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UIC Law Review Volume 47 Issue 4 Article 3 Summer 2014 The Contemporary Assault on Ethnic Studies, 47 J. Marshall L. Rev. 1189 (2014) Ronald Mize Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.law.uic.edu/lawreview Part of the Immigration Law Commons, Law and Race Commons, and the Law and Society Commons Recommended Citation Ronald Mize, The Contemporary Assault on Ethnic Studies, 47 J. Marshall L. Rev. 1189 (2014) https://repository.law.uic.edu/lawreview/vol47/iss4/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by UIC Law Open Access Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in UIC Law Review by an authorized administrator of UIC Law Open Access Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE CONTEMPORARY ASSAULT ON ETHNIC STUDIES RONALD L. MIZE 1 I. 1980s Culture Wars: A Precursor ......................................... 11921193 II. 21st Century Kulturkampf, Arizona-Style ........................... 11961197 III. Forbidden Knowledge: Threatening White Privilege's Historical Amnesia ........................................................ 12011202 IV. Allegory of Don Rafael, Connecting Past and Presen........... 12041204 V. Chronology of Events Pertaining to Don Rafael Case, 1954 . ..................................................................................... 1208 Ethnic studies once again finds itself in the crosshairs of conservative Republicans hell-bent on preserving white privilege and power by defining “being American” as synonymous with their possessive investment in whiteness. 2 The U.S. culture wars, rearing its ugly head in its fullest form in the late 1980s, never seem to go away but simply resurface every decade or so in a new context. It is much like cultural critic George Lipsitz describes as: “There has always been racism in the United States, but it has not always been the same racism. Political and cultural struggles over power have shaped the contours and dimensions of racism differently in different eras.” 3 By its organizational design of de-centering and coalition building, 4 LatCrit acknowledged the culture wars in the early 2000s with their “Countering Kulturkampf” theme at LatCrit IX Conference. 5 U.S. culture wars origin stories vary, but one 1 Associate Professor of Language, Culture and Society and the Director of the Center for Latino/a Studies and Engagement (CL@SE) at Oregon State University. 2 See generally GEORGE LIPSITZ, THE POSSESSIVE INVESTMENT IN WHITENESS 4-5 (1998) (analyzing what is at stake when we see white privilege defended, under what he deems the white spatial imaginary). 3 Id. In a similar fashion, Lipsitz is fond of riffing Malcolm X’s famous line, “Racism is like a Cadillac, they bring out a new model every year.” Id. at 182. 4 See generally Margaret E. Montoya & Francisco Valdes, “Latinas/os” and The Politics of Knowledge Production: LatCrit Scholarship and Academic Activism as Social Justice Action, 83 IND. L.J. 1197 (2008) (explaining the structure, goals, and methodology of groups in the LatCrit movement). 5 See generally Charles R. Venator Santiago, Countering Kulturkampf Politics Through Critique And Justice Pedagogy, 50 VILL. L. REV. 50 (2005) [hereinafter Santiago] (describing the politics of Kulturkampf); Charles R. Venator Santiago, Countering Kulturkampf Politics Through Critique and Justice Pedagogy, Race, Kulturkampf, and Immigration, 35 SETON HALL L. 11891188 1190Vol.1168 47:4 The Contemporary47 JO HN MARS Assault HALL L. on R EthnicEV. 11901168 Studies Vol. 118947:4 generallydifferent fromagreed its- uponpredecessors, starting particularly point stems since from it hadthe theinfamous benefit speechof two yearsby then of planning.-presidential candidate Patrick Buchanan in 1992 declaringLike thethe cultureshift in war: conference “There isscheduling, a religious otherwar going changes on in have our takencountry place for thewithin soul theof America.LatCrit entityIt is a, includingcultural war, concerted as critical efforts to tothe continue kind of nationa process we ofwill institutionalization. one day be as was In the recent Cold Waryears, itself.” there6 hasBuchanan’s been a growingsentiments focus were on morehow tofully capitalize articulated on its in critical the writings niche, continueof Allan Bloom,cultivating William the J.next Bennett, generation E.D. Hirsch,of critical Dinesh scholars, D’Sousa, and ensureand Dianne that Ravitchthe bato (beforen of outsider her recent jurisprudence conversion). is7 Conservativespassed along. Internally, the organization has shifted, including a gradual changing of the guard in leadership, so to speak, as well as a REV. 1155 (2005) [hereinafter Santiago, Race] (analyzing culture wars and downsizingtheir politics inwith