Ethnic Studies (9-12 Grade) | Elective

UCOP A-G Approved: Section G – Elective (History)

Ethnic Studies is a yearlong course that investigates the local and global struggles confronted by communities of color throughout history. It is an interdisciplinary course that introduces students to foundational concepts and methods for studying subjectivities such as ethnicity, class, and gender relations in the United States and in the world. Students study history, literature, music and art through a sociological lens with an end goal for them to develop their own unique and informed framework for interpreting struggle and inequality. The purpose is to identify and understand why social inequalities in the U.S. persist and how these inequalities are distributed across racial, gender and socioeconomic lines. This course includes a study of the histories, culture, and communities of racial minorities in the United States. The emphasis will be on Native-Americans, Chicanos/Latinos, African-Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and Arab-Americans, but other groups are also discussed. It will explore the origin, nature, and meaning of America's racial diversity in order to become more politically, socially, and economically conscious, making connections between personal, local, and global histories. As an interdisciplinary course it will use a comparative and historical perspective to examine the languages, family structures, spiritual traditions, economic and social issues, political aspirations, and values of diverse groups within the United States.