CSU Faculty Administrators at Odds Over Ethnic Studies Requirement

4 DEC. 3 - 16, 2020 • REGIONAL/NATIONAL • Students step into WWII CSU faculty administrators at odds over incarceration through ethnic studies requirement By MICHAEL BURKE colleges to offer ethnic studies The chancellor’s office ar- role-playing game EdSource to those students. That would gues that it would not make California State University be a significant financial bur- sense to give campuses au- took another step Nov. 17 to- den to those colleges, many of tonomy for implementing AB ward requiring students to which don’t currently offer any 1460. take an ethnic studies class ethnic studies classes. “Unlike a campus require- as part of their lower-division The CSU chancellor’s of- ment, a system requirement coursework, a move that fice says it is still finalizing the must be consistent across the would also have significant implementation plan for the 23 campuses,” Alison Wrynn, implications for the state’s 115 new class and has not officially CSU’s associate vice-chancel- degree-granting community determined that it will be a lor of academic programs, said colleges. lower-division class. However, during the Nov. 17 meeting. During the 23-campus sys- Michael Uhlenkamp, a spokes- If the class is indeed imple- tem’s Board of Trustees meet- man for the chancellor’s of- mented as a lower-division ing Nov. 17, the educational fice, said in a statement to requirement, it would create policy committee voted 9-2 to EdSource that “it is our prefer- significant costs for the state’s make a minor amendment to ence to have the requirement community colleges that offer a policy approved in July that be a lower-level” requirement. associate degrees. would have required students “We are hoping to have Under that plan, the class IN THE ROLE OF A NISEI TEEN — Mission US’ latest game, to take a course in ethnic stud- that guidance to share with would become part of CSU’s “Prisoner in My Homeland,” asks players to take on the role of ies or a class with a social jus- the campuses in the next few general education require- Henry Tanaka, a typical Japanese American teenager during the war. courtesy of THIRTEEN Productions LLC tice component. weeks,” he added. ments. Students who transfer To comply with AB 1460, a CSU faculty groups want to a CSU campus from com- new law requiring students to individual campuses to have munity college as part of the By TOMO HIRAI “So I knew about this fund- take a class in ethnic studies, greater flexibility over how to Associate Degree for Trans- Nichi Bei Weekly ing opportunity and the light the amended policy stipulates implement the requirement fer pathway are required to What would a 16-year-old bulb went off in my head. May- that students must complete and do not want to restrict complete those requirements do today if they were labeled be they could fund a Mission the requirement by taking a students to taking the class at community college. About “the enemy” and incarcerated about this topic,” she said. class in one of four ethnic stud- in their lower-division course- 14,000 students transferred to in the California desert? “Pris- Chen pulled together a team ies disciplines: Native Ameri- work. a CSU campus on that path- oner in My Homeland,” a free of advisers mainly comprised can studies, African American CSU’s Academic Senate, way this fall. educational role-playing game of Nikkei history scholars. She studies, Asian American stud- the official body representing Aisha Lowe, the community released online Sept. 14 asks also traveled to Washington to ies or Latina and Latino stud- faculty on system-wide issues, college system’s vice-chan- students just that, by having meet with the Bainbridge Island ies. A class deemed to have a last week passed a resolution cellor of educational services them take on the role of Henry Japanese American community social justice component that urging the Board of Trustees and support, previously told Tanaka, a fictional teenager and down to California to meet falls outside those disciplines and the chancellor’s office to EdSource that it would cost up from Bainbridge Island, an is- with the Manzanar Committee would not fulfill the require- revise the proposal and es- to $45 million in new spend- land located west of Seattle. to do research. Along the way, ment. tablish that the requirement ing for the system to offer the Produced by THIRTEEN, Densho: The Japanese Ameri- The board did not make re- could be met as an upper- or required courses to those stu- a New York-based PBS studio can Legacy Project and Martha visions to the policy requested lower-division class. dents. owned by WNET, “Prisoner in Nakagawa reviewed the game by faculty, who want greater CSU’s Council on Eth- Most of that spending