administration. regard to education, For raceexample, and immigration); from 2008 Franciscoto the present,Valdes, Culture the Board by Law: of BacklashDirectors as was Jurisprudence intentionally, 50 Vdownsized,ILL. L. REV . with1135 a(2005) growing [hereinafter number Valdes, of BoardJurisprudence seats being] (explaining occupied the byconsequences junior law of professors.backlash Kulturkampf6 on law and society); Francisco Valdes, "We Are Now of the View":Another Backlash major Activism, development Cultural Cleansing,is LatCrit’s and theacquisition Kulturkampf of toa Resurrect the Old Deal, 35 SETON HALL L. REV. 1407 (2005) [hereinafter Valdes,physical Old space Deal] (describingfor the organization. recent culture warThe cases property, and their Campo effect); DeniseSano (SpanishFerreira da for Silva, “Camp Introduction: Healthy,” The or Globalmore literally,Matrix and “Camp the Predicament Sanity”), ofis a"Postmodernisms": ten-acre parcel An of Introductionland located to inthe Central Critique Florida.of Kulturkampf7 Purchased, 35 SETON by LatCritHALL L. RinEV .2011, 1281 (2005)the space (explaining is home the crtoiticisms The Livingof Kulturkampf); Justice CenterMartha andT. McCluskey, the LatCrit How Community Equality BecameCampus. Elitist:8 The Thephysical Cultural facility Politics serves of Economics from the Court to the "Nanny Wars", 35 SETON HALL L. REV. 1291 (2005)as a means(analyzing “to culture level thewars playing from an fieldeconomic and standpoint);give LatCrit Sylvia activists R. Lazos a 9 Vargafightings, "Kulturkampf[s]" chance to be heard.” or "fit[s] The of spite"?:space isTaking intended the Academic Culture Wars Seriously, 35 SETON HALL L. REV. 1309 (2005) (explaining the need to take academicto serve culture as thewars hub seriously); of their Guadalupe educational, T. Luna, research, Introduction: Kulturkampfadvocacy Revelations, and activism Racial Identitto remedyies and the Colonizing imbalance Structures and , 35 SETON HALL L. REV. 1191 (2005) (focusing on the politics of racial identity). Other scholarlydeficiencies works of explore the thecurrent legal relationshiplegal system. between Having Native Americanan and Blackindependent identities physicaland Kulturkampf base has. Seebecome Carla D.critical Pratt, asTribal Kulturkampf:universities The Role and of law Race schools Ideology increasingly in Constructing are Nativeeven lessAmerican Identity, 35 Seton Hall L. Rev. 1241, PAGE# (2005) (examining the law’s narrative use of white supremacy and black inferiority to shape Native American identities). Naming6 J AMESand LaunchingD. HUNTER a &New ALAN Discourse WOLFE , ofI SCritical THERE LegalA CULTURE Scholarship WAR?, A2 DHIALOGUEARV. LATINO ON VL.ALUES REV. 1AND (1997). AMERICAN PUBLIC LIFE 1 (E.J. Dionne, Jr. Michael CromartieSee also eds., LatCrit 2006). Biennial Conferences, LATCRIT: LATINA & LATINO CRITICAL7 See generallyLEGAL T HEORYALLAN, BILOOMNC., ,http://latcrit.org/content/conferences/latcrit THE CLOSING OF THE AMERICAN MIND- (1988)biennial (explaining-conferences/ how (last the visited American July 5, higher 2013) (providingeducation astudent’ list of thes souls previous are impoverishedconferences, anddue toproviding the higher direct education links to system view symposfailing democracy);ia articles for D INESHsome yearsD’SOUZA (found, ILLIBERAL by following EDUCATION the; TrespectiveHE POLITICS year’s OF RlinkACE ANDto its S EXcorresponding ON CAMPUS webpage).(1998) [hereinafter D’SOUZA 1998] (discussing how race and gender politics affectAdditionally, scholarship); LatCrit DINE SHhas D’S developedOUZA, T HEa substantialEND OF R ACISMbody :of P RINCIPLESscholarship F ORfrom A severalMULTICULTURAL other stand SOCIETY-alone symposia:(1995) [hereinafterinter alia the D’SSouthOUZA-North 1995] Exchange, (examining the whetherStudy Space racial Series, prejudice the Internationalis an inherent and orComparative learned trait); Colloquia. E.D. HLatCritIRSCH, SymposiaCULTURAL, LATITERACYCRIT: : LATWCHATRIT : ELVERYATINA A&MERICAN LATINO NCEEDSRITICAL TO L EGALKNOW T HEORY(1988), (arguingINC., http://latcrit.org/content/publications/latcrit that America is failing to teach children-symposium/ the basic knowledge (last visitedthat is requiredJuly 5, 2014). to function in society); DIANNE RAVITCH, NATIONAL STANDARDS IN AMERICAN6 These E DUCATIONinclude Profe: A CssorsITIZEN Marc'S G-UIDETizoc (1990)González, [hereinafter Andrea RFreeman,AVITCH 1990] and (analyzingCésar Cuahtémoc the history, García Hernández.purpose, and See Abouteffects LatCritof nationalized, supra note education 3 (listing standards);the professors DIANNE on the RAVITCH LatCrit, T HEBoard REVISIONISTS of Directors REVISED and their: A C RITIQUErespective OF THElaw schools).RADICAL ATTACK ON THE SCHOOLS (1978) [hereinafter