Hub City: An Introduction to Ethnic Studies Proposed Course for 2020-2021 Submitted by the CUSD Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee Course Description Ethnic Studies in Compton Unified School District (CUSD) is the interdisciplinary study of historically marginalized populations who have experienced, survived, and resisted systems and structures of oppression. This Ethnic Studies course aims to educate students to be politically, socially, and economically conscious about their personal connections to local and (trans)national histories. By studying the histories of race, ethnicity, gender, and culture, students will cultivate respect and empathy for individuals and intersectional solidarity with groups of people, locally and (trans)nationally, to foster active social engagement, radical healing, critical hope, and community building. The course prepares students to participate in concurrent or subsequent social studies and literature courses with a solid understanding of historical trends and more developed historical thinking skills. The course develops academic skills in reading, analysis, writing and presenting historical narratives and action research. Students will also explore their creative and artistic talents in their production of knowledge and social change. This survey of U.S. history gives students opportunities to work with and understand the variety of perspectives that shapes the richness and complexity of the United States as well as the City of Compton. Units Identified Unit 1: Identity Essential Question : What are the internal and external forces that shape our identities? Unit 1 Description : Throughout this unit, students will work towards building a community that is based on trust and accountability within the classroom. This atmosphere is essential for students to explore their own identities and appreciate the identities of others. Students will explore local indigeneity, through examining their ancestral roots, and their connection to Compton. Within this section, students will analyze the cultural heritage of the native people to this land specifically, among other indigenous populations. Students will continue exploring their historical identity by analyzing various local and national historical events. Through these historical events, students will deconstruct their identities and those of historically marginalized
groups. Students will begin to articulate their intersectional identities. Students will be introduced to how an ethnic studies program has the potential to positively impact their intellectual development, school culture, and community pride. The overall objective of the Identity Unit is for students to explore themselves and how they fit into society. Unit 2: Systems of Oppression Essential Question : To what extent do people use power to create systems which allocate privilege and enforce oppression? Unit 2 Description : Through complex analysis of how oppressive systems and institutions impact different groups in the United States, students will use critical thinking skills to identify and evaluate the forms of resistance that specific groups use(d) to counter oppressive structures, institutions, and narratives. Using John Bell’s work identifying the “Four I’s” of oppression and privilege--Ideological, Institutional, Interpersonal, Individual--students will examine oppressive structures and institutions that have proven particularly intractable over time, such as white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism. Students will focus on comparing how institutions, such as public education, the legal system, the immigration system, the health care system, the housing system, the labor system, prison/detention institutions, and the economic system, have functioned over time to impact groups’ oppression, and to determine their resistance. Students will connect the learning from this unit to their own community and reflect on ways that oppressive systems and institutions have impacted their lives. Students will evaluate strategies of resistance that can be directly applied to systems of oppression which immediately affect them, and will determine potential next steps of working towards equity and equality. Unit 3: Hub City Essential Question : How have historical and social forces framed Compton’s identity? Unit 3 Description : This unit explores regional identities that emerge throughout the United States with a focus on the City of Compton during the early 20th century. As mass media develops in different forms (print, broadcast, digital), students will analyze how the changing forms represented Compton. Students will reflect on how media representations affect municipal identity. Students will determine how demographic changes, economic activities, and media representation affect the character of the Compton region. Students will examine different waves of migration and immigration, including their push and pull factors. A key objective of this unit is to analyze the degree of acceptance and change various groups display when such forces become prevalent. At the same time, students will explore possible alternatives to past narratives and possible future outcomes. Students incorporate their knowledge of personal identity and systems of oppression to connect and compare the development of a territory’s identity over time along with comparing them to other areas. Ultimately, students will evaluate
the impact of geography on these regions while exposing political and economic ethnic exploitation. Unit 4: Solidarity Essential Question : To what extent can intersectional solidarity promote transformational change and radical healing? Unit 4 Description : Students will apply their knowledge of oppressive systems to the purpose of understanding how intersectional solidarity promotes transformational change. Students will investigate local and national history topics that demonstrate solidarity in reaction to marginalization. To avoid essentializing these movements, students will practice asking critical questions and examining actions from multiple perspectives. They are able to compare and contrast the reaction of each group and their actions to solve the particular issue. Students will also evaluate the effectiveness of strategies. Students will revisit their understandings of their intersectional identities and recognize how their own progress towards radical healing is informed by solidarity. Unit 5: Futurism & Dreaming Essential Question : How can we transform society for the greater good and what is my role in creating that new future? Unit 5 Key Description : Students will continue to critically interrogate power structures, analyzing the impacts of decolonization on society, expanding on some of the migration forces, and examples introduced in Unit 3. Students will contrast examples of acculturation and deculturation. Although political and economic impacts will be explored, emphasis will be placed on social and cultural impacts. Students will investigate collective hope and empowerment and apply these concepts to reimagining Compton. Students’ exploration of these concepts will be aided by examining relevant art and literature. Unit 6: Community Action Project Essential Question : What acts of transformative resistance are necessary for us to create a more just society? Unit 6 Description : In this final unit, students will work towards answering this essential question by combining what they have learned throughout the course with Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR). YPAR is a youth-led, community research project based on social justice principles. To prepare for this culminating task, students will review the historical and contemporary economic, political and sociocultural issues within their communities and how those issues have evolved.
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