Impending vaccine mandate stirs discussion ...................................................................................................................................................

From left to right: Melissa Díaz, Claire Kerby, Diana Nguyen helpful, and empowering to know that we Photo by Greta Reich [Latinos] have cultural heroes, and that we also made an impact not only in our Latin American countries but in the world,” she said. “I definitely think that having classes where you’re able to explore different cultures and ethnicities is really valuable, versus only focusing on one country’s history.”

Though it is true

that World Studies “ something that said. “What we want to do is have all schools focused mainly on European countries or the effects that white countries had on other places, many students still feel that they got a lot out of it.

Sophomore Mariah Gutierrez said about her World Studies class from last year that the class “really opened [her] eyes up to a lot of things and also [she] learned a lot more about current events like BLM and other important issues that [she] never learned about in past classes.”

Ethnic Studies is being introduced because it will do all of these things - opening students’ eyes to new perspectives - while also questioning where these perspectives are coming from and why they hold, or don’t hold, value. Gutierrez continued, “A lot of people of color… have contributed in a lot of ways and they’ve been involved in a lot of historical events, so that intersectionality [of race and history] is really important, and that’s hopefully freshman students this year understand a lot That intersectionality [of more.” race and history] is really While the Ethnic important, and that’s something that hopefully Studies curriculum only started at Sequoia on Oct. 12 freshman students understand because the first this year. quarter of freshman history is Life Skills, students and teachers Mariah Gutierrez, sophomore are already trying to get it implemented in other school districts. However, this may not be so simple, as it did take some convincing to get it introduced in SUHSD, being called controversial and drastic by some parents and teachers. San Mateo Youth Board member Ahsan recalled this difficulty as she was a part of the committee to include Ethnic Studies. “When we were trying to get it passed in previous years, we faced a lot of opposition. Whether it was based on, ‘Oh, it’s too difficult to include,’ or if they just didn’t want to include it. So we’re definitely trying to get past that,” she mandate, or at least include, an ethnic studies course.” Sequoia is an important part of this fight to put Ethnic Studies in more districts, with students like Ahsan, teachers like Díaz, Nguyen, and Kirby and a supportive community to back them up. Danny Bliss, head of the History department at Sequoia said, “I think that Sequoia is at the vanguard of the ethnic studies movement - I know that we are in this district, and that’s mostly a credit to those teachers but also speaks to how our school community, other teachers, administrators, parents, and students of course, are ready for, welcoming and excited for this long overdue change.”