BILL NUMBER: ACR 34INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Lara (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Alejo) MARCH 8, 2011 Relative to ethnic studies. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 34, as introduced, Lara. Ethnic studies programs. This measure would formally endorse the invaluable work of California's ethnic studies programs, and their faculty, staff, and students. The measure would recognize the leadership provided by the beneficiaries of those programs, and would support the continuation of ethnic studies programs in California's institutions of higher education. Fiscal committee: no. WHEREAS, The genesis and salience of ethnic studies as an academic discipline encompass research, scholarship, and programs that study and teach the experiences, history, culture, and heritage of African Americans, Asian Americans, Chicanas and Chicanos, Latinas and Latinos, Native Americans, and other persons of color in the United States; and WHEREAS, Formal ethnic studies programs and departments at California's universities are a response to a student-led movement dating back to the 1960s, including demonstrations, student protests, and hunger strikes, where students, faculty, and community members demanded university courses that were relevant to them and their communities; and WHEREAS, The formalization of ethnic studies fostered greater demand and recognition of the need for faculty and staff from diverse communities, allowing for broader representation at California's universities; and WHEREAS, Ethnic studies have grown into a respected academic field, complete with professional organizations, institutionalized departments and related programs across the United States, and numerous research journals and award-winning publications; and WHEREAS, The study of ethnic populations has grown to include comparative and international approaches to the study of ethnicity and the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality; and WHEREAS, Ethnic studies acknowledges the role of America's diverse racial and ethnic peoples as equal actors in the history of California and the United States; and WHEREAS, California is a "majority minority" state with the largest percentage, 57 percent, of minority people in the United States; and WHEREAS, A broader education on diverse racial and ethnic groups provides a fuller and deeper understanding of California and United States history and helps promote greater understanding among people from different backgrounds; and WHEREAS, Ethnic studies departments, programs, and related projects promote constructive communication and collaborative efforts between different and diverse groups and encourage the demonstration of respect, understanding, appreciation, equality, and dignity; and WHEREAS, Long-standing attacks on ethnic studies departments, programs, and related projects, and the recent increase of attacks in particular, misrepresents the intentions and serious intellectual and scholarly commitments of the ethnic studies departments; and WHEREAS, Support for ethnic studies departments, programs, and related projects, including budgetary commitments, will allow for the continued guidance and teaching of a new generation of students who will greatly impact and positively influence California policy and government; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California formally endorses the invaluable work of California's ethnic studies departments, programs, and related projects, and their faculty, staff, and students; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California also duly recognizes the leadership provided by the beneficiaries of these programs who have contributed greatly to the academic rigor, prominence, and distinguishing qualities of California's colleges and universities and the vitality of other public and private institutions, including the California state government; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California supports the continuation of ethnic studies departments, programs, and related projects in California's institutions of higher education; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.