Precious Knowledge Analysis

The film Precious Knowledge is from the perspective of a group of students at Tuscan High School in Arizona. The school system wanted to increase graduation rates and was looking at different ways to do this. The school came to the conclusion that a Mexican- American studies class will increase the dropout rate from 48 percent. This class taught students about Mexican-American history and culture with a curriculum that can be related to social justice while thinking critically and socially conscious. The Governor of Arizona started to protest this class because of the books they were reading and some of the material that was being taught was considered to be promoting the overthrow of the US Government. He believed this class was anti-American. A bill was passed, where the class had to be cancelled or the school would lose 10 percent of their funding. This class shows oppression, different teaching styles and can be related to other historical and more recent events.

This is what was happening in Arizona. The Governor removed the class’s humanity because they were teaching controversial information in the class. They were trying to save their class by peaceful protests, but the oppressors or government was making their protests seem comparable a revolt against the US Government. This class was growing graduation rates of Mexican-Americans in Tuscan High School, everyone that took the classes graduated and then 85 percent of those who graduated attend college making the class a success. The only way for the oppressed to overcome the oppressors is to not become a subject or object but to join together to end the oppression. Mexican-American will be oppressed when they aren’t graduating or taking classes that help them gain the skills they need to