It can be hard to feel connected to community when you can’t physically be in community. However, organizations are stepping up to provide opportunities to connect virtually. To celebrate the wealth of online events out there, and to make content from these events accessible to folks who may not be able to virtually attend, AAOP is recapping 1-3 online opportunities each month! You can see our past and future recaps at http://aaopmn.org/tag/virtual-event-recap/
From March 17-19, the Youth Ethnic Studies Coalition (also known as Youth 4 Ethnic Studies) hosted their first-ever Youth Ethnic Studies Summit. The Youth Ethnic Studies Coalition is a group of youth and young people working towards implementation of ethnic studies in the state of Minnesota. The coalition was a crucial part of getting an ethnic studies requirement passed by the Minneapolis school board in November 2020.
On Day 1 of the Youth Ethnic Studies Summit, the Youth Ethnic Studies Coalition hosted a youth-only virtual space for testimonies and storytelling by youth, for youth. On Day 2, teachers, organizers, and students all came together virtually to discuss the incredible impact of ethnic studies in schools. On Day 3, the focus was on policy and how to make ethnic studies a right and reality for all Minnesota youth.
This recap covers Day 2 of the Youth Ethnic Studies Summit. To kick the workshop off, moderator Jose Alvillar of Unidos MN invited all participants to think of someone they were bringing into the space with them as an inspiration for engaging in this work. Folks were then put in breakout rooms to share within small groups.
Some participants spoke of being bolstered by the support of ancestors, family members, and teachers. Others noted that their motivation came from remembering younger versions of themselves, young students of color who would have benefited from access to ethnic studies opportunities. While time can’t be rewound, young people still have the opportunity to fight for fairer and better educational environments for the youth that are even younger than them.
Later during the workshop, there was a presentation on the history of racial and economic discrimination woven into the United States education system. For instance, all the way back in 1779, Thomas Jefferson introduced the two-track system to American education. In his own words, this structure was designed to separate “the laboring and the learned”, therefore reinforcing class systems. Our public education system has been weaponized against Indigenous peoples through the infamous off-reservation boarding schools, and it has played host to a seemingly endless list of policies that serve to bolster economic and racial disparities in education, such as standardized testing.
The purpose in providing this information isn’t to discourage. Rather, by coming to understand the rotten roots of our current education system, youth can gain the knowledge and courage to dismantle the system and build a new one that centers dignity and equality for all students. Ethnic studies is a crucial part of that process. As Alvillar put it, “For me, ethnic studies means three things. It’s self love, it’s knowledge and it’s liberation.”
Ethnic studies doesn’t just give youth the knowledge they need to combat white supremacy, colonialism, capitalism, and patriarchy in their communities. It also allows young people of color to experience validation in an academic setting, to begin to see themselves as capable of creating change, and to start visualizing brighter futures for themselves and their communities.
The workshop closed out with the presentation of visual and storytelling art on the power of ethnic studies. One memorable piece was a poem by Washburn high school student and Youth Ethnic Studies Coalition member Elsie. Elsie’s work referenced trauma multiple times, both trauma inflicted and survived.
“The educational trauma has infiltrated our minds, dried our minds of gold, our history, our story…Let’s change the system and the rules. I want to reconnect with my ancestors who fought through generational trauma for me to be here.” -Elsie
Education can and should be a tool for empowerment, justice, and community-building. Sadly, for far too long it has been weaponized by the forces of white supremacy and class division to do just the opposite. However, youth and young people are fighting back against this corruption more powerfully and effectively than ever before. For example California just became the first state in the nation to approve a statewide high school ethnic studies curriculum. Together, we have the chance to create classrooms and learning environments that are accessible and affirming for all. Let’s do this!
Sources:
Associated Press, “California adopts first statewide ethnic studies high school curriculum”, NBC News, 19 Mar 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/california-adopts-first-statewide-ethnic-studies-high-school-curriculu-rcna451. Accessed 22 Mar 2021.
Klecker, Mara, “Minneapolis adds ethnic studies to high school graduation requirements”, Star Tribune, 27 Nov 2020. https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-adds-ethnic-studies-to-high-school-graduation-requirements/573214041/. Accessed 22 Mar 2021.
MnEEP, “The Need for Ethnic Studies Curricula in Minnesota Schools”, MnEEP, 2017 Aug. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IRD3XD3qO4oa47w78LJkzOXJKPc6w2zo/view. Accessed 22 Mar 2021.
Photo Credit: Youth for Ethnic Studies Coalition
Special thanks to the Youth for Ethnic Studies Coalition for allowing AAOP to attend and recap this event!
If you are interested in learning more about the Coalition and how you can support their work, please visit them on Facebook @Youth4EthnicStudiesMN and on Instagram @youth4ethnicstudies. You can also reach out directly to youth4ethnicstudies@gmail.com or to AAOP Youth Program Manager clara at clara@aaopmn.org
& check out our interview with Sylvia Jong Soon De Shazo, a member of the Youth Ethnic Studies Coalition at http://aaopmn.org/2021/01/27/spotlighting-asian-american-youth-activists-sylvia-member-of-the-youth-ethnic-studies-coalition/
