25 years after Prop 187: I was a middle schooler who walked out in protest of Prop 187, now I’m a high school teacher because of it.

"I was a middle school student who walked out in protest of CA Proposition 187, Looking back 25 years later I know I'm a high school Chicano/Latino Studies teacher because of it". By Irene Sanchez Irene Sanchez, Ph.D. is a high school teacher, writer, and poet. She is the author of the blog Xicana Ph.D. … Continue reading 25 years after Prop 187: I was a middle schooler who walked out in protest of Prop 187, now I’m a high school teacher because of it. →

Connecting Wilson and Trump: How anti-immigrant hate has spread since Prop 187

Connecting Wilson and Trump: How anti-immigrant hate has spread since Prop 187By: Irene Sanchez It has almost been a year since Trump released a political ad on Twitter that demonizes Mexican/Latina/o/x people, yet we must remember he is not the first to use political ads to invoke fear of these particular groups. While many news … Continue reading Connecting Wilson and Trump: How anti-immigrant hate has spread since Prop 187 →

When Ethnic Studies is Under Attack…

When Ethnic Studies is Under Attack... By Irene Sanchez Xicana Ph.D. When Ethnic Studies is under attack, you remember we've been here many times before. You carry the lessons of the past to act with the wisdom that has been passed down. This is not the time to turn away from our elders or dismiss … Continue reading When Ethnic Studies is Under Attack… →

You Can’t Call it What it is if You Don’t Know History: Anti-Mexican Violence in the Southwest

You Can’t Call it What it is if You Don’t Know History: Anti-Mexican Violence in the Southwest By Irene Sanchez There was a massacre yesterday in El Paso, Texas. There was a shooting motivated by hate in Gilroy, California last week. They were both motivated by Anti-Mexican sentiment which has been present in the U.S. … Continue reading You Can’t Call it What it is if You Don’t Know History: Anti-Mexican Violence in the Southwest →

Breaking! AB 331 (Medina) HS Ethnic Studies Bill Passes in CA Assembly

AB 331 (Medina) HS Ethnic Studies Bill Passes in CA AssemblyBy Irene Sanchez (Xicana Ph.D.) On May 23, 2019, AB 331 (Medina) was passed by the CA state assembly with a 60-6 vote and will move on for a Senate vote to finally make Ethnic Studies a high school graduation requirement in the State of … Continue reading Breaking! AB 331 (Medina) HS Ethnic Studies Bill Passes in CA Assembly →

The Myth of Meritocracy

The Myth of Meritocracy By Irene Sanchez The scandal Operation Varsity Blues has many talking about corruption in higher education recently, but it exposes something many of us already knew was there. The unchecked privilege reserved for the wealthy of this country is nothing new. There are front doors many of them walk through such … Continue reading The Myth of Meritocracy →

Why We Still Need Chicano/Latino Studies

Why we still need Chicanx/Latinx Studies By Irene Sanchez A student last year in my Latinx Studies class wrote, "If I am not myself, who will I be?" I asked myself when I read it: Who would I be? Would I be bowed head, eyes lowered, and ashamed? Would I be neither here nor there? … Continue reading Why We Still Need Chicano/Latino Studies →

AB 331 (Medina): The Move for an Ethnic Studies High School Graduation Requirement in CA Begins Again

AB 331 (Medina): The Move for an Ethnic Studies High School Graduation Requirement in CA Begins Again By Irene Sanchez On January 31, 2019, Assemblymember Jose Medina of Riverside, introduced legislation to make Ethnic Studies a graduation requirement in the State of California again. Medina is a former high school teacher and long time advocate … Continue reading AB 331 (Medina): The Move for an Ethnic Studies High School Graduation Requirement in CA Begins Again →