The state of California is making at least one semester of Ethnic Studies a high school graduation requirement. While this is only mandated for the Class of 2030, meaning that schools are only required to implement this course into their catalog by the 2025-2026 school year, many school districts have already adopted and incorporated ethnic studies curriculum into their course catalogs, including Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) in 2024-2025.
Illustrated by Yekta Mousavi
Written by Viviana Chen & Alice Zhao
Edited by Catherine Qin
What is it & why is it being implemented?
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 101, which detailed the graduation requirement and provided an approved model Ethnic Studies curriculum, into law in 2021. Despite similar bills having been introduced in other US states such as Massachusetts, Illinois, and Michigan, among others, California is currently the first and only state to mandate the completion of one semester of Ethnic Studies to graduate high school.
The approved model curriculum focuses on African-American, Latino, Native American, and Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, specifically on their history, contributions to America, struggles, and more.
However, the bill was extremely contentious when it was introduced, and even now due to the recent debates over the introduction of critical race theory (CRT), which describes the idea that racism is inherently systemic and not the result of individual prejudices, in the classroom. Previous versions of the model curriculum garnered criticisms of being too politically correct, anti-Semitic, and critical of capitalism. Organizations also expressed the need for an introduction to the complexities of the European-American immigrant experience, such as the prejudices experienced by Italian-Americans and the impact of the Armenian Genocide.
Researchers Sade Bonilla, Thomas S. Dee, and Emily K. Penner argued that the curriculum, developed by ethnic studies professors, is highly credible and essential for students, as it allows them to explore their own cultural backgrounds and the histories of underrepresented groups. By investigating systemic racism and marginalized experiences, the course fosters critical thinking and engagement in important social discussions. These researchers found increased GPAs and improved attendance rates among students enrolled in ethnic studies. Students with GPAs near 2.0 saw some of the greatest benefits, increasing their chances of graduating high school.
Proponents also believe that learning about the diverse histories of marginalized communities is a necessary step in creating a more empathetic and informed society that can better address contemporary inequality and social justice issues. “Being a high school graduate has so many long-term economic benefits: more civic engagement, better health outcomes, less criminal activity,” said Thomas Dee, an education professor at Stanford University and one of the authors of the study. “It’s an engine for positive social outcomes.”
On the other hand, critics of the Ethnic Studies curriculum argue that it is too politicized, potentially divisive, and even anti-white. Not only will this teach students to play the victim, but it will also teach students to view history through a polarized lens as discussions are framed in a way that promotes a victim-versus-oppressor narrative.
Additionally, there is concern that teachers are not adequately prepared to deliver the material. Although there are resources from UC Berkeley Resource Hub, Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Guidelines, and High School Ethnic Studies Initiative Library, providing digital resources, classroom material, and teaching methods, these tools are all relatively new and teachers must learn this new curriculum alongside the other class(es) they teach. Not only this could lead to teachers reducing the quality of other core courses they teach, but also to poorly executed lessons or biased interpretations, particularly around contentious issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Even though some critics conceded that the lessons taught are necessary, there is a lot of disagreement on whose experiences should be highlighted and how they should be highlighted. When the Instructional Quality Commission first published the first draft of the curriculum, some Jewish Americans applauded the new material on Jewish culture and history while others contended that it was still anti-Semitic.
Impact on FUSD
In FUSD, where the course has already been implemented ahead of the statewide mandate, these concerns are particularly relevant as the district navigates the challenges of balancing the curriculum with other subjects like civics and health. Currently, FUSD is working to develop an ethnic studies curriculum of its own (aligning it with the state model), providing training opportunities for existing teachers, hiring new teachers with a focus on this area, running pilot courses, and gathering student feedback. They are implementing one semester of ethnic studies and one semester of health and removing the once-required semester of civics. As FUSD and other districts in the Bay Area have a high concentration of immigrants, this curriculum may thoroughly engage students in discussion topics they have a personal say in, signaling potential success for this curriculum.
To truly maximize the potential of ethnic studies, California must not just adequately prepare teachers, approach the material with open-mindedness, and continuously refine the curriculum, but refine it to embrace the inclusion of all sorts of identities, especially through fostering robust student-led discussions. In doing so, every student—regardless of their background—can share their unique stories and engage in meaningful dialogue about their ethnic identities, learning empathy and cultural appreciation. After all, students are learning about themselves and each other. Despite the critique, this new curriculum is set to improve students' academic performance, giving California the opportunity to change the way the next generation is educated.
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