Following the signing of yet another controversial law in the state of Arizona, this time banning the teaching of courses in public schools that advocate ethnic solidarity, are designed primarily for students of a particular race, or that promote resentment toward a certain ethnic group, there are some concerns about the greater message that such a law sends to both the students of Arizona and minorities who take pride in their unique heritages. Though the laws proponents point to these kinds of classes as divisive in consequence, students are given the option, not a mandate, and can choose to learn about other cultures if they so choose. It could be argued that a better understanding of each other is what is needed for all races to ultimately cooperate and get along with one another. The fact that the class demographics may skew in favor of the race that is being studied is no reason to ban the inclusion of such elective classes from the elective palette of inquiring young minds. Proponents of this law come off as fearful of the inevitable mix of cultures that comes with immigration from Mexico and elsewhere. This law sends that exact message, and has already had a significant economic and societal impact in the lives of minorities and businesses in Arizona.
In a melting pot society like ours, where we deem each other equals no matter what race, sex or religion we are born into or choose to follow or not follow. These kinds of laws send a message to our next generation that it is ok to pick and choose what races and religions are acceptable to Americans. This thought process goes against our constitutional ideals, and goes against the realities of the nation we live in and strive to become. We should be encouraging students of all backgrounds to learn as much about each other as they possibly can, in order to make our society a more inclusive and cooperative one. Some Arizona lawmakers have scared themselves and their constituents into thinking that they are being taken over by illegal immigrants and that they are the source of the tensions and discontent of the non-minority population in the state. This is simply not the case. Crime was higher when the illegal immigration population was far less of a factor in the state, and much of the discontent has been fueled by outside groups and Tea Party advocates, who see Arizona as a prime target to launch fear campaigns against minorities and immigrants.
Nonetheless, Arizona is once again under the microscope, and the constitutionality of yet another questionable law is sure to come into question. Going forward, it will be of great interest to see if these recently passed laws will hold up over time. The debates are already heated, and the tensions that have been heightened because of these measures are partly to blame for the increased violence seen towards law enforcement and border officials. The perception from the outside is one of disbelief that in 2010 there is so much resentment towards immigrants, legal and illegal, when there is no proof that they are the root of the fiscal or social problems facing Arizona. This law is also further proof that the conservative legislators who drafted these laws in have lost touch with mainstream American thought as it relates to race relations. Bottom line, the removal of ethnic studies from public schools is a preventable step back in time, not a way to move Arizona into the 21st century.
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