UCLA offers new digital textbook on AANHPI history for free

One of the problems of offering ethnic studies in US schools — particularly about AANHPI history — has been the lack of teaching material, but school districts can no longer use the lack of resources as an excuse.

UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center just dropped a game-changer for the classroom. Their new multimedia textbook, Foundations and Futures, isn't just another dry history book — it’s a massive, digital deep-dive into the AAPI stories that usually get short shrift in American curricula.

Led by professors Karen Umemoto and Kelly Fong, It moves way beyond the "model minority" myth, bringing in over 100 scholars to spotlight more than 20 different communities, including often-overlooked stories from South Asian organizers and Pacific Islander diasporas.

This free resource packs 50 chapters of history, from the struggles of 8-year-old Mary  Tape fighting for her right to go to school to the groundbreaking legacy of Hawaii Congressmember Patsy Mink.

“It’s transformative for youth to see themselves and their families centered in curriculum instead of in a paragraph, sentence, footnote or not at all,” said Fong. “In centering Asian American and Pacific Islander experiences, the textbook opens possibilities for students to feel valued and learn more about the communities they belong to as well as communities they may not know much about.”

“I was inspired by the thought of my 15-year-old Indian/Pakistani American niece seeing herself and her community represented in a major textbook,” said Uzma Quraishi, a contributing writer to the project. “I thought, ‘How empowering and affirming would that feel for a young Asian American today?’”

Almost 25 million people identify as Asian in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center. Yet, a recent study from The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) found that one in four adults in the US say they lack personal connections with anyone in the AAPI community. About half of adults say that AAPIs have little or no influence on American culture, with 47% of those surveyed unable to name a famous Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 53% unable to name a single significant moment in US history related to AAPIs.




Foundations and Futures is being released at an important time for public education, as the movement for ethnic studies in K–12 schools and higher education has grown significantly in recent years.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed California Assembly Bill 1468 in 2020, requiring students enrolled in California State University campuses to take a class in Native American Studies, African American Studies, Asian American Studies, or Latina and Latino Studies. This was followed by AB 101 in 2021, which made California the first state to require ethnic studies for high school graduation.

There are now 22 other states that have statutes requiring ethnic studies, with Oregon, Oklahoma, Florida, Tennessee and Connecticut among those that include Asian American and Pacific Islander studies in their academic standards.

What makes UCLA's textbook stand out is the format. It’s built for the TikTok generation but grounded in serious scholarship, using audio, video, and poetry to bring 200 years of struggle and triumph to life. As ethnic studies becomes a requirement in more states, UCLA is handing teachers the keys to tell a more honest, inclusive version of the American story.

“The histories featured in the textbook expand our understanding of the world in transformative ways. It helps grow our understanding of who we are and build mutual respect across differences,” said Umemoto. “It deepens knowledge about growing societal problems and shares intergenerational wisdom to make positive change in the world.”

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San Diego State University will establish Asian American Studies Department

SDSU

SDSU students on campus.

With AAPI students making up 13% of the 31,000 students at San Diego State University, the school is playing catchup in creating an Asian American Studies Department.

The California state university (CSU) is committed to filling what has been a "glaring gap in the inclusiveness of ethnic studies," according to Associate Professor and Deaprtment Chair of Sociology, Minjeong Kim.

Currently, CSUSD has only three Asian American courses, says Kim.

The Asian American Studies department would offer majors and new curricula covering more than an intro to Asian American history.

Proposing new courses will be crucial to building the department. A search for faculty has already been launched and is in its final selection stage.

The two newly hired professors will be responsible for building the Asian American Studies department, reported The Daily Aztec.

“I’m hoping that all our students will have the opportunity to really dig deep into knowing APIDA history,” said Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan, member of the faculty search committee. “I think that’s important because I think that ignorance is one of the root causes of anti-Asian hate. The more visibility and more understanding we have of people, the less likely we are going to suffer from discrimination and hate.”

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NJ schools on the cusp of establishing Asian American and Pacific Islander curriculum

New Jersey is the latest state to consider including Asian American and Pacific Islander history lessons in the classroom.

