Decolonizing K–12 Multicultural Education Through Ethnic Studies: Liberating the Lesson Julián Is a Mermaid

• In Event: Decolonizing Education: Critical Perspectives and Liberating Practices

Abstract

As K-12 Ethnic Studies is rapidly growing across California there is both hope and risk. The State of California’s dismissal of Ethnic Studies educators who drafted the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum and subsequent weakening of the now approved curriculum is a warning to those who aim to decolonize weak forms of multicultural education. We contextualize our work in California’s struggle for Ethnic Studies as we review strong forms of multicultural education and their intersections with Ethnic Studies. Next, we review Ethnic Studies principles and how they decolonize multicultural education concepts. Transforming a multicultural lesson, Julián is a Mermaid, into Ethnic Studies, we identify necessary conceptual and epistemological shifts and end with implications of liberatory Ethnic Studies in a post-pandemic world.

Authors

• Theresa Montano, California State University - Northridge

• Tricia M. Gallagher-Geurtsen, University of California - San Diego