Claiming Cultural Citizenship (1960s-Present)

Name:
Instructor:
Course:
Date:
The Precious Knowledge documentary film portrays what motivates the Tuscon High schools teachers and students who are seen to be leading an epic battle for civil rights. While approximately fifty percent of the Mexican American high school students were dropping out of school, the Tuscon’s ethnic studies program became an educational success around the nation, with an average of ninety percent of the student graduating from the high school level and approximately 85 percent qualifying for college level education (“Watch Precious Knowledge Online | Vimeo On Demand”). However, the lawmakers in Arizona tried to close down the program since they had a notion that the students were being indoctrinated with some malicious ideologies and embracing some destructive ethnic chauvinism. The documentary was timely since the nation turned its focus towards the wave of anti-immigration legislation that was to be established in Arizona state, with other subsequent states planning to follow suit. Moreover, the lawmakers have recently passed legislation that gave the State Superintendent the unilateral power to abolish the studies that were based on ethnicity (“Watch Precious Knowledge Online | Vimeo On Demand”). Also, precious knowledge has provided an in-depth stance to the historic campaign over civil rights as the Tuscon High student leaders came out to campaign against the abolishing of their classes. By using platforms such as Facebook, text messages, a megaphone and optimism, the student leaders were able to mobilize many students (“Watch Precious Knowledge Online | Vimeo On Demand”).

On the other hand, the politicians and lawmakers mounted public relation campaigns that were intended to discredit the Tuscon High passionate students. They particularly pointed fingers towards textbook, The Pedagogy of the Oppressed, written by Paulo Freire’s. They alleged that it was teaching the students some forms of sedation and victimization. Moreover, they wanted the Che Guevara posters that were in the classrooms to be replaced by portraits Benjamin Franklin who was the founding father (“Watch Precious Knowledge Online | Vimeo On Demand”). However, the students did not just sit back; they continued to fight back the criticism since they had a belief that their system of education was the future of the United States public education, particularly with the growing numbers of the Latinos in the country. This epic documentary is a clear indication of factors that motivate the high school students and their tutors to lead the line in an epic civil rights campaign. From the documentary, it is evident that students at Tuscon high are being denied the opportunity of claiming their cultural citizenship. The United States is a nation that has people from different races and immigrants from many different countries. In this case, the government should ensure that all the races are allowed to claim their cultural citizenship since it is their cultures are the main roots from where they came from.
The Precious Knowledge documentary film raises questions about the education system in the U.S. Many people have asked questions such as why is it a must that the Mexican American students learn about the white, European history rather than learn about their history? This raises the issues of racism in the society since most of the politicians in the United States are whites and they make legislations that are likely to favor only one race rather than ensuring all other races are treated as the white people and included in the new legislations (Dray & Castañeda, ). Authors such as Karl Marx and Paulo Freire are authors of communists and socialist and, if so, does that mean that they should not be in the history subject of the American education system? Must the High school students be taught that their fore fathers such as Benjamin Franklin were racists? The documentary just shows how the mode of discrimination in the United States has continued to develop over the years. Despite Tuscon’s educational system being better the most of the systems used in other states, the politicians still gang up to topple the system since they feel it is the American history. Most people in Arizona and Texas are Latinos and Mexican Americans who deserve to know the history of their people and the other great people that led to the success of the nation (Journal of the History of Sexuality, 224-258).
Most of the students participating in the education program such as the one at Tuscon high are seen to be performing well, and most of them join college. It is quite clear that they are on their way to achieving the American dream, but following a different education system. While the number of drop outs previously being high, the teachers in the ethnic studies program have managed to reduce the appalling statistics to as low as 10 percent.
Teaching students the histories of the Chicano movement and biographies of other great people such as Malcolm X and W.E.B Du Bois helps empower the students (Garcia, 217-238). Their narratives remind the students about who they are, regardless of their different races and ethnic backgrounds. They deserve to know that they originate from a long line of heroes who fought to improve a nation that was imperfect. Such history lets the students know that most of their ancestors are deeply embedded in the American land, and, as such, all of them are entitled to the benefits of the land (Garcia, 217-238). Precious Knowledge documentary film is not just a film of protesting students and high school teachers; it is a more of a human spirit documentary, which portrays the beauty and perpetual spirit of the people.
Works Cited
“Watch Precious Knowledge Online | Vimeo On Demand”. Vimeo, 2016, https://vimeo.com/ondemand/preciousknowledge?autoplay=1.
Garcia, Alma M. “The development of Chicana feminist discourse, 1970-1980.” Gender & Society 3.2 (1989): 217-238.
Journal of the History of Sexuality, Vol. 12, No. 2, Special Issue: Sexuality and Politics since1945. (Apr., 2003), pp. 224-258.
Dray, Nathaniel, and Mari Castañeda. ““Precious Knowledge” Documentary Educates UMass Members about Arizona’s Ethnic Studies Controversy.” (2012).