Ethnic Studies Requirement for Fullerton Joint UHSD

Fullerton Joint Union High School Board

Credit to: Fullerton College Ethnic Studies
We need a high school curriculum that reflects the diversity of all students. Despite our numbers, none of the eight (8) high schools within our district even offer Ethnic Studies. Because over 80% of our school district population are students of color, we need to offer courses that include and investigate these rich histories and lived experiences. A review of 14 research studies

“lends strong support to the positive value of ethnic studies for all students—students of color as well as White students.”



Necesitamos un currículo escolar que demuestre la diversidad de todos nuestros alumnos. A pesar de nuestras estadísticas demográficas, ninguna de las ocho (8) escuelas preparatorias de nuestro distrito ofrece los estudios étnicos. Basado en el hecho que más de 80% de la población escolar son estudiantes de color, nosotros debemos ofrecer cursos que incluyen e investigan la riqueza de sus propias historias y experiencias vividas. Un repaso de 14 investigaciones académicas “lends strong support to the positive value of ethnic studies for all students—students of color as well as White students” (revela un apoyo fuerte al valor positivo de los estudio étnicos para todos los alumnos-los alumnos de color tanto como los alumnos blancos).

Petition by
Gravatar
Irvine, California

To: Fullerton Joint Union High School Board
From: [Your Name]

We, the undersigned, support the effort to construct and implement an ethnic studies class as a high school graduation requirement in the Fullerton Joint Unified School District (FJUHSD) for the 2022-23 school year.

The Fullerton Joint Union High School District boasts one of the most ethnically diverse student populations in Orange County. It is a beautiful mirror of our cities’ populations; our students are 58% Chicanx/Latinx, 18.4% Asian American/Pacific Islander, 14.5% White, 1.9% African American, 3.6% Filipinx, and 3.3% of students are two or more ethnicities. 10.7% do not speak English at home (http://www.ed-data.org/district/Orange/Fullerton-Joint-Union-High).

By having an ethnic studies course, our hope is that all students will learn to respect, accept, and love themselves. We want all students to think critically about the importance of their race, ethnicity, location, and identity as it exists in history and in the present. We believe that ethnic studies courses can offer important narratives that are missing from the euro-centric lens that history is often shown through. For example, FJUHSD students need to learn about Alejandro Bernal, a Mexican American who fought racially restrictive housing covenants in Fullerton and won the lawsuit to keep his home on Ash Avenue in 1943. We want to empower our students to learn more about themselves and their communities, build empathy and unity with other ethnic groups, and push for social justice.

Recently, the California State Board of Education has passed legislation offering a model curriculum program that is intended to build upon ethnic studies courses that are already offered in many high schools across the state. However, even the option to enroll in any ethnic studies courses in the FJUHSD is noticeably lacking, despite the overwhelming number of students of color within the district. We believe this new legislation to be a perfect opportunity for our school district to opt in to a new, inclusive curriculum that would appeal to and benefit students. Therefore we are urging the FJUHSD Board to pass a resolution at the next meeting on Tuesday May 11th, 2021, to make Ethnic Studies a graduation requirement.

Sincerely,

Marilyn Logwood
Student
Troy High School

David Taylor
Student
La Habra High School

Jackie Logwood
Alumni
Sunny Hills High School

Jacquelyn Morán
Alumni
Fullerton Union High School

Nosotros, los abajo firmantes, apoyamos el esfuerzo a construir e implementar una clase de estudios étnicos como un requisito para graduarse de Fullerton Joint Unified School District (FJUHSD) para el año escolar 2022-23.
Fullerton Joint Union High School District tiene una de las poblaciones estudiantiles más diversas étnicamente en Orange County. Refleja hermosamente las poblaciones de nuestras ciudades; nuestros estudiantes son 58% chicanx/latinx, 18,4% asiático/isleño paciífico, 14,5% blanco, 1,9% afroestadounidense, 3,6% filipinx y 3,3% de los alumnos son de dos o más etnicidades. 10,7% de los alumnos no hablan inglés en el hogar (http://www.ed-data.org/district/Orange/Fullerton-Joint-Union-High).
Al ofrecer un curso de estudios étnicos, es nuestra esperanza que todos los alumnos aprendan a respetar, aceptar y quererse a si mismos. Deseamos que todos los estudiantes aprendan a pensar críticamente, desde perspectivas históricas y actuales, del valor de su raza, etnicidad, posición e identidad. Creemos que los estudios éticos ofrecen narrativas importantes que faltan del currículo histórico, el cual frecuentemente tiene una visión euro-céntrica. Por ejemplo, los estudiantes de FJUHSD deben aprender de Alejandro Bernal, un mexicano-estadounidense que lucha en contra de la existencia de viviendas que estaban restringidas racialmente. En 1943, él ganó su demanda legal para poder mantener su casa en la avenida Ash. Queremos empoderar a los estudiantes a aprender de si mismos y sus comunidades, desarrollar empatía y unidad con otros grupos étnicos, y luchar por la justicia social.
Recientemente, la Junta de Educación (State Board of Education) del estado de California aprobó legislación que ofrece un programa curricular modelo con el intento de desarrollar los cursos étnicos ya ofrecidos en muchas preparatorias californianas. Sin embargo, FJUHSD carece de la oportunidad de matricularse en un curso de estudios étnicos, a pesar de la inmensa mayoría de estudiantes de color en nuestro distrito. Pensamos que esta nueva legislación ofrece la oportunidad ideal para que nuestro distrito escolar empiece a ofrecer un currículo nuevo e inclusivo que atraiga y beneficie a todos los estudiantes. Por lo tanto, le urgimos a la Mesa directiva de FJUHSD a aprobar una resolución durante su próxima reunión el martes, 11 de mayo, 2021 para hacer los estudios étnicos un requisito para graduarse.

Atentamente,

Marilyn Logwood
Estudiante
Troy High School

David Taylor
Estudiante
La Habra High School

Jackie Logwood
Alumna
Sunny Hills High School

Jacquelyn Morán
Alumna
Fullerton Union High School