AZ Bans Ethnic Studies

As reported in the The Huffington Post and other media outlets, as of the new year, Ethnic Studies courses, activities, and education is banned in the state of Arizona by means of HB 2281. Author and activist Randall Amster writes “With HB 2281, the intention is not so much to expel or harass as it is to inculcate a deep-seated second-class status by denying people the right to explore their own histories and cultures. It is, in effect, about the eradication of ethnic identity among young people in the state’s already-floundering school system which now ranks near the bottom in the nation.” As Amster and other activists, scholars, and citizens have noted, Arizona’s recent laws such as HB 2281 and SB 1070 surveil and deny people of color and in particular, immigrants “the right to have rights.”

For more information on this ban on Ethnic Studies, please visit Arizona Bans Ethnic Studies and, Along With it, Reason and Justice