Whites Need Ethnic Studies Just as Much, if not More: Part Two

Recent research by Peter D. Hart Research Associates found that employers are most apt to look for employees who can team and collaborate with others in diverse group settings.  Next on the list is the ability of employees to possess critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills.  This should not be a surprise, considering that students increasingly need to be able to function at ease in today’s globalized environment.

Ethnic studies courses prepare all students to develop these skills, by exposing them to different life experiences and different perspectives on people, events, and history.  By engaging and evaluating different and often contradictory perspectives, students develop the capacity to problem-solve and think about their thinking, as opposed to being in a constant state of “cultural cruise control.”

The more students are exposed to diversity in their coursework and beyond, the less apt they are to pigeon-hole people and stereotype.  When I think back to my college years, the courses and experiences I remember most were those that forced me out of my cultural cocoon, however uncomfortable course content and pedagogy  made me feel.  Indeed, I often learned the most when I was the least comfortable.

Part of the value of ethnic studies is the  focus on cultural differences and inequality, on micro-level and macro-level analysis.  Many students, and many white students in particular, have been brought up to believe that their experiences are typical of the U.S. as a whole, that the U.S. is a meritocracy, that ethnic minorities are holding themselves back by clinging to their culture, and that race and culture are relevant for minority groups but not for whites.  Ethnic studies classes raise questions about these assumptions and others, and in the process, encourage students to reflect on how their own life experiences have shaped their cultural lens.

Students who learn to think about their thinking, their culture, and the communities which they negotiate on a daily basis, will be better prepared to live in global neighborhoods, excel in college, and team, communicate, and problem-solve with culturally diverse co-workers.  What better reason could there be to lift the ban on ethnic studies classes in the Tuscon, Arizona Unified School District?