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The Significance Of Ethnic Studies In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

699 Words3 Pages

Infinite possible definitions of Ethnic Studies exist, depending on the person and their experience, which is tailored based upon their history of communities and background. This course opened doors for the 9th-grade classroom to acknowledge the common struggles of communities and stabilize their perspective of the world. As freshmen in high school, we entered a new era in our lives with the coined term “Ethnic Studies” being relatively recent in the district—the masses had doubts about this course’s potential effectiveness and purpose. In a literal sense, the roots of this word describe this course with a great focus on studying ethnicities; but experiencing the curriculum, it might just be a more practical, down-to-Earth approach to educating …show more content…

As seen in the second unit of the 9th grade SDUSD Ethnic Studies course: “How have others shaped your identity?” we have connected with certain characters with whom we are dissimilar. Such as seeing our community in a perspective nearly identical to how Scout Finch sees Maycomb. Being immersed in the story of To Kill a Mockingbird made me realize how similar we are as people, in nature, even though we are separated by ethnic background or cultural identity. Embracing those similar aspects may be a step in the right direction to preventing the mistreatment of minority groups in terms of race/ethnicity, gender, orientation, age, nationality, and many more. It was easy to relate to Scout and analyze how her community has shaped her identity because certain aspects of her life reflected modern-day struggles, making them universal. In a sense, this lesson has shaped how I view Ethnic Studies, which indirectly affected my perspective of …show more content…

By providing ample material to spread awareness of certain groups, this course built a foundation for me to see society through a different lens. For instance, given that communities are different, there may be assumptions based upon unawareness because the standards and norms may be generally dissimilar. It is human nature to assume stereotypes, with malicious intent or without, when unaware because of the common fear of the unknown. Ethnic Studies educate open-mindedly, helping us analyze each perspective before taking a stance. Before this course, I could not understand why people would resort to acting on their prejudices; now, I find myself examining how deep-rooted those prejudices are. Another impact that Ethnic Studies aim to have is a set of values that can apply to modern-day conflicts, described as “The Seven Cs”. These values consist of Cultivating well-being, Celebrating heritage, Centering marginalized knowledge, Critiquing our relationship to power and oppression, Challenging imperialist beliefs and practices, Connecting past with present movements, and Conceptualizing a possible world rooted in liberation. All of these factors can affect how this class can impact someone. However, to me, Ethnic Studies is a principle, an umbrella term that encompasses the social education of ethnicities, communities, and identities

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