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Ethnic Studies
Widening Our Understanding
Ethnic studies is now available to juniors and seniors
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By Clarence Capunitan
Next year AHS is offering Ethnic Studies as a full year elective option for juniors and seniors.The class will build on the freshman elective semester course taken by students in the Future Academy
The Ethnic studies course is eventually going to be a graduation requirement due to a bill that was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2021.Although the class will not be required for California high school students until 2025-26 school year,AHS will begin offering the course next year.
Social studies teacher Joel Gonzalez,who currently teaches the class as a semester elective for freshmen in the Future Academy.He said he hopes the class will introduce students to new ideas and empower them. “With ethnic studies, we learn about race,ethnicity and a lot of current social issues.A lot from the perspective of people of color.I hope students will be exposed to a lot of ideas that are new to them and students will leave the class feeling empowered.”
Freshman Haryoung Kim took ethnic studies during the 1st semester and said that what she liked most about the class was the collaborative work students did.“The most memorable thing I did was the group projects Ethnic Studies.”
Kim said she would consider taking the yearlong version of the class later in high school because she enjoyed the semester elective her freshman year. “I would reconsider taking this class again in the future because I enjoyed doing the projects. The project I enjoyed the most in ethnic studies was the final project. I enjoyed it the most because i got to learn more about my grandma and her past, and what was it like back then.I got tell my class about my culture as well,which got me a little excited.”
Kim informs on what she enjoyed while taking ethnic studies. “I really enjoyed talking to my seating partner about the warm-ups that we did in that class and being able to communicate well with my teammate .”
Social Studies teacher Soares said she hopes that the class would be a window into the lives of their peers and the students could have the opportunity to learn more about what their ancestors went through.
“I am hoping that students will get a better understanding of the life experiences of their classmates and the history of the people living in the United States.”
What are you hoping students will get out of the ethnic studies elective course? Social Studies Teacher Jodi Soares “I am hoping that students will get a better understanding of the life experiences of their classmates and the history of the people living in the United States.”
“I would reconsider taking this class again in the future because I enjoyed doing the projects. The project I enjoyed the most in ethnic studies was the final project.I enjoyed it the most because i got to learn more about my grandma and her past, and what was it like back then.I got tell my class about my culture as well, which got me a little excited.”
Ethnic Studies Teacher Joel Gonzalez
