American
Indian Library Association Statement on Ethnic Studies Programs in Arizona
The
American Indian Library Association (AILA) wishes to publicly express its
strong disapproval of the elimination of the Tucson Unified School District
(TUSD) Mexican American Studies classes and removal of books associated with
the program due to the State of Arizona Revised Statutes Sections 15-111 and
15-112. We write this statement in support of all students, educators, and
families who have been negatively affected by this action.
All
students have the right to develop critical thinking skills through a
challenging curriculum. All students, regardless of their background, have the
right to learn about the history of their own people, as well as the history of
the land and peoples where they are currently living. In Tucson, this should
include the history and literature of Mexican American people as well as the
Tohono O'odham and Pascua Yaqui peoples. The targeting of one ethnic group is
an attack on all ethnic groups, and the elimination of a curriculum and books
that encourage students to consider the perspectives of those who are often
silenced should be a concern to all humanity.
The
teaching of Mexican American studies cannot be separated from the teaching of the
history of the Indigenous peoples who inhabited this land long before the
arrival of Europeans. Indigenous communities have been artificially bisected by
the US-Mexico border. People from these communities may speak Spanish, English,
as well as their Indigenous languages. Their histories, their stories, and
discussion of their contemporary issues have a place in our classrooms and
libraries. The curriculum that has been banned in Tucson includes works written
by highly acclaimed authors and Tucson residents Ofelia Zepeda (Tohono O'odham)
and Leslie Marmon Silko (Laguna Pueblo), in addition to a number of other
Native American authors. The censorship of Native voices due to the prohibition
of the Mexican American Studies curriculum is part of what prompts the American
Indian Library Association to take a stand on this issue.
The
systematic banning of ethnic studies and the discouragement of students
learning about their own histories is reminiscent of the US federal
government’s educational philosophy towards American Indians. As Native
Americans, we have witnessed the destructive policies of the federal government
in which Indian children were denied knowledge of their own cultures,
histories, and languages through the abhorrent practices of the boarding schools
and, later, through western educational systems. Because of this history, many
Native Americans continue to struggle to maintain the knowledge of our elders
and ancestors.
We have
rights under the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
and we assert that Arizona state law is in violation of these rights.
Under Article 8, the UN Declaration says, “States shall provide effective
mechanisms for prevention of, and redress for:
(a) Any action which has the aim or
effect of depriving them of their integrity as distinct peoples, or of their
cultural values or ethnic identities; . . .
(d) Any form of forced assimilation or
integration;
(e) Any form of propaganda designed to
promote or incite racial or ethnic discrimination directed against them.”
The banning
of the Mexican American ethnic studies curriculum is in effect denying the
students the opportunity to learn about their cultural values and identities as
Indigenous peoples.
The
American Indian Library Association supports the January 2012 American Library
Association Resolution that*
1. Condemns the suppression of open inquiry and free expression caused by closure of
ethnic and cultural studies programs on the basis of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
2. Condemns the restriction of access to educational materials associated with ethnic and cultural studies programs.
3. Urges the Arizona legislature to pass HB
2654, “An Act Repealing Sections 15-111 and 15-112, Arizona Revised Statutes;
Relating to School Curriculum.”
The
American Indian Library Association worked alongside a number of ALA
committees, offices, and affiliates to draft the above mentioned resolution,
including the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, ALA Committee on Diversity,
ALA Committee on Legislation, American Association of School Librarians, Asian
Pacific American Librarians Association, Black Caucus of the American Library
Association, Chinese American Library Association, Intellectual Freedom Round
Table, REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library & Information
Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, Social Responsibilities Round
Table, and the Young Adult Library Services Association. We urge other
national associations to also take a stand on this issue, particularly other
national and international groups with a focus on Indigenous, tribal, Native
American, and American Indian communities.
While the
issue in Tucson, Arizona may seem to be limited to the Mexican-American
population, we recognize that Tucson, and the surrounding area, is home to
several Indigenous groups, including the Tohono O'odham and Pascua Yaqui, and
many students in this school district identify as Native American. According to
TUSD enrollment statistics, 4% of students in the district are Native American,
with most students identified as Tohono O'odham, Yaqui, and Navajo.
Additionally, according to the independent audit of the disbanded Mexican
American Studies program, conducted by Cambium Learning, Inc., 2% of the
students who were enrolled in the program are Native American.
As a
membership action group, AILA's focus is on the library-related needs of
American Indians and Alaska Natives, including the improvement of library,
cultural, and information services in schools and public and research
libraries. As librarians and educators, and members of the American Indian
Library Association, we write this statement in support of culturally based
curriculum that includes libraries as institutions that can freely disseminate
information about cultures, languages, and values to the community.
American Indian Library Association, January 31, 2012
References:
Cambium Learning, Inc. “Curriculum Audit of the Mexican American
Studies Department Tucson Unified School District,” 2 May 2011. http://www.scribd.com/doc/58025928/TUSD-ethnic-studies-audit
“Resolution Opposing Restriction of Access to Materials and Open
Inquiry in Ethnic and Cultural Studies Programs in Arizona,” Approved by ALA
Council III, 24 January 2012. http://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=3157
Tucson Unified School District. “Native American Studies,” 5 Dec 2011.
http://www.tusd1.org/contents/depart/native/aboutus.asp
UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. “United Nations Declaration
of Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” 13 September 2007. http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/declaration.html
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*This is a corrected copy of the AILA statement. 
