CSULB will participate in a national event aimed to raise awareness about the role of ethnic studies this week.
Planning for “Ethnic Studies Week” began when professor of Chicano and Latino Studies Victor Rodriguez received an e-mail from his colleague at the University of Minnesota, with an invitation to help organize a series of events, educating the public on the value of ethnic studies.
The invitation was prompted by the recent passage of the Arizona bill that banned ethnic studies.
The bill forbids schools from teaching classes that are designed for students of a particular ethnic group. Classes cannot promote resentment, advocate ethnic solidarity or encourage the overthrow of the U.S. government.
Rodriguez said the new law is not aimed at all ethnic studies, but Chicano and Latino Studies in particular. Therefore, he said he wants this event to give students a taste of what ethnic studies really are.
“Its not about making people feel good. It’s about telling the entire story,” he said.
Initially the project listed 75 university faculty members across the nation as sponsors of the event. Now the list contains 215 names.
The weeklong event includes a documentary entitled “Harvest of Loneliness,” speakers on immigration, a torture survivor and a CSULB undocumented student talking about their experience.
The event has gained support from many sponsors including the Department of Chicano and Latino Studies, the office of the President, Student Services, and the Center for Peace and Social Justice.
Most contributions to the event have been a product of volunteer work. With a limited budget, Rodriguez had no money for advertising. As a result, many students do not know about the event.
“If I wasn’t in a sociology class, I probably would not know about ethnic studies week,” senior sociology major Miguel Garcia said.
Professors with departments that are sponsoring the event are offering extra credit to students who are in attendance. Some Professors are taking their students to the event as a group outing.
Still, Rodriguez isn’t worried about a low turnout. He remains optimistic that most of his students will attend.
“Even if my professor didn’t offer extra credit, I would still make an effort to attend at least one of the forums,” junior sociology major Alonso Curiel said.
In spite of Rodriguez’s work to showcase the importance of ethnic studies, he hopes that eventually it will not exist, and instead, be woven into other majors.
“Frankly, [ethnic studies] should not exist,” Rodriguez said. “It should not be our job to do this.”
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