BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 993
Page 1
Date of Hearing: June 27, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
SB 993 (De León) - As Amended: May 21, 2012
SENATE VOTE : 31-1
SUBJECT : School curriculum: social sciences: Bracero program
SUMMARY : Authorizes social science instruction in grades 7-12,
inclusive, to include instruction on the Bracero program.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Provides that the instruction may include a component drawn
from personal testimony, especially in the form of oral or
video histories of individuals who were involved with the
Bracero program, and stipulates that oral histories used as
part of the instruction regarding the Bracero program may do
all of the following:
a) Exemplify the economic and cultural effects of the
Bracero program during and after World War II, including,
but not limited to, its effects on the railroad system,
agriculture, and immigration in California and the United
States of America (U.S.); and,
b) Contain the views and comments of their subjects
regarding the reasons for their participation in the
Bracero program and their immigrant story, generally.
2)Requires this bill to be carried out in a manner that does not
result in new duties or programs on a school district.
3)States that the Legislature finds and declares that this bill
does not mandate costs to local agencies or school districts
and that materials used to comply with this bill shall be part
of normal curriculum materials purchased by school districts
in their normal course of business and purchasing cycles.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires the adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12,
inclusive, to include instruction in social sciences, drawing
upon the disciplines of anthropology, economics, geography,
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history, political science, psychology, and sociology,
designed to fit the maturity of the pupils. (Education Code
Section (EC) 51220)
2)Requires social studies instruction to provide a foundation
for understanding the history, resources, development, and
government of California and the U.S.; instruction in our
American legal system, the operation of the juvenile and adult
criminal justice systems, and the rights and duties of
citizens under the criminal and civil law and the State and
Federal Constitutions; the development of the American
economic system, including the role of the entrepreneur and
labor; the relations of persons to their human and natural
environment; eastern and western cultures and civilizations;
human rights issues, with particular attention to the study of
the inhumanity of genocide, slavery, and the Holocaust, and
contemporary issues. (EC 51220)
3)Authorizes social studies instruction to include instruction
on World War II and the roles of Americans and Filipinos in
that war, and encourages this instruction to include, but not
be limited to, a component drawn from personal testimony,
especially in the form of oral or video histories, if
available, of American and Filipino soldiers who were involved
in World War II and those men and women who contributed to the
war effort on the homefront. (EC 51221.3)
4)Requires instruction in social sciences to include the early
history of California and a study of the role and
contributions of both men and women, Native Americans, African
Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific
Islanders, European Americans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender (LGBT) Americans, persons with disabilities, and
members of other ethnic and cultural groups, to the economic,
political, and social development of California and the U.S.,
with particular emphasis on portraying the role of these
groups in contemporary society. (EC 51204.5)
5)Requires instruction in the area of study of social sciences
to provide a foundation for understanding the wise use of
natural resources. (EC 51221)
FISCAL EFFECT : This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
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COMMENTS : Current law specifies courses of study for pupils in
grades 1-12, and also requires instruction on various specific
topics. Within the social sciences, there are various specific
requirements, including instruction on the early history of
California and a study of the role and contributions of both men
and women and various minority groups to the economic,
political, and social development of California and the U.S.,
with particular emphasis on portraying the role of these groups
in contemporary society.
The Legislature has previously passed measures requiring or
encouraging instruction on specific subjects it deems important
and noteworthy. Most recently, AB 199 (Ma & Cook), Chapter 607,
Statutes of 2011, encouraged social studies instruction to
include instruction on the role and contributions of Filipino
Americans in the U.S. army in World War II. In a similar
manner, this bill authorizes instruction in social studies to
include instruction on the Bracero program.
The Bracero program : The Bracero Program was a guest worker
program that spanned the years of 1942-1964. The economic and
social issues that resulted from the Great Depression and World
War II compelled the U.S. to seek a source of inexpensive labor
to meet its labor demands in both agriculture and railway
maintenance. The U.S. and Mexican governments entered into a
treaty to allow Mexican workers to enter the U.S. on a temporary
basis in order to address the shortage of labor in the U.S.
