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Today the Texas State Board of Education made history by unanimously voting to endorse Mexican American Studies statewide!
Texas becomes the first state in the nation to formally support Mexican American Studies via state board of education policy.
The course "Ethnic Studies: Mexican American Studies" will pave the way for other Ethnic Studies courses, too. This has been the intent from day one.
Mexican American Studies will fine tune the process, the paperwork, and the curriculum and other aspects to then help create Ethnic Studies: African American Studies, Ethnic Studies: Native American Studies, and so on, and so on, and so on.
The TX SBOE also supported the curriculum developed by the Houston Independent School District titled "Special Topics - Social Studies - Mexican American Studies". That too is an important pillar that helps all 1,200+ Texas school districts more practically implement the culturally relevant material.
The issue was side-tracked due to a name change briefly imposed on the field of study. However, yesterday experts, students, community members and TX SBOE members engaged in deep and intelligent discussions during public testimony on the issue. And today, the TX SBOE members voted unanimously to redub and thus launch Mexican American Studies. The final procedural vote is Friday.
There are so many people to thank. I'll be doing that in subsequent email blasts, radio broadcasts and essays!
So many people have worked so hard on this for so long that it was important to get the news out first.
We stand on the shoulders of generations of leaders and thinkers who came before us, and we were inspired and fueled by all the elected officials, scholars, activists, artists, students, community members, educators, and so many others who love this field, love education, and love our community.
The year after Arizona overturns its ban of Mexican American Studies, Texas propels Mexican American Studies into classrooms. This truly is a renaissance.
Please join us to celebrate and spread MAS at the 3rd Annual Tejas Foco Summit.
More info and more celebrations to come.
Long live Mexican American Studies.
---Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante
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