With strong lobbying by the state's Asian Americans, both houses of the New Jersey legislature have passed a bill mandating that Asian American history be included in school curricula. Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to sign the bill into law very soon.

“I remember growing up, I did not see in my education the history of Indian Americans or a lot of Asian Americans. And we’ve made these improvements as it relates to Black Americans, Latino Americans, LGBTQ. I think it would be appropriate to do for AAPI also,” said state Sen. Vin Gopal (D-11), the Senate bill’s primary sponsor. “And I think it helps when kids are growing up, they can see in their textbooks, people that look like them, and it helps them on their own story.”

“What I didn’t learn was about people who look like me, those who were from the AAPI community that have had significant contributions to our great country we live in today,” Gopal said. “I am proud to sponsor legislation that can help kids who look like me know that they can be anything.”

Assemblyman Raj Mukherj, who led push for the bill in in the Assembly, emphasized the importance of the bill following the increase of anti-Asian hate since the start of the pandemic.

“Hate comes from a place of ignorance, and if we can educate our young people about the Asian American immigrant experience, about our history, we will not only be teaching them, but we will be building empathy,” Mukherji said.

New Jersey’s Asian population grew faster than any other large ethnic or racial group, according to figures released by the Census Bureau.

New Jersey's AAPI population exploded by 44% according to the U.S. Census. About 1.05 million New Jersey residents, or about 11% of the state, identified as Asian, either whole or in part. In 2010, only 725,726 identified as Asian in.

Kani Ilangovan, the Indian American founder of AAPI education advocacy group Make Us Visible New Jersey, which lobbied for the education measure, said the bill affirms a sense of belonging in the U.S.

“It’s very sad, but during the pandemic, there’s been a huge rise in anti-Asian violence, and we feel education is the best antidote to hate,” he said.

Illinois mandated the inclusion of Asian American history in K-12 grades earlier this year. California also passed a measure this year for an ethnic studies requirement  for graduation that will go into effect for the class off 2030.

New Jersey's community advocates believe that the education is key to remove the onus of the "perpetual foreigner" from Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

That point was driven home in November when four Asian American teenagers were beaten on a light-rail train. A bystander, an older Asian American teen, who tried to intervene was also beaten and had to be hospitalized.

Murphy has to sign the bill into law before the current legislative session ends Jan. 10, 2022. The Governor's office does not comment on pending legislation, however, in the past, he has shown his support for the AAPI community during the current epidemic of hate directed at them. On Nov. 10, he created the Asian American Pacific Islander Commission to address the needs of the AAPI community and the hate they are encountering, especially since the start of the pandemic.

“As the fastest growing ethnic group, our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community is a key part of the great diversity in our State,” said Murphy in a statement. “While we celebrate the important contributions they make to our society and economy, we also recognize the challenges they encounter to access economic resources and opportunities. With today’s bill signing, this newly created commission will represent this diverse population and ensure to advocate on behalf of AAPI throughout New Jersey.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and reviews from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd

California's new ethnic studies requirement for high school students will promote tolerance and academic performance

ALLISON SHELLEY FOR EDUIMAGES

California requires ethnic studies for high school students.

California high school students will need to take ethnic studies course in order to receive to graduate after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the mandate Friday.

"Students cannot have a full understanding of the history of our state and nation without the inclusion of the contributions and struggles of Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans,” said Assemblymember Jose Medina, author of AB 101.  "The signing of AB 101 today is one step in the long struggle for equal education for all students.”

After five years of studies, revisions and rewrites, California on Friday became the first state to make ethnic studies a required class for high school graduation to help all students understand the complete history of America, including the past and present struggles and contributions of Asian, Black Latino, Indigenous Americans and other groups whose histories and stories have been ignored or erased until now.

"America is shaped by our shared history, much of it painful and etched with woeful injustice. Students deserve to see themselves in their studies, and they must understand our nation's full history if we expect them to one day build a more just society," said the governor in a signing statement.

“Ethnic studies courses enable students to learn their own stories — and those of their classmates,” Newsom said. Ethnic studies will “help expand educational opportunities in schools, teach students about the diverse communities that comprise California. "A number of studies have shown that these courses boost student achievement over the long run - especially among students of color."

