According to the Tucson Unified School District of Arizona, ethnic studies are viewed as a foundation through which the lives of Mexican Americans can be transformed. In the documentary Precious Knowledge , the program proponents argue that teaching the learners about Mexican-American will reduce dropout rates among Chicano high school students. For instance, the Mexican American/ Raza Studies program led to an increase in the graduation rate among the Mexican-Americans by 93% ( Palos, 2012 ). The inclusion of the course in the school's education program was also viewed to enable the learners to acquire knowledge about the social justice pedagogy of the Raza community. The program centers on searching the truth and concept of love in the Mexican-American communities. For instance, different stakeholders of Tucson High School, such as the teachers, students, and the parents, viewed that the inclusion of ethnic studies in the curriculum fosters the development of self-conscious and productive learners in the community. Tucson Unified School District also lamented that ethnic studies would enable the Mexican-Americans to understand the opportunistic politics that has dominated their lives for a long. The film highlighted that equipping the Raza students with knowledge about their own cultural beliefs and identifying as Mexicans will help them voice their political concerns ( Palos, 2012 ). The documentary argues that the Raza community had been stereotyped by the mainstream media, and thus, contributing to the political landscape is a challenge. Therefore, teaching the young generation about their cultural heritage will lead to unheralded contributions of the Mexican-Americans in politics in the United States. Tucson Unified School District views that the students who understand their origin and their role in the U.S. will be able to develop activism activities that challenge the United States Legislation from interfering with the true critical self-awareness quest of the Mexican-Americans.
Question 2
The students loved the courses, teachers, and the readings because they centered on the concept of social justice. The course incorporated students' culture into the classroom, making most of them acquire in-depth knowledge about their ethnic heritage. In the film Precious Knowledge , one could see how the students celebrated the program by walking from Tucson to Phoenix while singing and dancing happily. They also loved the program and the class because it challenged them to become the “warriors for their gente” and take action from what they learn in the classroom ( Palos, 2012 ). Their instructors emphasized the need for students to prepare their bodies and mind and work as a team to promote the importance of their culture. In their classes, the learners were inspired to "read the world, not words" ( Palos, 2012 ). The quote demonstrates that students should engage in developing projects that can solve the challenges facing Mexican-Americans. For instance, the course became the inspiration for their later role in their engagement and activism in the face of legislative opposition to fix the problem of banning ethnic studies. The MAS course and class were essential in learning about cultural challenges and how to address issues facing Mexican-Americans.
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The students loved their teachers for various reasons. One of the main issues was their support for the cultural education program. The teachers contributed to the information used by the faculty in incorporating the student's culture in classrooms. The second reason is associated with joining the students to celebrate teaching MAS in Tucson High School. The teachers joined the students in their street celebration from Tucson to Phoenix due to cultural studies in their curriculum. Lastly, the students loved their teachers because they taught them about their culture and encouraged them to reflect, realize, and reconcile its past. For instance, teachers such as Gonzales and Acosta, who taught "Developing Critical Consciousness: Resistance Literature in a Chicano Literature Class," encouraged the students to discover their heritage and purpose ( Palos, 2012) . The information was vital in maintaining the class attendance and motivating the learners to appreciate their culture.
Question 3
Despite the importance of ethnic studies to the Mexican-Americans, opposition arose. One of the major bases against the course was based on its legality. According to opposes of the program, such as Horne, teaching Raza cultural practice conflicted with American citizenship, which encouraged the unification of all racial groups through education programs. Based on Hornes Bill SB11069, the legality of teaching ethnic programs was challenged ( Palos, 2012) . Lawmakers and politicians also opposed the program by arguing that Paulo Freire's textbook, The Pedagogy of the Oppressed , used by the Tucson faculty, teaches sedition and victimization ( Palos, 2012) . The claims and assumptions based on the textbook are used to mount a public relations campaign to discredit passionate students. Those opposing the MAS program also argued that it would divide the learners by race and promote ethnic chauvinism if allowed to continue. According to the educational attorney, Horne, the program was against the fundamental American ideal that views all individuals are entitled to be judged based on their character and knowledge, and not a race. Therefore, by insinuating that the studies equip the learners with their cultural understanding, Horne argues that the proponents of MAS or Raza studies will destroy the unified racial fabric existing in the U.S.
Nonetheless, those who rejected the program also remarked that Benjamin Franklin was not displayed. The Senate Education Committee and Huppental viewed that it was inappropriate for Tucson to write a teaching textbook without the portrait of Benjamin Franklin. The basis discussed led to two new bills, HB 2281 and SB 1070, by the legislatures against ethnic studies ( Palos, 2012) . Before voting for the new bills, the state educational attorney Tom Horne and John Huppenthal engaged the faculty and the students in the discourse. Their main aim was to present their displeasure about the program by pointing out how it contradicted the educational law of the U.S. In the end, Horne rallied against the program leading to it being declared unconstitutional.
