ETHNIC STUDIES (Period 2)

Ethnic Studies courses operate from the consideration that race and racism, have been, and continue to be,
profoundly powerful social and cultural forces in American society. These courses focus on the
experiences of African Americans, Asian Americans, Chicanas/os and Latinas/os, Native Americans, and
other racialized peoples in the US. Courses are grounded in the concrete situations of people of color, and
use a methodological framing that emphasizes both the structural dimensions of race and racism and the
associated cultural dimensions (Adapted from UC Berkeley, Department of Ethnic Studies).
The major purpose of this course is to educate students to be politically, socially, and economically
conscious about their personal connections to local and national history. Ethnic Studies focuses on themes
of social justice, social responsibility, and social change. The course spans from past to present, from
politics to social reform, allowing students to identify similar social patterns and universal qualities
present in other societies, including their own. This course will focus on the experiences of African
American, Asian Americans, Latino American, and American Indians. This course will also include an
Identity section where students will consider concepts related to their own personal, group, and/or
national identity.