Ethnic Studies programs throughout the California State University system are facing cutbacks and dwindling resources, according to a recent report in the Los Angeles Times.
It would truly be sad to see this erosion continue especially since San Francisco State University is where the ethnic studies movement began in the 60s. A blog by Calvin Ratana in the California State University Northridge student newspaper, Daily Sundial, is a call to the picket lines for students to rally against these cuts.
But unlike the 60’s, students aren’t facing the prospect of being drafted into an unpopular war. With the exception of maybe huge tuition increases, few issues these days captivate the student’s attention the way they did in the 60’s.
Wrote Ratana:
I do not want Asian-American history to be erased, and I do not want the stories of other ethnicities to be erased as well. Ethnic studies is our forefront against the complete erasure of people of color’s history and culture. Race issues remain relevant in this day and age and we need ethnic studies to educate students on how to feel relevant in the world and effectively deal with racism.
What do you think? Will the fight to save ethnic studies be a rallying cry that unite students on campuses? Or is that a dream better left in a time capsule for another time and era?
