concentration - Clark University
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
Inner City Struggle
Japanese American Citizens League
San Diego State University
Santa Cruz County Community Coalition to Overcome Racism
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
"Ethnic studies programs are vital to California's
educational system as well as its vastly diverse citizenry.
The recent actions taken in Arizona and our state's
economic troubles threaten the continued existence of
ethnic studies centers and programs throughout the K-12
public schools, the California State University (CSU), the
California Community Colleges (CCC), and the University of
California (UC)."
CPM:cm 6/29/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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