Alejo Responds to Veto of Ethnic Studies Bill

“As an individual who has academically, professionally, and personally benefitted from learning about various cultures, ethnicities, and heritages, I believe this is a missed opportunity for students throughout the state.

As the state with one of the largest and most diverse student populations in the country, with over 70 percent of the students being students of color, and more than 90 languages spoken by students, I am disappointed that California is not leading the nation on this groundbreaking piece of legislation. While an Ethnic Studies course has the potential to broaden and expand a student’s mind when it comes to diversity, better preparing them for the diverse workforce of the 21st century, these courses have also been known to then lead to greater student productivity and learning in other areas, including Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

Assembly Bill 101 would have been a great opportunity for California to enrich and expand the minds of our students. Today’s students will be our future and in today’s diverse world, it is ever important that they have an opportunity to learn about cultural diversity.

This is not over as this is part of a growing national Ethnic Studies Movement. I will keep fighting until we make AB101 a reality and ensure that every high school student can benefit from an Ethnic Studies class in the future.”


Luis Alejo represents the 30th District in the California State Assembly, which consists of the Salinas Valley, Monterey County, San Benito County, South Santa Clara County and the city of Watsonville in Santa Cruz County.

http://asmdc.org/members/a30/news-room/press-releases/alejo-responds-to-veto-of-ethnic-studies-bill