Why ethnic studies matters | Ron Espiritu | TEDxAmherstCollege

Summary

Ronis Pennington, a passionate educator from South Los Angeles, shares the transformative power of Ethnic Studies in education. Despite research showing its positive impact, Ethnic Studies faces challenges, including being banned in Arizona. Pennington's personal narrative, from his grandmother's struggles to his family's dedication to education, underscores the importance of cultural relevance and community engagement in teaching. He advocates for the expansion of Ethnic Studies to empower students and foster unity among diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Takeaways

• 📚 Ronis Pennington is an educator with nine years of experience teaching Ethnic Studies, Chicano Studies, and African American Studies to high school students in South Los Angeles.
• 🌟 Ethnic studies is described as empowering, liberating, and transformative for young people, with research showing positive academic and social results for students of all backgrounds.
• 🚫 Despite the benefits, ethnic studies remains underrepresented at K-12 levels and has been banned in Arizona, with Latino authors' books removed from schools.
• 👵 The story of Pennington's grandmother, Margarita Pedraza, illustrates the historical suppression of Spanish language in schools, which is a common experience for many immigrants.
• 🔄 Pennington's mother and father were inspired to become educators, focusing on bilingual education and breaking the cycle of linguistic discrimination.
• 🏫 Pennington's own educational experience was limited in terms of ethnic studies, only discovering the depth of the field in college, which sparked a passion for the subject.
• 🎓 Ethnic studies has a 45-year history in the U.S., starting with student activism and leading to the creation of academic programs at the college level.
• 📈 The Tucson, Arizona Mexican American Studies program demonstrated significant academic success, with high graduation and college acceptance rates among its students.
• 🛡️ Despite success, the program was labeled as 'un-American' and 'unpatriotic' by politicians in 2011, leading to a community response with protests and walkouts.
• 📚 Pennington advocates for the creation of ethnic studies programs in local communities, emphasizing the importance of decolonial, culturally relevant, and community-responsive education.
• 🌐 The struggle for ethnic studies is ongoing, with current efforts in Los Angeles to implement such programs and a federal court case against Arizona for banning ethnic studies classes.

Q & A

What is the main subject taught by Ronis Pennington?

Ronis Pennington primarily teaches Ethnic Studies, Chicano Studies, and African American Studies to high school students in South Los Angeles.

What impact does ethnic studies have on students according to Ronis Pennington and research?

Ethnic studies is described as empowering, liberating, and transformative for students. Research has shown that it has positive academic and social results for students of all races and ethnic backgrounds.

Why does Ronis Pennington believe ethnic studies is crucial for younger students?

Ronis Pennington believes that ethnic studies should be available to younger students because it fosters a sense of pride in their linguistic abilities and heritage, and it can be a transformative and liberating educational experience.

What was the historical context of ethnic studies in Arizona?

In Arizona, ethnic studies has been banned, and books by Latino authors have been removed from schools, making it illegal for students to read them in the classroom.

Can you explain the significance of Margarita Pedraza's story in the context of ethnic studies?

Margarita Pedraza's story illustrates the historical discrimination and suppression of language and culture faced by Mexican Americans and other immigrants, which ethnic studies aims to counteract by celebrating and respecting diverse cultural heritages.

What was the profession of Ronis Pennington's mother, Doris?

Doris was a bilingual education teacher and later became a principal of a highly successful dual language immersion program.

How did Ronis Pennington's educational journey differ from his family's experiences?

While Ronis was inspired by his family's commitment to education and cultural pride, his own schooling in the 1990s lacked representation of Latino and African-American authors and history until he took a Black Studies course at Amherst College.

What was the significance of the East LA walkouts in 1968?

The East LA walkouts were a historic event where students demanded bilingual education, Mexican-American studies programs, and culturally relevant curriculum, which contributed to the development of ethnic studies in schools.

What were the academic outcomes for students involved in the Tucson, Arizona ethnic studies program?

The Tucson ethnic studies program had a 93% high school graduation rate and 85% college acceptance rate among its students, significantly outperforming district-wide averages for Mexican-American students not in the program.

What is the 'in lak ech' concept mentioned by Ronis Pennington?

The 'in lak ech' concept is a Mayan philosophy that translates to 'you are my other me', emphasizing the interconnectedness and mutual respect among individuals, which is a central theme in ethnic studies.

What is the current struggle in Los Angeles regarding ethnic studies?

The current struggle in Los Angeles is to bring ethnic studies to all high school students, as currently, only a small fraction of the over 1.5 million high school students in Los Angeles are enrolled in ethnic studies programs.