As if she hasn't done enough to create the most hated state in the Union, this week Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed a bill that bans the teaching of ethnic studies in public schools. The law, which takes effect December 31, bans classes that are designed for a particular ethnic group, promote overthrow of the U.S. government, foster resentment toward a particular race or class, or "advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals."
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said the bill was written to target a Mexican-American studies program in the Tucson school system. The 14-year-old program offers courses in standard topics like literature and history, but with an emphasis on Latino authors or history. It also has specialized courses with African-American and Native American emphasis.
What? We don't want people learning about Hispanics or Africans! How can we keep them outta our state if we let our kids learn about 'em?
Although just 2 percent of the Tucson Unified School District's 55,000 students are enrolled in the program, the governor has seen fit to ban it. Sean Arce, who runs the Tucson program, said that students do better in school when presented with material that includes people who look like them.
Go figure.
"It's a highly engaging program that we have, and it's unfortunate that the state Legislature would go so far as to censor these classes," Arce said.
But Tom Horne, who, incidentally, is running for Attorney General of Arizona, and therefore wants to pander to the racists and fascists of his jurisdiction, says the program teaches Latino students that they are oppressed by white people. "It's just like the old South," he said, "And it's long past time that we prohibited it."
The Old South was "Whites Only," too, Mr. Horne, and your new anti-anything-but-white classrooms are falling back into that pattern.
You, Governor Brewer, and the entire state of Arizona ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
Sidenote: the bill leaves it up to the state Board of Education or superintendent to decide whether a school violates the law, but a school that does not comply could lose 10 percent of its state aid each month.