In today's schools, the only 22% of California's public school students are White. California is one of three states where Whites do not have a majority, according to the 2020 Census. More than three-quarters of California’s 6.2 million K-12 students are non-white: 55% Latino, 12% Asian or Pacific Islander and 5% African American.

RELATED: Telling the stories of California's students

The vast majority of California’s immigrants were born in Latin America (50%) or Asia (39%). However, among immigrants who arrived between 2010 and 2019, more than half (53%) were born in Asia, while only 31% were born in Latin America. according to the Public Policy Institute of California. The leading countries of origin are Mexico (3.9 million), the Philippines (859,000), China (796,000), Vietnam (539,000), and India (513,000). based on the 2019 American Communities Survey by the US Census.

From the 2020 US Census, we learn that Asians make up 15% of the state with more than 6 million people of Asian descent — more than the total population of most other states.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said that ethnic studies as a way to help students of color see themselves reflected in what they learn, and also to learn about their histories.

Under the new law, students in the Class of 2030, who will start high school in the fall of 2026, must pass at least a single one-semester course. And, by the fall of 2025, all public high schools will have to offer such a class.

Some California school districts, including Los Angeles and San Francisco school districts, have already launched their own ethnic studies requirements for years.

Enactment of AB 101 releases $50 million in this year’s state budget for all county offices of education, charter schools and school districts to develop ethnic studies curriculums. The money will be distributed to schools serving high school students, as a straight apportionment, according to the California Department of Education.

“There is no requirement for CDE or any other agency to manage the program,” said California Department of Education information officer Jonathan Mendick. “Districts must spend the money in accordance with the requirements of AB 101, which has myriad guardrails built in around curriculum that meets the graduation requirement.”

“At a time when some states are retreating from an accurate discussion of our history, I am proud that California continues to lead in its teaching of ethnic studies,” said Secretary of State Shirley Weber. “This subject not only has academic benefits, but also has the capacity to build character as students learn how people from their own or different backgrounds face challenges, overcome them and make contributes to American society. .. This is a great day for California.”

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Ethnic studies mandatory for California State University system, bill advances for high school ethnic studies course

 

An Asian American Studies class at Cal State University, Fullerton.

It's a shame a law has to be passed in order to have the history of ethnic minorities included in high school studies but centuries of having only one version of history taught in schools makes this complicated road to the truth necessary.

Hoping to build on the heightened awareness of the racial disparities that exist in almost all U.S. institutions, Assembly Bill 331l would require all students to take ethnic studies to graduate from high school is pressing Senate leaders to free up the bill and send it to California's Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature before the end of August. 

“For too long, the experiences and contributions of people of color have been left out of the classroom,” said Assemblymember Jose Medina, one of the lead authors of the bill.

“Ethnic studies courses empower students and help build culturally competent citizens. Requiring ethnic studies will help ensure that all students learn a more holistic and representative history of the United States and foster a deeper understanding of our commonalities and differences.”

The governor on Monday (Aug. 17) signed another bill that would make a course in ethnic studies a prerequisite for graduation at a California State University. That requirement would take effect for the freshmen of 2024. (For those unfamiliar with California, the CSU is different from the better known University of California system.)

“Ethnic studies will make people uncomfortable and if not, then it has not done its job."

-- Assemblymember Shirley Weber

The bill for high school on Thursday (Aug. 20) passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and now goes to the full Senate for a vote.

Medina has amended the Assembly Bill 331 to apply to students entering 9th grade in the fall of 2025. That would give school districts and charter schools several years to phase in ethnic studies. But Medina and members of the Black, Latino and Asian and Pacific Islander legislative caucuses are pressing ahead with it now, capitalizing on the tail winds of widespread public sympathy with the Black Lives Matter movement and racial reckoning the country is undergoing.

If signed into law, California would be the first state to mandate ethnic studies as a high school requirement. AB 331 would require at a minimum a one-semester course that would be based on an ethnic studies model curriculum that districts could use to fashion their own version. In 2016, the Legislature ordered that the curriculum be created to encourage more districts to teach ethnic studies.

