AB 123, as introduced, Bonta. Pupil instruction: social sciences: farm labor movement: Filipinos.
Existing law requires a school district, as part of its adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to offer courses in specified areas of study, including, among others, social sciences, drawing upon the disciplines of anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology.
This bill would require a school district, in providing instruction in the area of social sciences, to include instruction on the contributions of Filipino Americans to the farm labor movement in California, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(1) All pupils who learn about the United Farm Workers should
4learn about the influence of all major groups involved in the
5movement to fully understand this important part of California
6history.
7(2) According to a 2010 report by the United States Census
8Bureau, there are currently over 1.1 million Filipino Americans
9in California. Filipino Americans comprise the second and third
10largest Asian populations within California and the United States,
11respectively.
12(3) It is important that pupils learn about the influence of
13Filipino
Americans and their culture on the history of California.
14The formation and continuing work of the United Farm Workers
15have had an enormous impact on helping to stop the suppression
16and oppression of farm workers and the general working public
17on a national scale.
18(4) Unfortunately, the story of how the Filipino American labor
19leaders and workers helped create the United Farm Workers has
20been greatly ignored by national and international media.
21(b) It is therefore the intent of the Legislature to help emphasize
22the important role of Filipino Americans in the history of the state
23and to help recognize those noteworthy historical Filipino
24American figures who never received proper credit for their work
25with the United Farm Workers.
Section 51221.2 is added to the Education Code, to
27read:
Instruction in the area of social sciences, as required
29pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 51220, shall include
30instruction on the contributions of Filipino Americans to the farm
31labor movement in California.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
33this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
34local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
35pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
364 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
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