Teaching Ethnic Studies during a Complex Time: K – 12 Ethnic Studies Educators in California

• In Event: Navigating Borderlands: Stories of Teachers Shaping Justice-Oriented Classrooms

Abstract

This project examines the experiences of K-12 ethnic studies teachers across the state of California. A state that passed Assembly Bill (AB) 101 in 2021, a bill that requires all high school students to complete an ethnic studies course. Despite the implementation of these courses, various structural and systemic barriers hinder the success of ethnic studies, including local and national restrictions on teaching race and racism and the limited presence of teachers of color. Drawing on semi-structured interviews, I examine how teachers navigate these structural and social barriers in a climate of heightened scrutiny. Findings aim to inform the development of policies and programs that better support ethnic studies educators and expand the ethnic studies discipline at the K-12 level.

Author

• Angeles Rubi Castorena, University of California - Irvine