Medina along with members of the caucuses of Black, Latino and Asian Pacific American legislators, organized a press conference before the Appropriation Committee's vote. 

Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, D-Bell Gardens, referred to the police killing of George Floyd in explaining why the Legislature should act.

“AB 331 is a clear way and a great way to make sure we are pricking students’ consciousness before they enter adulthood and before we have to see any more videos of people dying,” she said. “The time is now to answer the call for justice in a meaningful way.” 

Meanwhile, Newsom approved Assembly Bill 1460 that requires all students enrolled on all 23 CSU campuses to take a 3-unit class in Native American studies, African American studies, Asian American studies or Latina and Latino studies.

The new law will make California the first state to require ethnic studies as a university graduation requirement, according to the California Faculty Association.

CSU, the largest university system in the nation, has been in the forefront of ethnic studies education. In 1969, after a months-long strike led by minority students, the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State became the first college of its kind in the country. Cal State Los Angeles created the first Chicano studies program in 1968.

“Ethnic studies will make people uncomfortable and if not, then it has not done its job,” said Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-San Diego, who coauthored the legislation. “It was founded because the current system crushed people; to not recognize how deep is racism is to deny ethnic studies.”

California Senate passes bill requiring ethnic studies class for CSU system

With the nation in a heightened state of racial awareness  because of the killing of George Floyd, the California State Senate passed a bill, 30-5, on Thursday that would require completion of one three-unit ethnic studies course as a graduation requirement.

The bill, AB 1460, is authored by Assemblymember Dr. Shirley Weber, a former San Diego State University faculty and member of the California Faculty Association (CFA).

The bill would add ethnic studies courses, including issues of race and gender and sexual identity, at all 23 campuses but would not result in additional units, as students would be able to take the ethnic studies course in place of other electives.

The bill requires the California State University, the largest higher education system in the US, to require the completion of a 3-unit ethnic studies course as an undergraduate graduation requirement, starting with the 2024-2025 academic year. All 23 CSU campuses are required to provide ethnic studies courses starting with the 2021-2022 academic year, according to the bill.

Ethnic studies focuses on four historically defined racialized groups: African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Latina/o Americans, according to the bill.

“This is a moment to be proud of and say the issue of race specifically needs to be talked about,” Senator Henry Stern said.

The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature.

While the idea of requiring students to study the contributions of nonwhite ethnic and racial groups has been long-standing in California, the latest push is happening amid nationwide anti-racism protests and calls for systemic change ignited by the police killing of George Floyd and other African Americans.

“It is absolutely critical that all of our students have an opportunity to learn and engage in ethnic studies,” said CFA Vice President Charles Toombs, who teaches Africana Studies at San Diego State. “It’s in these classes that they gain a deeper understanding of different communities and their histories, struggles, and triumphs. And that, in turn, provides an opportunity to embrace a racial justice perspective.”

Senator Ling Ling Chang

During the Senate meeting, Senator Ling Ling Chang, R-29th District, recalled when she had the opportunity to educate a woman while Chang was knocking on doors to garner support. When a woman responded by saying she will never vote for ”an oriental”, a derogatory term to describe Asians, Chang took the time to educate her on acceptance.

“Ignorance can become hatred … Ultimately this is something I have to support because if we can kill hatred by just informing and educating our students to think critically, to think in different ways to seek more understanding, I think that’s a good thing,” Chang said.

The demand for ethnic studies has deep historical ties to student-led efforts. In the fall of 1968, the a coalition of Blacks, Asians and Latinos in the Third World Liberation Front engaged in over four months of protests that resulted in the creation of the nation's first college of ethnic studies. Since then, dozens of ethnic studies programs and departments have been established across CSU, the largest four-year university system in the nation with 480,000 undergraduate students. Across the system, students of color make up a strong majority of the student body.

Since then, many campuses across the country called for an establishment of their own ethnic studies departments.

To close the hearing, Senator Steven Bradford recounted how he felt “ill-equipped” to pass an African American history course — which was taught by Assemblymember Weber — during his freshman year. He explained that the school system does not prepare students to learn history outside of what is in their textbooks.

