There are some similarities in terms of trouble for students attending SFSU in 1968 and now. Minorities in '68 fought for a greater sense of equality in relation to their respective histories and stuggles. Today, there is another threat, the rising cost of tuition. Tuition is rising at an alarming rate for CSUs. This can deter minorities of low income housing from attending, making the workplace all that much more tempting upon graduation from high school, maybe even sooner. Once again, education has been set to the wayside due to it's lack of importance or prevalence.
Perhaps one of the largest problems that needed to be addressed was the establishment and solidarity of a school of ethics. In order for such a program to take root and gain momentum, it had to be treated equal and fair, just as all the other schools were. This was a large goal, but was ultimately achieved. It not only go the ball rolling for ethic studies at SFSU, but has kept it going strong. The program had just as large of an impact today as it did then.
A conversation may quickly get heated, but assuming both were level headed and open minded, it would be a fair exchange of ideas and viewpoints that would result in a similar conclusion. The striker would argue that an emphasis on minorities past and history would allow deeper insight into one's own culture and history. This in turn would culture a respective outlook on their ancestors, and thus deveolp a greater sense of being and overall justification of themselves in present culture. The legislator would argue that learning of any history other than American promotes distast and a bias toward whites. Being Latino myself, I always wondered where my people played a role or what they were doing during the American Revolution. Not until I got older did I realize that Mexico themselves had a revolution against Spain in order to become an independent nation. Rather than alienate me from American culture, it further grounded me into it. Revolution is a huge part of a country's heritage in general, a time of independence and change for the better. It further emphasized the ideals of both countries, made me proud.
I've taken quite a few courses that easily cross the line and break the law that would be set forth by the HB 2281 act. The Civil War itself was about the largest attempt to overthrow the United states government as we know it today, and yet it is a cornerstone of American history. The bottom line is that the inclusion of racial minorities' past into education is not detrimental, but empowering. It can give the self peace of mind and a sense of belonging. This in turn allows for an easy assimilation into society.
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Hi Lorenzo,
ReplyDeleteI love the connections that you made between the '68 strikers and student today; the '68 strikers were fighting for an education that was relevant to students of Color and today's students are fighting for an education that is affordable, an especially acute problem for students of color. I think these similarities are very important (and most likely related) at a University like SF State.
In your paragraph 2, you talk about 'ethic studies' and a 'college of ethics'. I am unsure if this is a typo or not, however, 'ethic studies' and 'ethNic studies' are two very different things. I want to make sure you review the differences between moving forward.
Lastly, thank you very much for sharing your experience of learning about the Revolutions in both Mexico and the United States. This is a beautiful (and well written!) example of the benefits of learning multiple histories.
--eas