Arizona bill targets ban on ethnic studies

[ArizonaLiberal]

Source: Arizona Republic

by Mary Jo Pitzl - May. 1, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic .
The state's top school official is touting a bill that he says will end ethnic-studies classes, which he claims segregate students by race.

The measure, House Bill 2281, passed the House of Representatives in the final hours of the legislative session with one vote to spare. It's one of dozens of bills on Gov. Jan Brewer's desk that she must act on by May 11.


• Senate Bill 1307, which bans human-animal hybrids. It won narrow approval in both chambers of the Legislature this week. Opponents ridiculed its attempt to legislate actions that they say have no foundation in reality, with Democrats cracking jokes about minotaurs and mermaids.

But proponents, such as Cathi Herrod of the Center for Arizona Policy, said there is evidence that such activities have been happening in Europe, and they want to prevent that from coming to Arizona.



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/05/01/20100501arizona-bill-bans-ethnic-studies.html#ixzz0mf81Osz3

Coming on the heels of the state's new immigration-enforcement law, the bill could further fuel the controversy over Arizona's treatment of people of Hispanic descent.



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2010/05/01/20100501arizona-bill-bans-ethnic-studies.html#ixzz0mf4mduk3


Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2010/05/01/20100501arizona-bill-bans-ethnic-studies.html

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And on it goes. This also prohibits black history, native american studies ...blah..blah. and of course SB 1397 prohibits inter-species mating.

[depakid]

1. First the enlightenment & Jefferson in Texas- now the Anasazi, Hohokam- and Tohono O'odham

One wonders what the state will look like in 200 years-

Tucson:



Flagstaff:



Phoenix:

[Downwinder]

2. Aren't English speakers an ethnic group?

This should shut the whole system down.

[saracat]

4. Many of the GOP legislators have barely a high school education. The Governor doesn't have a college

degree. They do not know the meaning of the words used in the bill. They only changed the immigration bill because no one could define "lawful" so they removed it. I am not joking. One of these clowns, who has a degree from an air conditioning school(apologies to all who are intelligent and have such degrees) wanted to remove prerequisites from state university degree requirements because he didn't see why engineers or math majors should take English or history. He thought it would save money to eliminate them.I swear I am not making this up. As you can see above their level of understanding is very low.

[Downwinder]

5. I graduated from Phoenix Central High in 1959.

I think I'll skip the reunion. Sure am glad I got out.

[midnight]

13. I went to Bourgade High.... The best parties on the desert.... But that was a time

when everyone hung out with everyone.... I don't know what has happened?

[bliss_eternal]

8. omg--that is beyond horrible.

...and bordering on the most insane thing i've ever heard. :scared:

i can't believe these dudes are in charge of an entire state, that is diverse as it is. yet they want to create laws as if the country was only populated w/non-ethnic people. :banghead:

do they seriously think/believe that if they ignore ethnic people, take away classes that teach people about other cultures....poof...all diversity will magically disappear, if they just wish it hard enough? :crazy:

[Downwinder]

10. Del Webb only went till fourth grade. Lack of a formal

education is not an excuse for stupid.

[awoke_in_2003]

as an engineering major...

these other so-called "useless" classes help round an individual out. This guy is an ass who doesn't want to be exposed to other areas of thought.

[awoke_in_2003]

27. as an engineering major...

these other so-called "useless" classes help round an individual out. This guy is an ass who doesn't want to be exposed to other areas of thought.

[pampango]

15. I think Arizona's repub lawmakers only think of minorities as ethnic groups. I wonder

what they would think of a hypothetical law in France that prohibited the teaching of the US role in WWII and the liberation of France because it might encourage ethnic (minority language speakers) pride.

[saracat]

3. Broadly interpreted this would also mean no celebrations of any other "culture" than US.

No more French Days , or German or Russian or Japanese. No field trips downtown to cultural centers. No Cinco De Mayo. And of course no teachers with "accents" so it is likely teaching foreign languages is "OUT" depending on how broad a brush they use! We really have got to vote these people out, and the Hispanics have simply GOT to vote this time. NO excuses. Period.

[bliss_eternal]

9. were numbers for Hispanic votes low...

...for that particular region?

[AzJusticeFreedom]

19. They will be higher this election cycle.

[saracat]

23. One hopes, but historically, that has not been the case. It may drive folks yet farther away.

[saracat]

22. Particular region? You mean all of Arizona? There is always a low Hispanic vote.

We keep talking and talking about the Hispanic vote and getting the Hispanic vote. It is almost mythic. Many just do NOT vote.

[bliss_eternal]

26. Thanks for letting me know...

...saracat. That makes me so sad.

Back in the day, and even in crunch times today--many celebs of color (african american)got buses, vans, etc. to help get people to the polls, who may not be able to get their themselves (i.e. aa's who are elderly, ill, lacking transportation, etc.).

I'm hopeful that someone pays attention to this population and helps to get them out next time, or at least finds out what's keeping them from polls.

[awoke_in_2003]

28. "No Cinco De Mayo"

Saying "No Cinco de Mayo" in Texas would be like saying "No St Paddy's Day" in Boston.

[SargeUNN]

6. one good thing that didn't happen today in AZ

the bill that would require a presidential candidate to show his birth certificate to get on the ballot in Arizona did not get voted. It was tabled, some believe due to the anger of a certain member over 1070 so it will be awhile before it ever sees action again.

[bliss_eternal]

7. Ethnocentric hysteria...

...blatantly intolerant and basicly saying "ignorance of those that differ from caucasians is a good thing." wtf kind of thing is that to teach young people?

[BreweryYardRat]

11. Daaaamn.

Lord knows I'm not exactly a pillar of social enlightenment, but even I understand the need for ethnic studies classes.

The Arizona legislature's sounding more reactionary and Nazi-esque by the day. We the people might have to do something about them, or pretty soon it'll be "Mexikaner heraus!"

[pinboy3niner]

12. Perhaps the tribes ought to just repo the whole darned state nt

[newfie11]

14. This is so sad.

Other nationalities and their culture are fascinating. What a boring world this would be if we were all alike.

[safeinOhio]

16. After Reagan

my country has turned into a big snowball rolling down hill toward stupid.

[nyy1998]

20. Don't associate the whole country with Arizona.

[saracat]

29. Arizona is hardly unique in this. All one has to do is read the polls.

[Rozlee]

17. One little stipulation on that bill stands out to me.

The one about not teaching the overthrow of the U.S. government. Does that mean they won't be teaching their classes about Tea Parties and militias? I don't understand this bill. How does any class teach the overthrow of the U.S. government? I took Hispanic studies in college. No where did it teach me anything about do away with the government.

[Bette Noir]

18. Will human-bacteria hybrids also be banned?

That's where the human insulin that keeps many diabetics alive comes from.

I guess they'll have to go back to pork insulin, if they're not Jewish, Muslim, vegetarian, or allergic.

Edited, as always, for typing before caffeine.

[David__77]

21. With its anti-"class resentment" clause, it reads like a fascist law.

So would this law also prevent instructors from talking about the US economic structure's extreme polarization. I mean, that's fanning the flames of class struggle... They are apparently going for broke to become a fascist republic.

[Bill McBlueState]

24. Yes, because prohibiting people from studying what interests them

is about as consistent with America's founding principles as you can get. :eyes:

[Ratty]

25. I was forced to take an ethnic studies class and I wasn't happy about it

It was a college requirement. For a physics major. WTF? You know what? Loved it. One of the most interesting classes I took all semester. Of all the things I've forgotten from college I still remember the stuff I was taught in that class.