“The school system does not prepare students to know about the real truth or the real history. This course will allow at least a little better understanding of each and every one of us,” Bradford said. “The urgency of now has clearly been demonstrated over the last three weeks in this country and around the world that we need systemic change when it comes to talking about our great diversity and ethnic differences in this country.”

50 years later, the fight for ethnic studies continues

SFSU

San Francisco State University recently celebrated its role in the creation of ethnic studies.

ASAM NEWS

In 1969, a strike waged by students at San Francisco State College led to the establishment of the nation’s first Ethnic Studies program. The same year students at UC Berkeley had similar success after protests there.
It’s clear the battle for Ethnic Studies and an inclusive education is not over as universities question the need for degrees, departments and budgets devoted to the study of the history, literature, psychology and social studies pertaining to the United States' minority populations.

This month, SF State University announced the establishment of a Pacific Islander minor while in the state legislature, a bill to make ethnic studies a requirement for graduation will be heard this week in the Assembly appropriation committee.

Last month, SFSU celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Ethnic Studies at the school.

SFSU President Leslie Wong was among the many Asian American alumni and faculty at the event.

“I think the future is ready for us to get out there and show other campuses in the state how to do the same,” Wong said. “I always worry that this is the first and the last College of Ethnic Studies.”

Across the country 13 Yale professors who had threatened to resign over the university’s lack of commitment to ethnic studies have withdrawn their threat following a change of heart from the administration.

RELATED

• 50th Anniversary: Founding of Berkeley's Asian American Political Association
• 1968: The year Asian America discovered itself and gave birth to a movement

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports Yale has granted its ethnicity, race and migration program “new institutional status and permanence,” according to the program’s chair, Alicia Schmidt Camacho.

“I take great joy in imagining the future of the Ethnicity, Race, and Migration Program at Yale and our new capacity to partner with institutions and colleagues beyond this University,” wrote Schmidt Camacho in a statement. “I am grateful that our faculty remains committed to teaching and mentoring students interested in what has become one of our university’s most dynamic and fastest growing undergraduate majors.”

The Yale Daily News reports the university recently granted 5 new faculty positions to the program. The 13 professors who had threatened to resign in March have now formally withdrawn their protest.

Meanwhile, at San Francisco State, demands inspired by a 10 day hunger strike by students in 2016 have led to the establishment of a Critical Pacific Islands and Oceania Studies minor. The program which will be part of the College of Ethnic Studies will begin in the fall.

“This is a historic program that I am so proud to share that I have been able to contribute to,” says Levalasi Loi-On , now a student coordinator with the university’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Student Services. “This program means that Pacific Islander students, who continue to be marginalized and underrepresented and have so many hurdles to graduation, have a space in the College of Ethnic Studies at SFSU.”

“Our students are very much interested in social justice,” said Amy Sueyoshi, newly appointed dean at the College of Ethnic Studies at SFSU. “I look forward to advancing the University’s initiatives around student success and graduation through a high-impact curriculum that is relevant to the students."

This week a bill that would strengthen ethnic studies programs at 23 California State University campuses will be heard before the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The bill would make taking a 3 unit ethnic studies course a requirement to graduate. The California Faculty Association is supporting the legislation, according to The Pioneer.

“I think that what we provide is a way to think about the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality in a deep and nuanced way, both historically and in the present time and then that discussion leads to considerations of how we go about constructing a society that is not built on the oppression of people of color,” said Luz Calvo, chair of the Ethnic Studies Department at California State University, East Bay in an interview with The Pioneer.

Views From the Edge contributed to this report.

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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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Filipino American History Month Theme: War in 1898 and Student Strike in 1968

2018 MARKS the anniversary of three important chapters in American history that are often neglected  or skipped over in U.S. history classes.

It is the 120th anniversaries of the declaration of Philippine independence and establishment of the First Philippine Republic and the advent of the Spanish American War. It is also the 50th anniversary of the birth of the Asian American student movement in which Filipinos played a crucial role in bridging the civil rights struggles of black and Latino students with that of Asian students and the creation of Ethnic Studies as a legitimate field of study.

