The Morongo Unified School District has proposed an Ethnic Studies course for the district’s 10th and 11th graders.

The course “is designed to empower students to critically examine the social and historical constructs of identity, such as race and ethnicity, while fostering a deeper understanding of diverse cultures and their impact on individual and collective experiences.”

The course is organized into four key strands: Identity and Culture, Land and Movement, Systems of Power, and Social Movements and Equity. It states that “students will explore the histories, contributions, struggles, and resilience of Black/African American, Chicanx/Latinx American, Indigenous/Native American, and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities” as it relates to personal identities, communities and intersectionality.

Students will gain insight into the themes such as “intersectionality, migration, and systemic inequality” and “will also examine the complex systems of power that have shaped and marginalized certain groups, as well as the social movements that have sought justice and equity.”

The course culminates in an “Identity Portfolio,” where students reflect on how they can make “constructive contributions to their communities” and will have “developed a greater appreciation for diversity, a strong commitment to social justice, and the tools to advocate for equity in their own lives and the world around them.”

Key terms students have to define include: land acknowledgement, migration, immigrant, immigration, internally displaced people, discrimination, oppression, equality, equity, collective power, social hierarchy, and stereotypes.