Alejo bill moves California toward offering Ethnic Studies

by Roque Planas

A bill introduced last month by California Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D-Salinas) would require the state's Department of Education to develop a model for implementing a standardized, statewide ethnic studies curriculum for high schools.

Although controversies over Mexican-American studies have roiled conservatives in Southwestern states, Alejo's bill could put California on the path to adopting one of the most ambitious ethnic studies program for public schools in the country.

Latinos are the largest ethnic group in California schools by far, making up 53 percent of the student body, according to the California Department of Education. They are followed by non-Hispanic whites, at 26 percent, and Asians, at 9 percent.

But though people of color make up the solid majority of California's schools, ethnic studies proponents say their history and culture remain largely absent from classrooms and textbooks.

"We have probably one of the most diverse student populations in the country," Alejo told The Huffington Post. "We recognize those unique values and history, language and literatures -- all of that should be included in California’s high school curriculum."

See the well researched article here.  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/03/california-ethnic-studies_n_4892111.html

This is an important step in the direction urged by the Mexican American Digital History Project for years. 

Drivers License bill passes - after decades.

Raises to the  state minimum wage also pass. 
Last night the California legislature passed the bill that has been blocked in the legislature for over a decade.

 At approximately 9:35 P.M., today - September 12th - the California Assembly passed AB60 by a vote margin of 55 to 18, one day after Assemblyman Luis Alejo had pulled his legislation to make it a two-year bill.  "Justice delayed is justice denied," responded Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo when he heard of Alejo's decision.  Cedillo is the original author of the driver's license legislation, AB60, in 1998 when he arrived at the state assembly. 

Alejo's decision was based on pressure both he and Assembly Speaker John Perez received from labor unions, in particular SEIU in the person of Eliseo Medina, International Vice President, and the California Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, who essentially ordered them to not proceed with the legislation.  It was never made clear what their real objections were only to say that they mentioned the issue of the distinguishing feature that the proposed license would bear, a DP instead of DL preceding the serial number that appears on the document.  However, it was rumored that the unions were seeking to extract some other favor or benefit from the governor and sought to hold the bill as leverage.