California
to adopt a new guide to Mexican American (Chicano) history, (and everyone else)
Cesar Chavez and Duane Campbell 1972 |
"Once
social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You can not un-educate the
person who has learned to read.. You cannot oppress the people who are not
afraid anymore.
Cesar
Chávez. November 9, 1984.
Update. the decision was made May 19. The proposed new framework passed the Quality Instructional Materials Committee. It is most likely to be adopted as is.
Update. the decision was made May 19. The proposed new framework passed the Quality Instructional Materials Committee. It is most likely to be adopted as is.
History
will change in May of 2016 for the students of California, and in subsequent
years students throughout the nation. Teachers. Are you prepared to teach all history?
We have
a unique opportunity to change the history books in California K-12 to
include Chicano/Mexican American history.
Mexican
American/ Chicano history is currently substantially absent from public school
textbooks and curriculum in California- and it has been since 1986.
Latino student political non participation and alienation from school is
significantly caused by Latino absence from the K-12 textbooks and curriculum.
For the
last two years the Mexican American Digital History Project and a broad group
of allies have been working for to add Chicano history to the California
History/Social Science Framework, the document that determines what goes into
textbooks in California. See https://sites.google.com/site/chicanodigital/
We are
pleased to inform you that the Quality Instructional Materials Commission an
advisory committee of the California
State Board of Education have completed their proposed revised framework and it
includes most of what we wanted on Mexican American history. A significant dispute remains on how the
document should cover Indian and Hindu history. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/us/debate-erupts-over-californias-india-history-curriculum.html
The final
document will be approved by the QIC on May 19, and soon thereafter by the
California State Board of Education.
The
documents are here along with a link to the live webcast.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/cc/cd/iqcpubmeetings2016.asp-
We are confident that this will be
resolved. For now, please monitor the
situation and continue to encourage
elected officials to include a history
inclusive of California’s children.
This is a breakthrough on an effort we have been working on
each revision since 1986. Thank all of
you who assisted. This will change the
textbooks in California at the next adoption.
For a detailed history of the effort, see here
https://sites.google.com/site/chicanodigital/home/why-california-students-do-not-know-chicano-history
Step by step the longest march can be won.
It is interesting to note that California
Departments of History in the CSU system including Sac State and the UC system have not been allies
nor helpful in this effort. A number of
other groups who should have been allies have been AWOL.
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