Anti-Semitic Bias in Calif Schools?

[leov]

Palestinians are Semitic

Many of them have Jewish ancestry.

 

[Nakosis]

Somehow I knew this would be about criticism of the Israeli government rather than actual antisemitism.

Many Jews I've spoken with, identify being Jewish with the state of Israel. As noted in the first article it was an Israeli-American who found the new curriculum disturbing.

However what I've read, it doesn't even seem anti Israeli, just very focused on Palestinians. Maybe if there was more diversity in the examples provided?

 

[Epic Beard Man]

You don't think focusing on Palestinian oppression without a similar focus on the Holocaust and Antisemitism prejudicial?

When you contextually use words like "oppression" and antisemitism you're setting a narrative because niw you're create a protagonist and antagonist. I think when curriculum are formed there needs to be something that informs the person or persons that such and such curriculum will focus on a particular perspective. I believe you can speak about the experiences from both sides but when you use words it can sway opinion, but alas that is when looking at things contextually but going back, what you wrote I still didn't see anything specifically offensive and antisemitic. you need to point out the antisemitism. Saying Palestinian oppression being the focal point as opposed to antisemitism not not specifying antisemitism, if anything it would specify a potential bias.

 

[Shad]

Palestinians are Semitic

Antisemitism does not use language grouping as part of it's definition. It is about Jews and only Jews.

 

[Nakosis]

Teaching about the Holocaust as though it was an entirely unique and unprecedented act of evil is exactly the kind of thinking that is going to blind people from it happening again.

There is (rightfully) a huge emphasis on the Holocaust in North American education, but the average North American is nontheless very ignorant about how the holocaust was allowed to happen, because Nazi's are portrayed as inhuman manifestations of pure evil rather as human actors of the state machine.

A good example of this is when the US ICE director said in 2018 that ICE was not comparable to the Nazi regime because they were "just following orders" the exact defence of Nazis at the Nuremberg trials. Since the Trump presidency there has been a sharp incline of anti-semetic hate crime.

If you are trying to argue that teaching people about the oppression of the Palestinians is a considerable worry in regards to the raising prevalence of Fascism and anti-semetism, you are either very ignorant or blatantly spreading misinformation.

From what I've seen, it is simply focused mostly on Palestinian immigrants and culture. I suppose some feel it should be more inclusive.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

Such politically correct things do tend to have their own blind spots. True

Yep, focusing on current events over historical incidents is "political correctness"

 

[Nakosis]

When you contextually use words like "oppression" and antisemitism you're setting a narrative because niw you're create a protagonist and antagonist. I think when curriculum are formed there needs to be something that informs the person or persons that such and such curriculum will focus on a particular perspective. I believe you can speak about the experiences from both sides but when you use words it can sway opinion, but alas that is when looking at things contextually but going back, what you wrote I still didn't see anything specifically offensive and antisemitic. you need to point out the antisemitism. Saying Palestinian oppression being the focal point as opposed to antisemitism not not specifying antisemitism, if anything it would specify a potential bias.

I was relying on media reports. After reviewing the curriculum myself it doesn't seem to have anything to do Palestine itself, only Palestinian immigrants. The only bias I presume would be the lack of focus on immigrants from other cultures. Though maybe I missed something.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

I was relying on media reports. After reviewing the curriculum myself it doesn't seem to have anything to do Palestine itself, only Palestinian immigrants. The only bias I presume would be the lack of focus on immigrants from other cultures. Though maybe I missed something.

Well in this case it is not antisemitism that is the issue here, but the perspective of the position of the Palestinian experience as you say which only gives focus to this above others. I mean, this is no different than Chicano studies. I'm sure if you have a class in Chicano studies you're not going to learn about Genghis Khan and the Mongolian accomplishments are you?

 

[Father Heathen]

Many Jews I've spoken with, identify being Jewish with the state of Israel.

They're imbeciles. The notion that a nation's government should be considered beyond reproach and be allowed to act with impunity just because people conflate it with racial/religious identity is flagrant stupidity.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I was relying on media reports. After reviewing the curriculum myself it doesn't seem to have anything to do Palestine itself, only Palestinian immigrants. The only bias I presume would be the lack of focus on immigrants from other cultures. Though maybe I missed something.

This highlights how screwed up our media in America is. So many people believe falsities simply because they unknowing relied on sources feeding them misinformation. Very scary. If it's not reined in, it could set the stage for Fascism or something like Stalinism. It's extremely important for a democracy to have a strong, independent truth-telling press.

