Thread: Arizona Legislature Passes Bill Banning Ethnic Studies

Arizona Legislature Passes Bill Banning Ethnic Studies Programs

After making national headlines for a new law on illegal immigrants, the Arizona Legislature sent Gov. Jan Brewer a bill Thursday that would ban ethnic studies programs in the state that critics say currently advocate separatism and racial preferences.


After making national headlines for a new law on illegal immigrants, the Arizona Legislature passed a bill Thursday that would ban ethnic studies programs in the state that critics say currently advocate separatism and racial preferences.

The bill, which passed 32-26 in the state House, had been approved by the Senate a day earlier. It now goes to Gov. Jan Brewer for her signature.

The new bill would make it illegal for a school district to teach any courses that promote the overthrow of the U.S. government, promote resentment of a particular race or class of people, are designed primarily for students of a particular ethnic group or "advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals."

The bill stipulates that courses can continue to be taught for Native American pupils in compliance with federal law and does not prohibit English as a second language classes. It also does not prohibit the teaching of the Holocaust or other cases of genocide.

Schools that fail to abide by the law would have state funds withheld.

State Superintendent for Public Instruction Tom Horne called passage in the state House a victory for the principle that education should unite, not divide students of differing backgrounds.

"Traditionally, the American public school system has brought together students from different backgrounds and taught them to be Americans and to treat each other as individuals, and not on the basis of their ethnic backgrounds," Horne said. "This is consistent with the fundamental American value that we are all individuals, not exemplars of whatever ethnic groups we were born into. Ethnic studies programs teach the opposite, and are designed to promote ethnic chauvinism."

Horne began fighting in 2007 against the Tucson Unified School District's program, which he said defied Martin Luther King's call to judge a person by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. Horne claimed the ethnic studies program encourages "ethnic chauvanism," promotes Latinos to rise up and create a new territory out of the southwestern region of the United States and tries to intimidate conservative teachers in the school system.

But opponents said the bill would prevent teachers from using an academically proven method of educating students about history. They also argued that the Legislature should not be involved in developing school curriculum.

God bless Arizona!!!

I am seriously thinking of moving to Arizona.

Teach all kids in the U S American history, U S law and Government, and American values of liberty, freedom, and our constitution...Not this globalist, communist, anti-anglish hatred that the "chosen ones" harbor.

Wow, Arizona is getting busy! Keep up the good work, Arizona.

I guess having a Republican majority and Republican Governor can make a difference. Getting rid of the former Democrat, Gov. Janet Napolitano, was the best thing to happen for the citizens of Arizona in years.

Arizona got rid of a nightmare (Napolitano) but unfortunately we inherited it - thanks Obama!

Here's the link:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/04 ... -programs/

The new bill would make it illegal for a school district to teach any courses that promote the overthrow of the U.S. government, promote resentment of a particular race or class of people, are designed primarily for students of a particular ethnic group or "advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals."

It's amazing that any public would teach garbage like this to begin with! Arizona is taking out the trash...finally!

The AZ Legislature is on a roll.

When the going gets tuff the tuff get going.

You go AZ Americans are behind you to lead the way back to National Sovereignty.

I am seriously thinking of moving to Arizona.

Several of my friends have said the same thing.

Excellent news! Better to unite than divide, but hard to do with the present administration.

Wish I could move to Arizona too.