By By: Karla Gutierrez and Madalyn Amato
Students and Associated Students Inc. senators voiced their opinions over the need and importance of an ethnic studies requirement bill during an open forum Tuesday evening.
The forum was held in response to the protests and public comments about the issue at the last Senate meeting.
[aesop_image img=”http://lbcurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_5467-scaled.jpg” panorama=”off” credit=” Madalyn Amato/Daily Forty-Niner” align=”center” lightbox=”on” captionsrc=”custom” caption=”Supporters of AB 1460 made posters calling for the bill’s support and put them up all around campus, including on the GO BEACH sign. Madalyn Amato/Daily Forty-Niner” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]
Miztlayolxochitl Aguilera, a senior Chicano Latino studies major, addressed the crowd in Tongva, the language of the Tongva people, whose land Long Beach State resides on.
She said that the departments offering ethnic studies are shrinking.
“At one point, we actually had a B.A. here; we actually had a major,” Aguilera said. “For everyone who graduated with a B.A. in American Indian studies, everyone but one person went on to achieve a master’s or a Ph.D.”
[aesop_image img=”http://lbcurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/XOCHITAL-scaled.jpg” panorama=”off” credit=”Madalyn Amato/Daily Forty-Niner” align=”center” lightbox=”on” captionsrc=”custom” caption=”Miztlayolxochitl Aguilera, senior Chicano Latino studies major, addresses the crowd in Tongva, her native language, calling for the implementation of an ethnic studies requirement and emphasizes its importance to the school, as it resides on native land. ” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]
Two weeks ago, the ASI Senate voted down resolution #SB 2020-12, which exclusively called for the support of the bill.
The Senate passed #SB 2020-13, which also included Assembly Bill 1460, among other bills, at both last week’s meeting and the week before.
Sen. Dale Lendrum, who did not vote on the resolution, cited concerns over its potential impact on student’s course loads, such as those he represents from the College of Education.
“There’s not a person in this room who I won’t judge by the content of their character,” Lendrum said. “But while I’m an ally, I will fight for ethnic studies. My only request is that you judge me by the content of my character while I fight for you.”
[aesop_image img=”http://lbcurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/DALE-scaled.jpg” panorama=”off” credit=”Madalyn Amato/Daily Forty-Niner” align=”center” lightbox=”on” captionsrc=”custom” caption=”Sen. Dale Lendrum askes for mutual respect and open conversation over the ethnic studies requirement at Tuesday’s forum. ” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]
Aaron Chiu, a senior aerospace engineering major, stated that requiring an extra course would interfere with completing an engineering degree on time.
“Many engineers tell me that the 24 units [for] GED could water down our engineering education,” Chiu said.
Almost all students who spoke, however, were in support of the bill and called the Senate to action to show its support for it as well.
Eric Cota, a fourth-year communications major, said that it should be required as Long Beach State is “considered a multicultural school.”
“We’re a very diverse [school] that [ethnic studies] should be required,” Cota said. “I don’t think that they’ve done enough research in order to make that decision, I think that’s a way for them to kind of diminish ethnic studies.”
The Senate will be giving #SB 2020-13 its third and final reading before voting on the finalized legislation Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 3:30 p.m. in USU 234.
This article previously contained inaccurate information. It previously stated that Sen. Dale Lendrum voted “no” on resolution #SB 2020-12. Lendrum did not vote on the resolution. It was corrected Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 10:38 a.m.
[…] lawyers, if you’re teachers,” Aguilera said at an open forum calling for support of the bill in February. “[You all] are coming to our communities and talking to our kids and building the buildings that […]
My appreciation to the Daily 49er for their efforts. A couple of corrections. A) I was actually ill and absent for the vote on the resolution. So I did not vote NO on the resolution. I didn’t vote on the resolution at all. B) I abstained from voting on the Bills of Interest, Resolution #2020 so that more information specific to passing and implementing AB 1460 could be considered. Mahalo again for all you all do to get it right.