What They’re Really Afraid Of: The Radical Power of Ethnic Studies

• In Event: Attacked Because It Works: Defending the Power of Ethnic Studies in California

Abstract

Purpose
Rooted in the social justice movements of the late 1960s—led by the Black Student Union and the Third World Liberation Front—Ethnic Studies is once again under political assault, this time alongside Critical Race Theory (CRT) and anything considered Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). These attacks are not accidental; they are strategic defenses of whiteness and entrenched systems of power. Sleeter’s (2011) National Education Association–commissioned study on Ethnic Studies’ impact shows clear academic and social benefits for both students of color and white students. The threat, then, is not to students, but to the structure of whiteness itself. Ethnic Studies must constantly defend its existence, challenging dominant race relations through its curriculum, pedagogy, and community responsiveness.
Since 2020, over 240 bills across at least 30 states have sought to restrict Ethnic Studies, CRT, or instruction about systemic racism (Learning for Justice, 2023; NCSL, 2023). These measures frequently ban or limit curriculum deemed “divisive” or “anti‑American,” effectively erasing histories of resistance. At the same time, legislative efforts targeting DEI programs—particularly in education and government sectors—have accelerated. What remains are state-sanctioned, diluted versions of Ethnic Studies that reflect neoliberal multiculturalism, reducing its radical and liberatory potential (Cunanan, Jaco, & Concordia, 2022). Such efforts threaten the intellectual and cultural survival of those dedicated to transformative justice.
Theoretical Framework
This work draws on Radical Ethnic Studies principles and pedagogy, which centers decolonization, community knowledge, and the dismantling of white supremacist and neoliberal structures in education. This approach resists epistemic violence and creates opportunities for collective liberation and solidarity in educational and community spaces.
Methods & Data Sources
Using critical autoethnography, I incorporate personal narrative—including being placed on a “no-hire” list due to my affiliation with Liberated Ethnic Studies—into a broader analysis of educational policy and Ethnic Studies research. Additional key data sources include Sleeter’s (2011) comprehensive research review and Dee and Penner’s (2017) quasi-experimental study, which found that Ethnic Studies significantly improves attendance, reduces suspensions, and enhances GPA—especially for students of color, but also for white students.
Findings
Legislative attacks and blacklisting strategies do not emerge from a concern for educational harm but from fear of Ethnic Studies' radical power to expose and challenge white supremacy. This inquiry affirms that Ethnic Studies fosters critical consciousness, cultural responsiveness, self-determination and community actualization. Its ability to dismantle dominant narratives and reframe education as a site of justice makes it a target. The surveillance and disposability of educators aligned with Radical Ethnic Studies reveal the institutional mechanisms designed to uphold racialized power. Yet, in the face of these attacks, Ethnic Studies endures—providing pathways for healing, critical reflection, and collective liberation.
Significance
This study highlights Ethnic Studies as a radical educational project under siege—but also a site of resistance. It offers insight into why Ethnic Studies is feared: not for failing students, but for equipping them to challenge oppression. In documenting its benefits and its repression, this work urges educators, scholars, and policymakers to defend and expand Ethnic Studies.

Author

• Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, San Francisco State University