. What Our Secondary Textbooks Miss: Infusing Mexican American History into U.S. Social Studies Curricula Inclusion Monica S. Yoo Sylvia L. Mendez Nina Ellis Frischmann Scott Noeller Dana Wallner University of Colorado Colorado Springs Abstract This Tools and Strategies piece focuses on Mexican Americans’ experience during the Chicano(a) Rights Movement. Drawing upon Culturally Relevant Education, a social justice framework (Aronson & Laughter, 2016), the authors provide a rationale for the importance of this historical topic and suggest teaching ideas through a lesson series WebQuest. In the lesson series, teachers and students compare the rhetoric of César Chávez and Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales. Students then can apply the learning from the lessons to an issue about which they are atrix Center for the Advancement of Social Equity and Social Equity of the Advancement for atrix Center passionate. The aim is for educators to use this piece to become informed about relevant historical issues and take up key elements from he M the lesson series. and T and Keywords: culturally relevant education; secondary students; social studies; Mexican Americans; civil rights; lesson plan; Web resources; Chicano Civil Rights Movement Monica S. Yoo, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at UCCS. Her research interests in language and academic literacy, including the development and connection of secondary students reading and writing. Department Chair and Professor he White Privilege Conference he White for Leadership, Research, and Foundations at UCCS Dr. Sylvia Mendez centers her research on Mexican descent youth's schooling experiences and teaches university courses on elementary education and educational leadership. Nina Ellis Frischmann, MA, PhD, teaches in the history and humanities departments of secondary and post-secondary educational institutes. She studies ways to create teaching techniques to meet the Understanding & Dismantling Privilege & Dismantling Understanding needs of various learning styles. Writer Scott Noeller is from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and has a background in examining education. Lastly, Dana Wallner, PhD, has a history of The Official Journal of T of Journal Official The research in national and state educational policy and reform and discrepancies between students in academic opportunities, accessibility, readiness, and placement. Understanding and Dismantling Privilege Yoo, et al.: Infusing Mexican American History This Tools and Strategies piece in Gonzales. Chávez, along with Dolores Understanding and Dismantling Privilege Huerta, fought for the employment and provides (a) a focus on the activism of the human rights of migrant workers. At the Chicano/a Civil Rights Movement while same time, Gonzales focused on the plight highlighting the voices of two Chicano of urban Chicanos/as from advocating for leaders, César Chávez and Rodolfo “Corky” fair housing, medical care, culturally Gonzales; (b) the topic’s relationship to appropriate school practices, and Chicano/a Culturally Relevant Education (CRE); (c) a representation in the political arena. series of interrelated lessons on the topic; and (d) an accompanying WebQuest This activism was comprised of (http://questgarden.com/194/54/9/17053110 grassroots Chicanos/as who demanded self- 1714/) for educators interested in utilizing determination and sought to transform web resources to teach this content. Dodge American life’s existing economic, political, (n.d.) defines a WebQuest as “an inquiry- and social institutions. They did this through oriented lesson format in which most or all educating the community on its dire state the information that learners work with with the hope of creating a mass movement comes from the web” (para. 3). The ideas for change and activism (Acuña, 2019; and resources in this article and the Delgado Bernal, 1999; Gómez-Quiñones & WebQuest can be linked as a mini-unit or Vásquez, 2014; Gutierrez, 1993; Muñoz, divided to supplement a secondary social 2007; Rosales, 1996). Although these studies curriculum. Teachers and students groups and individuals garnered national are asked to explore how the lessons learned attention through their radical ideas and from the Chicano/a Civil Rights Movement tactics, their measures were often rebuffed can be applied to activism today. and rejected. One of the most important contributions of the Chicano/a Movement The Chicano/a Civil Rights Movement was the activists’ ability to classify the Mexican American community as an The Civil Rights Movement provided a “identifiable ethnic minority” (Wilson, national stage for Mexican Americans to 2003). With this new identity, political and confront inequalities in U.S. life (Gómez- legal