Ethnic Studies

Is Arizona’s banning of ethnic studies in universities, merely another budget cut, or can this be interpreted as a prejudice against having ethnic diversity in our education system? I find it ironic that the same state that led the campaign against illegal immigration, is now implementing this new ban of ethnic studies. This is being done with the excuse that it teaches a history filled with resentment toward Caucasian Americans. But hasn’t our traditional teaching of history been manipulated to idolize American pilgrims who in reality betrayed the Native Americans. I could not help but question the integrity of this state after visiting the Grand Canyon last year for spring break. It amazed me how the national park was filled with lush pine trees throughout the park leading up to residential neighborhoods around the area. Ironically, upon exiting the national park onto a Native American reservation, it occurred to me that the boarded met at the end of the lush forest and the beginning of a desolate dry desert. While this land dispute might be out of the states control, it almost feels as if this state continue to be indoctrinated with the social acceptance of keeping ethnic diversity out of sight and out of mind, in an effort to create their ideal society that exists without color. Unfortunately, just as society appeared to have escaped their constraints of segregation and racial discrimination, they find new ways of pretending that every ethnic race do not exist. It intrigues me to see how ethnic studies groups are now being shipped in to Arizona to support the cause of education in Arizona. Which in many ways resembles the forced assimilation of Native Americans in the late nineteenth century.  It was a result of the assimilation’s ethnic discrimination, that many Native American’s lost their cultural identity, and as a result of current action in Arizona that I believe many American’s will begin to lose a connection with their cultures, rather than have a respect for both of their identities.