Pre-Reading Responses Week of 8/27

-To me ethnic studies is the study of different ethnicities, cultures, and the traditions and history of said cultures, how they developed as a whole in american society and the impact that they have made in society up to this point. With all of this in mind it gives people that come from different backgrounds and cultures a chance to learn, understand, and appreciate all of the other cultures that are out there. Ethnic studies differs from Sociology, Anthropology, and Political Science because it focuses on different groups of people specifically, and addresses how different ethnic groups interact with each other but I also believe that in many ways all four categories overlap at some point.

-I believe that Ethnic Studies was regarded as its own discipline because although we have other studies such as Sociology, Anthropology, and Political Science, none of those really touch on the topic of race, how it affects our everyday lives, and how it affects us as individuals living in such diverse communities. Ethnic Studies hones in on different cultures from all different perspectives, and as a study allows for all individuals that want to have a say, do so. It is unique in the fact that it allows us to study different races, and ethnicities closely rather than just a broad overview of people as a whole. This subject is important to have nowadays because America has become such a huge melting pot compared to the rest of the world, so a better understanding and a more educated view on different ethnicities and cultures will lead to, hopefully, a more successful, understanding, peaceful society.

-In my opinion everyone benefits from ethnic studies and it is a very important subject to study. Maybe students that have grown up in less culturally diverse areas during their adolescence will benefit from this course more, expanding their knowledge of different cultures as well as clearing up any misconceptions that they may have had or that may have been formulated in their mind due to particular family beliefs, unfortunate experiences, and media influences. The state of Arizona is considering banning ethnic studies from being taught because it focuses more on the students that happen to be Mexican Americans, and the state is claiming that "It teaches them that they are victims of American Society" because of the law that was just recently passed and in that law it is stated that it bans any class that "promotes the overthrow of the U.S. Government".

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