User talk:Lhd31/sandbox

Dylan's Comments

Hey Lilia, Great job on this article. You provide an accurate, neutral viewpoint on this controversy. The corrections I made are in brackets and span from sentence restructure, grammatical errors, to asking for a little more clarification on certain topics. While I do like your implementation of a lot of quotes, I do think some of them give off a biased perspective on this issue, so be careful with that. However, your rough draft gives a reader who has never heard about this topic a very sufficient amount of knowledge on this controversy. Keep it up, you're doing great! -Dylan

Context/Addition to Summary on Page Precious Knowledge is centered around the Tucson United School District’s Mexican-American Studies (MAS) program, which has been under scrutiny since 2006 (“Law School Professors”). The main opponent to the program since this time, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne, claimed that the program was “un-American” and that it “taught students to hate white people” (Precious Knowledge). He worked with Tom Huppenthal, a state legislator, to create a bill that would make the Mexican-American Studies program illegal (“Law School Professors”). This proposed bill, HB 2281, spelled out that schools could not include classes/courses that: “promote the overthrow of the United State government, promote resentment toward a race or class of people, are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group, [and] advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals” (Kunnie). The film follows the students of the MAS program at Tucson High Magnet School and their struggle to keep HB 2281 from becoming law.

AFTER FILM In 2011, following the events of the film, which ended with governor Jan Brewer passing HB 2281 into law, an audit was performed by the request of Huppenthal, hoping to find reason to throw out the program. However, the audit showed that the program was completely [careful with strong language] in line with the law [How](“Law School Professors”). Yet, the results of the audit were ignored, and in early 2012, the Tucson United School District was forced to cut the Mexican-American studies (MAS) program in response to the state’s threat to withhold funds of $14 million if the program were to continue (“Rejected in Tucson”). 

Along with the program, the books that were banned from schools in the TUSD were:

Chicano! The History of the Mexican Civil Rights Movement by Arturo Rosales

Critical Race Theory by Richard Delgado

500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures edited by Elizabeth Martinez

Message to Aztlan by Rodolfo Corky Gonzales

Occupied America: A History of Chicanos by Rodolfo Acuña

Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire

Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years, edited by Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson (Reichman).

In March 2013, Curtis Acosta, a teacher of the MAS program, and other teachers and students of the program brought the issue to court (“Arizona Teacher Assails”) (“Law School Professors”). They challenged the constitutionality of the law that allowed the removal of the MAS program in hopes of overturning it and therefore reinstating the program. The plaintiff took issue with (1) the constitutionality of HB 2281; (2) the fact that there was no “legal justification to eliminate the Mexican-American Studies Program”, for it was in line with the law, evidenced by an audit preformed in 2011; and (3) the vague language of the law, which provided the chance for discriminatory misinterpretation. To the disappointment of Acosta and students [<- you don't need this phrase], the law remained mostly intact. The court ruled the nullification of only one section which restricted classes "designed for a particular ethnic group," for its infringement on the First Amendment. Unsatisfied with the results, the plaintiff— [delete dash] at this point [was] reduced to two students [,] Korina Lopez and Maya Arce, and [Sean Arce, the father of Maya and director of the MAS Program]father of Maya and director of the MAS program, Sean Arce—[This resulted in the plaintiff filing for appeal] filed an appeal (“Law School Professors”). The case went to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District on July 7, 2015 as Arce v. Douglas, where it was decided to give the plaintiffs a trial in court based on race discrimination. The trial has yet to take place (“From the Bench”).

If not for the controversy and banning of the program in Arizona, the consideration of a Mexican-American Studies program would not have been spread so quickly through school districts in California and Texas [this sentence is a little too opinionated] (“From the Bench”). The result of this controversy also led Curtis Acosta, former teacher in the TUSD, to start a consulting business in 2013 meant to further spread ethnic studies classes in states like California, Oregon, Texas, and Washington by guiding the creation process and training of such a program in these states (Bryson).

AWARDS The film received the following recognition:

Audience Favorite and Special Jury Award, San Diego Latino Film Festival, 2011

Honorable Mention in the Best Documentary Category, Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, 2011 (“Precious Knowledge”).

DIRECTORS Eren Isabel McGinnis and Ari Luis Palos, filmmakers for Precious Knowledge, had a long history of filming documentaries centered on minorities before starting this film. Also, Dos Vatos films, a co-producer of Precious Knowledge, according to McGinnis, “give[s] voice to communities often silenced or stereotyped by mainstream media.” Along with this focus on allowing minority groups to be heard through film, Eren Isabel McGinnis was particularly invested [I would take out "invested" it sounds a little too biased] in this film because she had a son attending Tucson High School during the controversy. Furthermore, both filmmakers are of Mexican descent and have a “deep reverence and love of all things Mexican!” (Sargent).

The filmmaker’s goal of the documentary was to promote the Mexican-American Studies program. In order for the film to act as a “counternarrative” to those loudly speaking out against the Mexican-American Studies program, Eren McGinnis stated they intended the film to be “a space for students to speak on this controversy [because] their voices are often left out of the public discourse.” Eren McGinninis compares this cause to the Civil Rights movement, because she says they need, just as the Civil Rights activists needed, “the support of the nation” in order to “fight racism and ignorance.” This film is her attempt at gathering such support [don't need this sentence]. Eren McGinnis also explains the purpose of following individual stories of students as a means to “humanize a large and complicated issue” (Sargent).

