The Academic and SocialValue of Ethnic Studiesby Christine E. Sleeter
Reflection:
This document made me reflect on current situations, as well as on myself. Before arriving in the United States, I didn't know what racism really was, since in the Dominican Republic, we don't categorize ourselves as "white, black, or Asian." We only categorize ourselves as Dominican, and that's all. In my school, we were taught that Europeans plundered our country, stole our gold, and killed many people from our tribe. They also brought many diseases with them. But the winning side, "Europe," tells it as if they brought innovative things that made my country grow, and that we should be grateful for them teaching us Spanish and how to read, because according to them, we would still be living in huts and mud houses. The Europeans brought enslaved Africans to my country and abused them as well. For a long time, I didn't understand the importance of this story until I discovered that it is more fascinating than I had imagined, as it is part of my heritage, and no one can change it. Today, I proudly say that I am Latina; I am Dominican, but I am also of African descent. Two countries that suffered united in one, uniting blood, customs, and, above all, an ethnicity that whites would not erase. Despite everything I wrote, I wasn't taught to hate Spaniards for that, but rather to accept history and live with it.
Our history is what defines us. In my country, we always say: whoever tells the story is the one who always wins. History books always portray white people as the "winners," but if we tell the story from the perspective of people of color or Native Americans, we will realize that not everything is what it seems. We are in a society and in a time where many believe that racism has changed or perhaps that it isn't as prevalent as it was years ago. Still, racism continues if they continue to tell the story from a Eurocentric perspective.
I never experienced racism in my country, but here I have received a lot from white people, whether because of my accent or because I am Dominican. In fact, I had a math professor at my other College who always made me feel like I was "stupid" because I had a thick accent and maybe didn't pronounce all the words correctly. She thought I didn't know English and always asked me, "How do you manage to be in this country without knowing English?" Or "Why does your English sound so bad?" And once she asked me if I knew the numbers in English, which was kind of funny to me since in English and Spanish, numbers are the same and don't change. From that moment on, I realized that the white race was more prevalent in judging. I'm not saying EVERYONE is like that, but that has been my experience.
I identify with this class because we talk about different ethnicities and the correct way to say things. Here, I feel like we all have the same value (White, Black, Asian, Latino). We all have a story, and everyone is essential.
There are a few words in the document that really caught my attention: Racial and ethnic minorities are added consistently in a 'contributions' fashion to the predominantly Euro-American narrative of textbooks. Scholarship by and about African Americans, Latinos/as, Native Americans, and Asian Americans continues not to be used to frame academic content.
"Epstein (2009) found that while white teachers were willing to include knowledge about diverse groups, they did so sporadically and always within a Eurocentric narrative."
Finally, reading Christine Sleeter's document, it became clear to me that ethnic studies is not simply an "optional subject," but a tool for social justice within the educational system. The author demonstrates how the traditional curriculum, based on a Eurocentric perspective, has overlooked the voices, stories, and realities of entire communities. It made me think about how unfair it is to teach an incomplete history, where the achievements and struggles of communities of color are presented as footnotes or superficial celebrations like "Black History Month" or "Cinco de Mayo," instead of being integrated as a fundamental part of learning. Including ethnic studies in education not only benefits students of color, giving them pride and belonging, but also helps white students see a different vision, a more complete account of history, and understand how racism and inequalities work today.
This is a recent news story that discusses how ethnic studies courses enhance academic performance, particularly for immigrant youth and students of color. color.https://firstfocus.org/news/student-success-soars-after-ethnic-studies-new-research-finds/?utm
“Talking about ethnic studies is talking about racism: not to divide, but to recognize the full history and combat injustice through education.”

Question to share:
This document made me reflect on current situations, as well as on myself. Before arriving in the United States, I didn't know what racism really was, since in the Dominican Republic, we don't categorize ourselves as "white, black, or Asian." We only categorize ourselves as Dominican, and that's all. In my school, we were taught that Europeans plundered our country, stole our gold, and killed many people from our tribe. They also brought many diseases with them. But the winning side, "Europe," tells it as if they brought innovative things that made my country grow, and that we should be grateful for them teaching us Spanish and how to read, because according to them, we would still be living in huts and mud houses. The Europeans brought enslaved Africans to my country and abused them as well. For a long time, I didn't understand the importance of this story until I discovered that it is more fascinating than I had imagined, as it is part of my heritage, and no one can change it. Today, I proudly say that I am Latina; I am Dominican, but I am also of African descent. Two countries that suffered united in one, uniting blood, customs, and, above all, an ethnicity that whites would not erase. Despite everything I wrote, I wasn't taught to hate Spaniards for that, but rather to accept history and live with it.
Our history is what defines us. In my country, we always say: whoever tells the story is the one who always wins. History books always portray white people as the "winners," but if we tell the story from the perspective of people of color or Native Americans, we will realize that not everything is what it seems. We are in a society and in a time where many believe that racism has changed or perhaps that it isn't as prevalent as it was years ago. Still, racism continues if they continue to tell the story from a Eurocentric perspective.
I never experienced racism in my country, but here I have received a lot from white people, whether because of my accent or because I am Dominican. In fact, I had a math professor at my other College who always made me feel like I was "stupid" because I had a thick accent and maybe didn't pronounce all the words correctly. She thought I didn't know English and always asked me, "How do you manage to be in this country without knowing English?" Or "Why does your English sound so bad?" And once she asked me if I knew the numbers in English, which was kind of funny to me since in English and Spanish, numbers are the same and don't change. From that moment on, I realized that the white race was more prevalent in judging. I'm not saying EVERYONE is like that, but that has been my experience.
I identify with this class because we talk about different ethnicities and the correct way to say things. Here, I feel like we all have the same value (White, Black, Asian, Latino). We all have a story, and everyone is essential.
There are a few words in the document that really caught my attention: Racial and ethnic minorities are added consistently in a 'contributions' fashion to the predominantly Euro-American narrative of textbooks. Scholarship by and about African Americans, Latinos/as, Native Americans, and Asian Americans continues not to be used to frame academic content.
"Epstein (2009) found that while white teachers were willing to include knowledge about diverse groups, they did so sporadically and always within a Eurocentric narrative."
Finally, reading Christine Sleeter's document, it became clear to me that ethnic studies is not simply an "optional subject," but a tool for social justice within the educational system. The author demonstrates how the traditional curriculum, based on a Eurocentric perspective, has overlooked the voices, stories, and realities of entire communities. It made me think about how unfair it is to teach an incomplete history, where the achievements and struggles of communities of color are presented as footnotes or superficial celebrations like "Black History Month" or "Cinco de Mayo," instead of being integrated as a fundamental part of learning. Including ethnic studies in education not only benefits students of color, giving them pride and belonging, but also helps white students see a different vision, a more complete account of history, and understand how racism and inequalities work today.
This is a recent news story that discusses how ethnic studies courses enhance academic performance, particularly for immigrant youth and students of color. color.https://firstfocus.org/news/student-success-soars-after-ethnic-studies-new-research-finds/?utm
“Talking about ethnic studies is talking about racism: not to divide, but to recognize the full history and combat injustice through education.”
Question to share:
What do you think a student, and society in general, loses when only a Eurocentric version of history is taught in school?
What do you think a student, and society in general, loses when only a Eurocentric version of history is taught in school?
Hey! I love that you included how you did not know what racism was before you came here. It really emphases that racism is a social construct in our society.
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