These three anniversaries form the "Turning Points" theme adopted by the Filipino American National Historical Society for observing the 2018 Filipino American History Month. These three historical events changed forever the lives of Filipinos and Filipino Americans. These events were turning points in Filipina/o/x American history. 

FANHS encourages particular attention to the following events, which have both shaped the Filipina/o/x American experience. FANHS also reminds everyone that the month is HISTORY month, not “Heritage” month. “History” encompasses the experiences and events that have shaped our lives, as well as culture and heritage.

In 2018, we will celebrate the 120th Anniversary of the declaration of Philippine independence from Spain in 1898 and mark (not celebrate) the 120th Anniversary of the Spanish-American War. Spain and the U.S. engaged in a brief war in May, 1898 when it was believed that a U.S. ship, The USS Maine, was bombed by the Spanish in Havana Harbor. 

Meanwhile, Emilio Aguinaldo, leader of the Philippine Revolutionary forces, declared independence from Spain on June 12, 1898 and proceeded to establish the First Philippine Republic. Despite this, in the Treaty of Paris, signed on December 10, 1898, Spain sold its remaining colonies – the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam – to the United States for $20 Million, marking the end of the once-sprawling Spanish Empire and the beginning of the American Empire. 

The treaty marks the beginning of US colonial control and an American military presence in the Philippines that lasted formally until 1946 and continues to this day. A brutal Philippine-American War followed from 1899-1913, in which the Philippine Republic battled US forces for control of the archipelago. One million Filipinas/os died in the Philippine-American War. 

Filipinos were classified as “nationals” and their entry was not restricted. This was the catalyst for the 20th century migration of millions of Filipinas/os across the American empire to Hawai’i, Guam, and the US mainland.

2018 marks the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University, and at UC Berkeley and UC Davis, the result of student protests in which Filipino Americans played a significant role. 

At San Francisco State University, the Pilipino American Collegiate Endeavor (PACE), joined with the Black Student Union, Latin American Student Organization, La Raza, Asian American Political Alliance, Pilipino American Collegiate Endeavor, and Native American Students Union at San Francisco State University to form the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF). 

Students’ experiences were shaped by the civil rights, anti-war, and feminist movements. The student strike the TWLF organized that began on November 6, 1968 and ended in March, 1969, was the longest student strike in American history. Students demanded open admissions of students of color and a relevant, student-centered and community-based curriculum which challenged the Eurocentric curriculum which reflected Western values and canons. 

At San Francisco State, these efforts resulted in the establishment of the nation’s first College of Ethnic Studies and the first Filipino American Studies courses. Parallel efforts at UC Berkeley and UC Davis resulted.

in the establishment of ethnic studies at those campuses. Ethnic Studies classes and programs now proliferate across the nation. The now-thriving discipline of Filipina/o/x American Studies was borne from the struggle for Ethnic Studies.

October was chosen as the month to celebrate Filipino American history. It was Oct. 15, 1587, when "Luzones Indios" stepped on the shores of North Amerca. They came as part of the crew of the Spanish Galleon, Nuestra Señora de Esperanza and landed at what is now Morro Bay, California. 

In 2009, U.S. Congress recognized October as Filipino American History Month in the United States. Various states, counties and cities in the U.S. have have established proclamations and resolutions declaring observance of Filipino American History Month. The late Dr. Fred Cordova, along with his wife, FANHS Founder Dr. Dorothy Laigo Cordova, first introduced October as Filipino American History Month in 1992 with a resolution from the FANHS National Board of Trustees.
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Courts ruling against racist laws: Texas voters' ID law, Arizona ban Vs. Mexican American Studies

TWO RULINGS by federal judges threw out two proposed laws critics said were racist and supported by conservative groups. 

A voter ID law discriminated against minorities and an attempt to ban Mexican American studies in public schools were both turned down by district judges.

An attempt to impose a voter I.D. law in Texas was turned down by U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos of the Southern District of Texas. She said changes to the law passed earlier this year by the state’s GOP-controlled legislature that were meant to be less discriminatory than an earlier one did not accomplish that.

