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Arizona Bans Ethnic Studies

[Jon Wiener started writing for The Nation in 1984. He's also professor of history at the University of California, Irvine, and a Los Angeles radio host.]

The Arizona legislature has passed a bill that will end ethnic studies classes in the state, according to the state's top education official.

The bill bans classes that "promote resentment toward a race or class of people," "are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group," or "advocate ethnic solidarity instead of treating pupils as individuals."

Also prohibited: all those classes that "promote the overthrow of the U.S. government."

The author of the bill, Tom Horne, the state superintendent of public instruction, is running for the Republican nomination for state attorney general. He told local media that his target is the Mexican-American studies curriculum in Tucson public schools. The bill however applies to all public and charter schools from kidergarten through 12th grade.

One might object that the bill itself "promotes resentment toward a race or class of people."...
Read entire article at Jon Wiener, writing in The Nation