According to information provided by the author, "The program
helped the U.S. economy flourish, though it was criticized for
the mistreatment of Mexican workers, especially because in many
instances Braceros were never paid their due wages."
Curriculum frameworks : The processes for reviewing frameworks
and adopting instructional materials have been suspended since
July 28, 2009. The State Board of Education (SBE) is
specifically prohibited from reviewing frameworks and adopting
instructional materials until the 2015-16 school year. The
history-social science framework (H/SS) was last adopted in
2005, and a review and update of this framework was underway and
nearly complete when the state suspended the process due to
fiscal constraints. The 2010 draft of the H/SS framework
includes in the grade 11 course descriptions a reference to the
Bracero program. Specifically, it is included in the
"Transformation of Post-World War II America" section of the
framework and it states, in relevant part:
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"Meanwhile, immigration continued, especially to
California, which depended upon agricultural labor
provided by immigrants, particularly Mexicans, who
continued to come through the Bracero Program. This
1942 government-sponsored program, designed primarily
to replace interned Japanese-American farmers and
native-born agricultural workers who were mobilizing
for war with imported Mexican laborers, continued
until 1964."
This bill is consistent with the 2010 draft H/SS framework.
Permissive bill : This bill does not require this instruction
but rather authorizes it. Some may argue that this bill is
unnecessary as districts currently have the discretion and
flexibility to include this content in social studies
instruction. However, others would argue that adding the
permissive language gives districts the explicit authority to
include this content and raises awareness as to the importance
of these events and may encourage districts to integrate them
into social studies instruction. The author further points out
that the history of the Bracero Program has been frequently
ignored and left out of school textbooks, despite the program's
impact on the U.S. labor market during World War II and on
immigration patterns in this country.
Arguments in support : The National Association of Social Workers
- California Chapter (NASW-CA) writes, "This bill would promote
a critical and analytical understanding of the importance of the
Bracero program in the United States and California, with the
impact the Bracero Program had on the railroad system,
agriculture and immigration. NASW-CA believes that supporting
this bill, it would allow students to have a culturally
competent and full education on the history of California."
Related legislation : AB 1756 (Knight) eliminates the
requirement for instruction in social sciences to include the
early history of California and a study of the role and
contributions of both men and women, Native Americans, African
Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific
Islanders, European Americans, LGBT Americans, persons with
disabilities, and members of other ethnic and cultural groups,
to the economic, political, and social development of California
and the U.S., with particular emphasis on portraying the role of
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these groups in contemporary society, and instead makes these
provisions permissive. AB 1756 failed passage in this
Committee.
SB 1540 (Hancock) requires the SBE to consider, by June 30,
2014, the adoption of a history-social science framework. SB
1540 passed this Committee on June 13, 2012, on an 8-0 vote, and
is currently pending in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
SB 994 (Vargas) requires the CDE to establish the California
Latino Curriculum Committee for the purpose of developing a
California Latino curriculum for inclusion in the H/SS
curriculum framework. SB 994 was held in the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
Previous legislation : AB 199 (Cook and Ma), Chapter 607,
Statutes of 2011, encouraged social studies instruction to
include instruction on the role and contributions of Filipino
Americans in the U.S. army in World War II.
HR 29 (Reyes) of 2001 resolved that September 29, 2001 be
proclaimed Bracero Workers' Day and urged all Californians to
observe Bracero Workers' Day by taking time to remember and
honor the Bracero workers and their contributions to California.
HR 29 was adopted by the Assembly Rules Committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
Asociación de Loncheros L.A. Familia Unida de California
Associacion Retalteca
California Association for Bilingual Education
California Immigrant Policy Center
California-Mexico Studies Center, Inc.
Californians Together
Casa de la Cultura Maya
City of Bell Gardens
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
Consejo Binacional de Organizaciones Cumunitarias Inc.
Federacion Chihuahua
Fraternidad Cotzumalguapa
Los Angeles Produce Market Association
Mexican Cultural Institute of Los Angeles
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National Association of Social Workers
Schools for Integrated Academics and Technologies
Union de Guatemaltecos Emigrantes
Universidad de Colima
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Aviña / ED. / (916) 319-2087