recognition followed. The 1964 Civil Quiñones & Vásquez, 2014; Gutierrez, Rights Act authorized the federal 1993; Muñoz, 2007; Rosales, 1996). With government to withhold funds from states the Black Power movement on the national permitting racial discrimination. Under the stage and a reclaimed Indigenous heritage act national origin, ethnic minorities were and birthright to the American Southwest, considered a protected group, including Mexican Americans began to identify as Mexican Americans and other Latinx Chicanos/as, demonstrating an activist and populations (Wilson, 2003). militant-minded perspective (Delgado Bernal, 1999; Gutierrez, 1993). Mexican American History and Organizations such as the Brown Berets, the Culturally Relevant Education La Raza Unida Party, and Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán (MEChA) The underpinning rationale for infusing emerged due to the Chicano/a Movement. U.S. secondary social studies curricula with Founders of the movement include a this particular period of Mexican American multitude of Chicano/a leaders, such as history is to bring to light the utility of César Chávez and Rodolfo “Corky” employing a social justice framework for ISSN 2152-1875 Volume X, Issue 2, Winter 2020 40 Understanding and Dismantling Privilege Yoo, et al.: Infusing Mexican American History teaching through Culturally Relevant explicitly unmask and unmake Education (CRE). Aronson and Laughter oppressive systems through the (2016) distilled the culturally responsive critique of discourses of power. teaching scholarship of Geneva Gay (2018) Culturally relevant educators work and the culturally relevant pedagogy not only in the classroom but also in research of Gloria Ladson-Billings (2009) the active pursuit of social justice for into CRE. They noted, “CRE represents all members of society. (p. 167) pedagogies of oppression committed to collective empowerment and social justice” For reference, these markers can be (Aronson & Laughter, 2016, p. 164). CRE shortened and abbreviated according to their builds upon the work of Gay, Ladson- main tenets as 1) academic skills and Billings, and other researchers who have concepts (AS&C), 2) critical reflection been committed to the belief that schools (C.R.), 3) cultural competence (CC), and 4) serve as a microcosm of society—if the critiques of discourses of power (CDP) classroom embraces social justice means (Aronson & Laughter, 2016, p. 168). and ends, a more equitable and inclusive society will result (Aronson & Laughter, Empirical evidence suggests that 2016). Building on the work of Dover positive educational outcomes in terms of (2013), Aronson and Laughter (2016) achievement, engagement, and motivation developed four markers of CRE: are realized by employing CRE practices in social studies curricula (Aronson & 1. Culturally relevant educators use Laughter, 2016; Choi, 2013; Epstein, constructivist measures to develop Mayorga, & Nelson, 2011; Martell, 2013; bridges connecting students’ cultural Rodriguez, Bustamante Jones, Peng, & Park, references to academic skills and 2004). Byrd (2016) found culturally concepts. Culturally relevant responsive teaching practices to be educators build on the knowledge significantly related to positive academic and cultural assets students bring achievement. Students also reported greater with them into the classroom; the feelings of belonging, interest in the subject culturally relevant classroom is matter, and stronger racial and ethnic inclusive of all students. identities due to a direct focus on classroom 2. Culturally relevant educators engage culture. One of the major inhibitors of students in critical reflection about employing CRE is the lack of diverse their own lives and societies. In the cultural content in school curricula (Gay, classroom, culturally relevant 2018), particularly Mexican American and educators use inclusive curricula and Latinx history (Noboa, 2006; Rodriguez & activities to support analysis of all Ruiz, 2000). the cultures represented. 3. Culturally relevant educators CRE practices ensure that all students facilitate students’ cultural experience a curriculum that is relevant and competence. The culturally relevant reflective of their lived experiences and have classroom is where students learn the opportunity to correct misinformation about their own and others’ cultures they receive about themselves and others while developing pride in their own (Gay, 2018; Ladson-Billings, 2009). When and others’ cultures. these teaching strategies are in place, 4. Culturally relevant educators educators have the opportunity to develop ISSN 2152-1875 Volume X, Issue 2, Winter 2020 41 Understanding and Dismantling Privilege Yoo, et al.: Infusing Mexican American History deeper relationships with students