Question 4
In response to the declaration that the program was illegal by the legislatures, the students and teachers responded by arguing that ethnic education is the entire nation's future. According to them, the program is a cornerstone of the growing communities in the United States, such as Latinos. In their quest to fight against the opposition for the program termination, the teachers and the students demonstrated their displeasure of the HB 2280 bill by rallying the community to support them in convincing state education attorneys on the importance of the course ( Palos, 2012) . One week later, they staged a sit-down down in the state building where Duga and Horne held the press conference. They called out the policymakers to allow Mexican-American students to learn and appreciate their indigenous ancestors and deep history. They argued that the governor's HB 2281 bill should not be signed into law since it will make the Mexican-Americans appear like invaders and outsiders in the United States ( Palos, 2012) . Despite being forced by the security to leave the state building, they refused by emphasizing that they will only vacate the premise after their complaints have been heard. As a result of defying the security personnel orders, eleven teachers and four students were arrested. Regardless of their efforts, Governor Jan Brewer signed the controversial HB 2281 bill into law.
Question 5
The program's ultimate fate is being reintroduced as part of the school curriculum in Tucson Unified Schools. After its banning, the teachers, students, and community members engaged in demonstrations. With the growing number of ethnic groups that spearhead ethnic education to be included in the curriculum, lawsuits will emerge appealing against Governor Jan Brewer signing the HB 2281 bill into law. In the United States, the law highlights that a course that promotes resentment against other communities is unlawful. However, in the Tucson Unified School District case, the program was intended to allow the learners to understand their ancestry and cultural perspectives. The banning of the program made students mobilize how they can save their classes through texts, optimism, and megaphone. The process will ultimately draw the attention of other educational stakeholders to challenge the unlawful banning of the program.
After reading the articles, the ending of the film led to the evaluation of ethnic studies from an educational perspective and based on the law. For instance, after evaluating the case, a federal judge overturned the case in Arizona that had led to its previous banning of the program. According to Judge Wallace Tashima, the declaration of the MAS education unconditional was motivated by racial discrimination ( Harris, 2017) . He views that the problem violated the constitutional rights of the learners. Nonetheless, the film also realized later that Horne's decision was instigated by his desire to advance a political agenda leading him to capitalize the MAS ethnic studies as based on race ( Astrid Galvan the Associated Press, 2017) . It is also racist to oppose ethnic education in K-12 and higher learning education ( Huerta, 2020) . With the justification of educational proponents and judges that banning the program is illegal, it will commence again.
References
Astrid Galvan The Associated Press. (2017). Judge: Racism behind Arizona ban on TUSD's Mexican-American studies . Arizona Daily Star. https://tucson.com/news/local/judge-racism-behind-arizona-ban-on-tusds-mexican-american-studies/article_468a9280-bf80-5df8-82d3-dadb5b608cf7.html
Harris, T. (2017). Arizona ban on ethnic studies unconstitutional: U.S. judge . U.S. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-arizona-education/arizona-ban-on-ethnic-studies-unconstitutional-u-s-judge-idUSKCN1B32DE
Huerta, A. (2020). Why students should be required to take ethnic studies (opinion) . Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Career Advice, Jobs. https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2020/05/15/why-students-should-be-required-take-ethnic-studies-opinion
Palos, A. (2012). Watch precious knowledge (2012) movie online . Watch Precious Knowledge (2012) Movie Online. https://www.watchonline.guide/movies/precious-knowledge?origin=google&google_params[matchtype]=b&google_params[network]=g&google_params[device]=c&google_params[creative]=409610789954&google_params[keyword]=&google_params[adposition]=&google_params[adgroupid]=76670597006&google_params[campaignid]=6481291101&bs=&google_params[feeditemid]=&google_params[targetid]=dsa-443917742524&google_params[loc_interest_ms]=&google_params[loc_physical_ms]=9031112&google_params[devicemodel]=&google_params[target]=&new_api=true&dest=0&sys_id=0|739&gclid=CjwKCAjwx6WDBhBQEiwA_dP8rcgPTuK4Sr7q5V0qxU3iih-7EzuOiJGKghxliSckFhGEVHF7Yhig3hoCpqwQAvD_BwE
Sagas, E. (2018). Why we need ethnic studies (Now more than ever) . Magazine. https://magazine.libarts.colostate.edu/article/why-we-need-ethnic-studies-now-more-than-ever/
