by Jonathan Hernández ‘24
At St. Mark’s, students are allowed to learn from a wide variety of perspectives and backgrounds. We have students who come from across the globe to learn. However, while the students come from diverse backgrounds, the material they are taught is not always representative of that key fact. One of the largest instances of this lack of support comes from a lack of representation in the curriculum. Students learn about history from a primarily Eurocentric perspective, restricting them from learning about different histories and perspectives.
To combat the dangerous single narrative, Ethnic Studies courses come to the rescue.
Ethnic studies courses offer a large array of benefits ranging from giving students tools to understand social issues and a deeper understanding of the experiences of others to better support systems for Black, Latine/Latinx, and Indigenous students.
Firstly, Ethnic Studies courses (particularly those in History and Literature) highlight the roles of race and ethnicity as they shape identities and experiences. Some focuses of Ethnic Studies include, but are not limited to Chicanx/Latinx Studies, African American Studies, Indigenous studies, or Asian American Studies. These types of courses focus on a particular identity and give insight into the history, culture, and experiences of people with these identities.
Due to their nature, Ethnic Studies courses present students with the opportunity to better understand social issues such as racism (and to a lesser extent colorism). They do so by illustrating how systems of oppression have and still disenfranchise people of color, highlighting numerous other issues the communities face. This provides an opportunity for students to gain empathy and a more comprehensive cultural consciousness as they learn about the experiences of others. This benefit is a trait that is valued at St. Mark’s, an institution keen on teaching global citizenship and an appreciation for the cultures and perspectives of others. Such emphasis can be demonstrated more thoroughly through Ethnic Studies courses and should then be adopted by the institution.
Further, Ethnic Studies courses provide support and visibility for students of color. In learning about their histories, students of color can feel seen. They can feel comforted by the knowledge that their history is important and taught in their schools. They can feel proud to know that their history is rich, beautiful, and worth learning in school just as much as the eurocentric histories plentifully available. This is one way to promote inclusivity, the feeling of pride and belonging in an institution because your history and culture are being taught in class.
Rephrased, St. Mark’s School should provide students with Ethnic Studies courses to support systems as they develop cultural consciousness and empathy for others and to better support students from marginalized groups.
Sources
Nguyen, Hoa P. “Through Ethnic Studies, Schools Push to Include Marginalized Perspectives.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 21 May 2021, www.edutopia.org/article/through-ethnic-studies-schools-push-include-marginalized-perspectives/.