What: Day of Action to Defend Ethnic Studies (Teach-in at Napa Valley College)
Where: Napa Valley College, 2277 Napa-Vallejo Highway, Napa, CA 94558
When: April 18th, 9:30 to noon
Contact: smalliance.nvc@gmail.com
April 18th has been declared a national day of action to defend ethnic studies. The teach-ins to defend ethnic studies will be on April 18 at Napa Valley College in front of the McCarthy Library starting at 9:30 a.m.
The Student Multicultural Alliance of Napa Valley College views ethnic studies as a necessary and crucial aspect of college curriculum. We find attempts to ban ethnic studies, such as those in Arizona, extremely alarming. We therefore support the April 18th day of action to defend ethnic studies.
Ethnic studies expands our understanding of history by including narratives that have historically been underrepresented in academia. It offers all students a sense of self which is important, because according to Student Multicultural Alliance co-organizer Brian Molina, “A person without a sense of self is like a tree with no roots and a tree with no roots cannot stand long.”
The Student Multicultural Alliance will be organizing teach-ins on April 18 to show support for ethnic studies. These teach-ins have been organized by inviting faculty to bring their classes to conduct lesson plans focused on ethnic studies, in front of the McCarthy Library. These discussions will cover ethnic studies from the perspective of the respective disciplines being taught by the professor. Students will be allowed to choose which teach-in they want to attend.
The purpose of the teach-ins is to:
1. Raise awareness about the importance of ethnic studies.
2. Bring together faculty and students who support ethnic studies.
3. Demonstrate to the college and community that there is mass student and faculty support for more ethnic studies courses and degrees at Napa Valley College.
“Over the last few years there has been a growing demand by the students for more ethnic studies courses,” says co-organizer Alex Shantz. “Currently, there are several courses offered at the college that relate to ethnic studies. We want to not only protect those courses, but expand the courses to offer more perspectives. Students have been asking for an ethnic studies degree. And, it would be wonderful if we had an ethnic studies department at Napa Valley College.”