California students petition for Asian American Studies course

Asian American high school students in Irvine, Calif. can't wait until college to learn how Asian Americans helped build this country.

Over 700 signatures have been collected for a petition to have the Irvine Unified School District offer an Asian American Studies course for high school students, which make up about 60% of the student body.

The online petition was created by and led by the Korean American Young Leaders, a youth empowerment program run by the Southern California city's Korean American Center.

"All our social studies, literary and history courses are taught from a Euro-American perspective," reads the petition. "There are no schools within IUSD that offer an Asian American Studies or Ethnic Studies class. Most students are not aware of contributions that were made by Asian Americans to the fabric of this country. This lack of awareness among Asian Americans and the general population has resulted in Asian Americans often being disenfranchised."

"As students, we believe this is important in promoting diversity and intercultural understanding. This class will provide all students with an opportunity to learn and understand Asian American history and our contributions to the United States while allowing students to take pride in their dual cultural heritage," continues the petition.

The students might have some legislative help in their endeavor. 

Last week, Assemblymember Jose Medina, D-Riverside, introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 331 to mandate Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement in all California high schools. This follows Governor Brown’s veto of AB 2772 last year, which would have created a pilot program for select school districts to require Ethnic Studies.

“Knowledge of our history plays a critical role in shaping who we become," said Medina, a former teacher. "When I was growing up, the history of those who look like me was not represented in the classroom. As a former Ethnic Studies teacher, I saw firsthand how much more engaged my students were when they saw themselves reflected in the coursework."

Assembly Bill 331, introduced Jan 31, would require the students in grades 9-12 to take an ethnic studies course in either social studies or English starting in the 2023-24 school year. The Instructional Quality Commission would develop the course curriculum with input from ethnic studies professors at universities and colleges, along with representatives from local education agencies and teachers with experience or educational backgrounds in studying and teaching ethnic studies. The class could run either one semester or a full school year, depending on what the individual school district decides.

According to a 2016 study from Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, students who took part in a pilot ethnic studies program at San Francisco high schools had higher GPAs and better attendance rates and more credits earned than those who didn’t.

“Taken at face value, these findings provide a compelling confirmation of an extensive literature that has emphasized the capacity of [culturally relevant pedagogy] to unlock the educational potential of historically marginalized students,” the report said.

School district officials said they are open to hearing the students' concerns.

"California is one of the most diverse states in the country and we should celebrate that diversity by teaching a curriculum that is inclusive of all of our cultures and backgrounds," Medina said. "Ethnic Studies provide students an opportunity to learn about histories outside of the Euro-centric teachings most prominent in our schools. At a time when the national climate drives divisiveness and fear of otherness, Ethnic Studies can play a critical role in increasing awareness and understanding."

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