Ethnic Studies

Guest Commentary written by Julia Barzizza Julia Barzizza is a graduate student at UC Davis. She is the winner of the 2026 UC Davis Center for Poverty and Inequality Research Black History Month Student Essay Contest, from which this commentary was adapted. California was the first state to make ethnic studies a high school graduation […]

Emotional fights erupted over a controversial attempt this year to counter antisemitism in schools by restricting what teachers teach in classrooms, exposing a political quagmire for California Democrats who needed to balance the needs of Jewish communities against the fury of a growing pro-Palestinian base.

From CalMatters economy reporter Grace Gedye: The California Legislature, with its Democratic supermajority, is known for passing first-in-the-nation laws that ramp up labor and consumer protections — often in the face of intense opposition from business groups. At the same time, the California Chamber of Commerce, a powerful business lobbying group, has honed a specific […]

Ethnic studies must be treated as a rigorous intellectual endeavor that is rooted in empirical testing, not dogmatic presumptions.

Friday wasn’t a lucky day for Gov. Gavin Newsom. The stage was set — literally — for a positive announcement. Newsom, standing in front of shimmery gold and red curtains and a Wheel of Fortune-style gizmo in the California Lottery Building in Sacramento, randomly selected the first 15 winners of a $50,000 cash prize from […]

Good morning, California. It’s Tuesday, May 25. Two elections for same seat When you get your November 2022 ballot, it might feel as though you’re seeing double: For the first time in history, a race for the same California seat in the U.S. Senate will likely appear twice. That’s because lawmakers are rushing to tweak […]

California’s fierce debate around educational equity is about to get a lot fiercer. Today, a state Board of Education commission is set to review public comments responding to a controversial proposal to overhaul California’s math framework for 6.1 million K-12 public school students. The state’s proposed plan — which aims to “counter the cultural forces […]

As a longtime rabbi and activist for the poor, I have seen how testimony of the human experience changes minds and makes for a better society.  I’ve seen women experiencing homelessness call for city leaders to effect change; veterans tell of harrowing times in war, pleading for mental health treatment; and children convey how they […]

Good morning, California. It’s Friday, March 19. Three big decisions The results of three controversial votes on Thursday could reverberate across California’s political, environmental and educational landscape for decades to come. Here’s a closer look at what’s at stake: — Ethnic studies curriculum. After heated debate that spanned four years, four drafts and more than […]

Ethnic studies promises a higher level of engagement for marginalized student groups and a heightened awareness of cultural engagement.