Chloriza Avila - Week 3 - Section A02

The colonization of the United States has impacted individuals in more aspects than one.  Hmong Does Not Mean Free: The Miseducation of Hmong Americans discusses how the
US curriculum has failed to accurately inform minority groups in our country. In my own experiences,
I remember growing up and learning about European culture in every textbook and every history class.
I rarely was able to read about the narratives of my own people, as well as the narratives of others. This
article emphasizes the ways in which this curriculum has been chosen for us by the "superior race", and has
contributed to the continuous erasure of all other experiences. I first realized this when I made it to higher
education and started to learn the history of my people. I found it interesting that this article pointed out that
there are some things that are chosen for us, and that the education system is not prepared to find the strengths
within our communities. Often times the pressure of education is difficult to navigate due to many cultural
factors stated in the article such as language barriers and pressure from parents to provide for the family. (pg. 4)
Along with these factors includes certain gender roles that add another layer to the difficulties of pursuing higher
education as a minority. I think that as a collective society needs to put in more effort when it comes to accurately
informing other communities as well as their own in order to assure that the information that the stories of these
communities are accurately being passed on to further generations, without the colonized perspective. I feel that
this is the reason that ethnic studies is a necessity to education because cultural identity is something that is a crucial
factor in connecting with your identity and helping you truly understand where your roots can take you. I find a lot
of value in these articles and their ability to inform communities accurately to brighten the paths of minority groups
as a whole.

Question: What would education look like without the revolution of Ethnic Studies and it's
implementation within school curriculum?

(Third World Liberation Front where student activists fought for ethnic studies)

Sources: Mouavangsou, K. N. 2016. Hmong Does Not Mean Free: The Miseducation of Hmong Americans. Retrieved October 6, 2017.