would My Homeland” joins five other to ensure accuracy. control over implementing the nic Studies, which laid the be to hire new faculty. Lowe games aimed at middle school Nakagawa, author and re- new requirement. groundwork for AB 1460, also estimated that about 40 col- students focusing on major searcher at the University of Faculty groups called on took that position, as did the leges currently do not offer moments in American history California, Los Angeles’ Jack the board to establish that California Faculty Association, any ethnic studies classes, and from the eyes of a teen. and Aiko Herzig Papers, Col- the class could be fulfilled as the union representing faculty said that those that do will like- According to Michelle Chen, lection and the university’s either an upper- or lower-divi- across the system. ly need to offer more of those the game’s senior producer, the Asian American Studies Cen- sion course, but the trustees “We are looking to the CSU classes to satisfy all students. Mission US games were devel- ter’s Suyama Project, said she did not take that step on Nov. Board of Trustees ... to exer- The law goes into effect be- oped following a nationwide spent a few years working with 17. cise its oversight of the Chan- ginning with students gradu- survey of middle school social Chen and her team, and had Now, students are likely to cellor’s Office and demand ating from CSU in 2025. That studies teachers to determine fun doing so. She thinks the be required to complete the freestanding graduation re- means that students who en- which pivotal moments of his- game offers a good introduc- class in the first half of their quirement, allowing upper or ter college next fall will be the tory to focus on. tion to the wartime incarcera- coursework. Because many lower division Ethnic Studies first class subjected to the re- Tanaka’s story, however, dif- tion experience for students. students take those lower- courses,” Kenneth Monteiro, quirement. For those students fers from the other five games Nakagawa said she offered division classes at community the former dean of San Fran- to be able to complete the the studio produced, as it fea- her advice on how Nikkei from college before receiving an cisco State’s College of Ethnic requirement by their second tures a teenager who is slightly Terminal Island in Los Angeles associate degree and transfer- Studies, said in a statement. year of college, the community older than the other protago- would speak, as well as how the ring to CSU as part of a special- Monteiro is also the chair of college system would need to nists. Nisei would have spoken with ized pathway, it would shift the the CSU Council on Ethnic have the ethnic studies classes “The other missions really their Issei parents. responsibility to community Studies. available by Fall 2022. cover core curriculum topics She also said she advised like … the Boston Massacre,” Chen on how the so-called Chen said. “This one is perhaps loyalty questionnaire should S.F. Board of Supervisors approve speed reduction a topic that not necessarily all be framed in the game. The teachers would teach in a lot of questionnaire asked wartime By DEREK TAHARA speed limits citywide under Francisco Examiner reported. depth in the middle school his- inmates about their willing- Nichi Bei Weekly their existing authority, and to The District 5 supervisor used tory classroom.” ness to serve in the U.S. armed At the City and County of implement coordinated traffic the loophole to push the SFM- Chen, a Taiwanese Ameri- forces of the United States, San Francisco’s Land Use and signal timing to reduce vehicle TA “to reduce the speed limit can from Brooklyn, New York, and whether they would swear Transportation committee’s speeds citywide,” the Board of to 25 miles per hour on three said she briefly learned about their unqualified allegiance to Nov. 9 virtual meeting, Super- Supervisors’ meeting minutes segments of Geary Boulevard the wartime incarceration in the U.S. and forswear their al- visors Aaron Peskin, Dean said. The bill will reduce the near senior centers — a 10 mile school, but later gained a more legiance to the Japanese Em- Preston and Ahsha Safai rec- speed limit between Geary and per hour decrease from their in-depth education from her peror. ommended a speed reduction Gough Streets, where pedes- original standard,” the San Japanese American husband, “The staff did a good job bill. trian Mark Berman was killed Francisco Examiner said. Konrad Aderer. Chen co- changing how the loyalty ques- It was approved unanimously by an oncoming car in August, The affected areas of the produced “Resistance at Tule tionnaire was presented to the by the city’s Board of Supervi- KPIX 5 reported.

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