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Monday, June 16, 2008

Improving Education With Filipino American History


There are certain things in history that I believe should be included in the History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. This is a great opportunity to really emphasize the importance of including the perspectives of ethnic Americans in our schools. The timeline for the update of the Framework can be found on the Timeline for History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/hs/cf/hssdrafttimeline.asp.

I am noting the Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee recruitment dates from March 20, 2008 - September 3, 2008, the field review dates in September - October 2009, and the December 2009 - January 2010 public review dates.

In particular, my interest includes the teaching of concepts like the importance of Filipinos and Filipino Americans to the development of California's agriculture industry during the 30s, the Filipino Repatriation Act of 1935, Filipino and Filipino American contributions to the World War II effort, and the labor union efforts of Philip Vera Cruz, Larry Itliong, and other Filipino labor leaders.

Currently, the fourth grade standards call for students to "Discuss the effects of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and World War II on California" (standard 4.4.5). This would certainly coincide with the teaching about at least the first four of my proposals.

In 2007, Assembly Member Mervyn Dymally introduced legislation (Assembly Bill 72) to encourage the use of personal testimony in the teaching of Filipino involvement in World War II. It was the fourth year (AB 2512 in 2004, AB 15 in 2005, and AB 1076 in 2006) that a bill of its type had been introduced, and the fourth time that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Los Angeles) vetoed it.

For all things to fall into place, we need to write our Assembly Members to push for a similar bill. No matter how many times that the Governor vetoes it, we can not let it die. Both representative Horton and Yee are not in office any longer, but there must be other brave representatives that would author the bill again. You can find contact information to your representative on the Your Legislature Web page at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html.

We can not leave them any reason to ignore our voices. When they are aware of our concerns, their decisons are much more likely to represent our circumstances and priorities.

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