Transformative Ethnic Studies in Schools

Christine E. Sleeter is professor emerita in the College of Education at California State University, Monterey Bay. Miguel Zavala is director of the Urban Learning Program in the Charter College of Education at California State University, Los Angeles.

• ContentsSeries Foreword James A. Banks viiAcknowledgments xiii1. What Is All This Fuss About Ethnic Studies? 1A Story of Schooling and the Legacies of Colonialism 1Ethnic Studies as a Decolonizing, Unfinished Project 4Epistemic Privilege: Propelling the Movement Forward 5Ethnic Studies in Our Schools 6Hallmarks of Ethnic Studies 7Overview of This Book 17Joining the Struggle for Ethnic Studies 172. Mainstream Curriculum as (Multicultural) White Studies 23Whose Viewpoint Structures Curriculum? A Contested Domain 24What Do Current Curriculum Analyses Find? 27Assumptions Embedded Within (Multicultural) White Studies 36Students’ Perspectives 38Conclusion 433. What the Research Says About Ethnic Studies 44Academic and Personal Impact on Students of Color 45Ethnic Studies for Diverse Groups That Include White Students 62Conclusion 674. Ethnic Studies Curriculum as Counter-Narrative 69Ethnic Studies as a Conceptual Approach 69Ethnic Studies in Early Childhood 72Black Studies in High School 76Native American Studies 79Ethnic Studies with Diverse Students 84Youth Participatory Action Research and Ethnic Studies 90Conclusion 935. Ethnic Studies Teachers’ Reflections on Their Praxis 95Ethnic Studies Teachers 96Identity as Central to Teaching 97Foundational Values 99Key Challenges 107Conclusion 1126. Research and the Movement for Ethnic Studies 113Uses of Research in the Growing Movement for Ethnic Studies 114Ethnic Studies Advocates 115The Role of Research in Ethnic Studies Advocacy 116Challenges 123Sustainable Research and Advocacy 128Looking Toward the Future 130References 134Index 149About the Authors 162

“ Transformative Ethnic Studies in Schools is essential reading for educators working to transform schools by re-humanizing learning spaces for all students.”—Midwest Book Review