Ramos said the state did not allow enough types of photo IDs for voters, “even though the (5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals) was clearly critical of Texas having the most restrictive list in the country.”

Ramos' ruling will likely be appealed.

The Trump administration supported the ruling after he campaigned on cutting voter fraud, picking up a theme of fellow Republicans across the country. Critics have said the Texas law and similar statutes enacted in other Republican-controlled states are an effort to suppress voting, especially among African/Americans and Latinos who tend to favor Democrats.

Trump has made unsubstantiated allegations that millions of people voted illegally for Hillary Clinton in last November’s election, in which Clinton won the popular vote but lost the decisive Electoral College count.

"Jim Crow-era tactics have kept Texas Republicans in power,” said Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa. “From discriminatory gerrymandering to discriminatory voter ID laws, it has become entirely clear that Texas Republicans are rigging our election system.”

Ethnic studies ban illegal

Arizona's ban on ethnic studies courses aimed at Latino students, saying it was motivated by racial discrimination and violated pupils’ constitutional rights.

The decision by Judge A. Wallace Tashima issued on Tuesday (Aug. 22) came in response to a lawsuit by students and parents challenging the law, which ended a Mexican American Studies, or MAS, program run by the Tucson school district.

“The Court is convinced that decisions regarding the MAS program were motivated by a desire to advance a political agenda by capitalizing on race-based fears,” ruled Tashima.

About 64 percent of Arizona’s school students are Hispanic, according to state figures. The MAS program included units on Mexican American history, art and literature.

In three separate rulings earlier this year, Federal judges ruled against Trump's attempt to implement a Muslim ban on people from six predominantly Muslim countries. While the Supreme Court allowed parts of Trump's ban, the final version was severely limited in its implementation. Other controversial elements are still being challenged and the Supreme Court will hear arguments sometime after it convenes in October.

The lower court system is the one branch of government that is not yet dominated by the radical conservative ideology that has taken over the Republican party. At the federal level and certain other states like Texas, the GOP controls the legislative and executive branches.

The courts abide by the rule of law - at this time - which makes it even more important that Trump's administration is stymied as much possible to prevent him from nominating more activist judges who render judgements based on their personal and religious views rather than the Constitution. If allowed to go unchallenged, a Trump-appointed judicial system could change the perspective of the law for decades to come.

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Hindu Americans object to portrayal of their religion in California textbooks

A HINDU/AMERICAN advocacy group filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court last week against public school officials at the California Department of Education, State Board of Education, and several school districts throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Complaint alleges that Hinduism is not receiving the same degree of respect and treatment in California's history-social science curriculum and the official endorsement of other religions, based upon the U.S. Constitution.

California Parents for the Equalization of Educational Materials (CAPEEM) and three community members filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court Feb. 8.

“Hinduism is portrayed from a critical perspective, so I guess really what we’re asking for, is just be consistent,” said Glenn Katon, an attorney who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Hindu/Americans.

The curriculum framework adopted by the State Board of Education last summer devotes almost half the discussion of Hinduism to the caste system, which it portrays as a supposed Hindu religious belief. For every other religion, the SBE followed its policy of refusing negative examples that would instill prejudice -- according to the lawsuit, there is no mention of negative interpretations of Christianity that supported slavery or condemned same-sex relationships.

The Complaint alleges numerous other ways the California curriculum treats Hinduism unfairly and differently from all other religions. Every faith except Hinduism is taught from the perspective of the believer, using the characters, narrative and values of the religion's teachings. Hinduism is not described with characters and stories and is barely acknowledged as a religion at all.

“As a mother of two children in California public schools and a member of the Hindu community, I have seen the pain and embarrassment the current curriculum causes our families,” said Arti Kapoor of San Ramon, California in a statement issued by CAPEEM. “I hope this lawsuit will force the Department of Education to correct the discrimination we now face.”

Both the California Board of Education and the San Ramon Unified School District said they cannot comment on a case under litigation.

"Minority religions deserve fair treatment by the California public school system and it is clear that this curriculum discriminates against Hindus, which the Constitution does not allow," said Katon.

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