In just another thread the other day, I was mad because Universal felt the need to cancel the release of a movie I was interested in because people (Trumptards, apparently) were protesting it over lies regarding it. It's out of hand here. People need to put their thinking caps on and verify what they're being told. If it sounds fishy, it probably is.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Many of them have Jewish ancestry.

True, but Arabs are Semites, anyway. Jews and Arabs are so similar that they're almost the same. That's why it's so dumb that they hate each other.

 

[leov]

True, but Arabs are Semites, anyway. Jews and Arabs are so similar that they're almost the same. That's why it's so dumb that they hate each other.

There is a force that wants it be hate... Real estate involved too.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

Many Jews I've spoken with, identify being Jewish with the state of Israel. As noted in the first article it was an Israeli-American who found the new curriculum disturbing.

"My country, right or wrong" leads to atrocities. Of all people, Jews should know this.

 

[Enoch07]

X national/ethnic group tend to be bigoted.

Do you seriously not realize how stupid you sound?

I know facts supported by evidence that destroys your fragile progressive narrative are tough to accept. But it is reality unfortunately.

 

[Stevicus]

Has political correctness gone too far in Calif?

As Americans grapple with shifts in culture and demographics, majority-minority California is developing a high school curriculum in ethnic studies, one of the first nationally. Not long ago — while managing his extracurriculars and winnowing his college choices — Eli Safaie-Kia, 17, found time to discover a draft of it.

Its contents were, in some ways, standard-issue: readings and projects aimed at fostering tolerance, offering non-traditional perspectives and helping a massive, multicultural populace better understand one another. But in other ways, the draft was confusing even to a Generation Z kid from a blue-state. For one, it presented Israel in a way that went heavy on Palestinian oppression and scarcely mentioned the Holocaust...

...Now, as the comment period for the draft approaches its Aug. 15 deadline, hundreds of complaints, suggestions and op-eds have posted, from conservatives who don’t like its depiction of capitalism as a “form of power and oppression,” to parents stumped by its academic jargon to no small number of Californians who, like Safaie-Kia, wonder why it says so little about anti-Semitism.
Is ethnic studies plan too politically correct even for California?

Is this biased towards a leftist position or or is this something reasonable to be teaching in our public schools?

An interesting point was raised further on in the article:

“If you’re going to get into issues related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — I don’t know why that would be something you’d do in an American Ethnic Studies course — then do it in a way … that’s inclusive and presents perspectives that young people could do critical thinking about these issues,” said Gabriel, adding that he understands the draft will go through multiple revisions.

That is a good point. If this is referring to American Ethnic Studies, then wouldn't it focus more on the diversity of ethnic groups and events related to America itself?

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

An interesting point was raised further on in the article:



That is a good point. If this is referring to American Ethnic Studies, then wouldn't it focus more on the diversity of ethnic groups and events related to America itself?

Given that involvement in Israel is a major factor driving American Middle Eastern policy, and hence driving much of the attitudes of Middle Easterners towards the US, covering the Palestine/Israel issue is related to America, I'd argue. Considering how many Americans are wildly mis/uninformed about it, yet pontificate on it endlessly (look no further than our own forum), I'd say it's a promising development.

 

[Stevicus]

Given that involvement in Israel is a major factor driving American Middle Eastern policy, and hence driving much of the attitudes of Middle Easterners towards the US, covering the Palestine/Israel issue is related to America, I'd argue. Considering how many Americans are wildly mis/uninformed about it, yet pontificate on it endlessly (look no further than our own forum), I'd say it's a promising development.

True, it's related to America, although that would be a standard subject for any class or curriculum on U.S. foreign policy, not necessarily in the domain of American ethnic studies.

I could be mistaken, but my understanding is that the whole idea behind ethnic studies is to focus on those groups, cultures, and events (or various perspectives on events) which have historically been marginalized or ignored by "mainstream" society.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

I could be mistaken, but my understanding is that the whole idea behind ethnic studies is to focus on those groups, cultures, and events (or various perspectives on events) which have historically been marginalized or ignored by "mainstream" society.

...so, like Palestinians?

 

[Stevicus]

...so, like Palestinians?

If we're talking about Palestinian-Americans as an ethnic group within America, then perhaps. But as I said, if it's about the situation in the Middle East, wouldn't that be more in the realm of a foreign policy course?