Eren McGinnis also revealed the meaning behind the film’s title. “Precious Knowledge” as a reference to the Mayan tenets, taught in the MAS program, which say to “self-reflect (Tezcatlipoca), seek out precious and beautiful knowledge (Quetzalcoatl), begin to act (Huitzilopochtli), and ultimately transform (Xipe Totec).” This title’s focus on Quetzalcoatl—precious knowledge—highlights what the activists in the film are fighting for. The title “Precious Knowledge” and Quetzalcoatl, and its ties with the Aztec’s, is also intended by the filmmakers to remind students of their own deep history in this country and their indigenous ancestors. With this knowledge, Eren McGinnis hopes to support the same message supported [word repetition] by the Mexican-American Studies program that these Mexican-American students “are not ‘outsiders’ or invaders” to this country (Sargent).

Aaron's Comments

Context/Addition to Summary on Page Precious Knowledge is centered around the Tucson United School District’s Mexican-American Studies (MAS) program, which has been under scrutiny since 2006 (“Law School Professors”). The main opponent to the program since this time, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne, claimed that the program was “un-American” and that it “taught students to hate white people” (Precious Knowledge). He worked with Tom Huppenthal, a state legislator, to create a bill that would make the Mexican-American Studies program illegal (“Law School Professors”). This proposed bill, HB 2281, spelled out that schools could not include classes/courses that: “promote the overthrow of the United State government, promote resentment toward a race or class of people, are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group, [and] advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals” (Kunnie). The film follows the students of the MAS program at Tucson High Magnet School and their struggle to keep HB 2281 from becoming law. AFTER FILM In 2011, following the events of the film, which ended with governor Jan Brewer passing HB 2281 into law, an audit was performed by the request of Huppenthal, hoping to find reason to throw out [word choice is too casual] the program. However, the audit showed that the program was completely in line with the law (“Law School Professors”) [what law? One of the amendments? an example might be helpful]. Yet, the results of the audit were ignored [by who?], and in early 2012, the Tucson United School District was forced to cut the Mexican-American studies (MAS) program in response to the state’s threat to withhold funds of $14 million if the program were to continue (“Rejected in Tucson”).  Along with the program, the books that were banned from schools in the TUSD were: Chicano! The History of the Mexican Civil Rights Movement by Arturo Rosales Critical Race Theory by Richard Delgado 500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures edited by Elizabeth Martinez Message to Aztlan by Rodolfo Corky Gonzales Occupied America: A History of Chicanos by Rodolfo Acuña Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years, edited by Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson (Reichman). [Like this, but would a quick summary (couple sentences each help to illustrate why they were all banned?] In March 2013, Curtis Acosta, a teacher of the MAS program, and other teachers and students of the program brought the issue to court (“Arizona Teacher Assails”) (“Law School Professors”). They challenged the constitutionality of the law that allowed the removal of the MAS program in hopes of overturning it and therefore reinstating the program. The plaintiff took issue with (1) the constitutionality of HB 2281; (2) the fact that there was no “legal justification to eliminate the Mexican-American Studies Program”, for it was in line with the law, evidenced by an audit preformed in 2011; and (3) the vague language of the law, which provided the chance for discriminatory misinterpretation. To the disappointment of Acosta and students, the law remained mostly intact. The court ruled the nullification of only one section which restricted classes "designed for a particular ethnic group," for its infringement on the First Amendment. Unsatisfied with the results, the plaintiff—at this point reduced to two students Korina Lopez and Maya Arce, and father of Maya and director of the MAS program, Sean Arce—filed an appeal (“Law School Professors”). The case went to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District on July 7, 2015 as Arce v. Douglas, where it was decided to give the plaintiffs a trial in court based on race discrimination. The trial has yet to take place (“From the Bench”). If not for the controversy and banning of the program in Arizona, the consideration of a Mexican-American Studies program would not have been spread so quickly through school districts in California and Texas (“From the Bench”). The result of this controversy also led Curtis Acosta, former teacher in the TUSD, to start a consulting business in 2013 meant to further spread ethnic studies classes in states like [states like? too casual]California, Oregon, Texas, and Washington by guiding the creation process and training of such a program in these states (Bryson). AWARDS The film received the following recognition: Audience Favorite and Special Jury Award, San Diego Latino Film Festival, 2011 Honorable Mention in the Best Documentary Category, Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, 2011 (“Precious Knowledge”). DIRECTORS Eren Isabel McGinnis and Ari Luis Palos, filmmakers for Precious Knowledge, had a long history of filming documentaries centered on minorities before starting this film. Also, Dos Vatos films, a co-producer of Precious Knowledge, according to McGinnis, “give[s] voice to communities often silenced or stereotyped by mainstream media.” Along with this focus on allowing minority groups to be heard through film, Eren Isabel McGinnis was particularly invested in this film because she had a son attending Tucson High School during the controversy. Furthermore, both filmmakers are of Mexican descent and have a “deep reverence and love of all things Mexican!” (Sargent). The filmmaker’s goal of the documentary was to promote the Mexican-American Studies program. In order for the film to act as a “counternarrative” to those loudly speaking out against the Mexican-American Studies program, Eren McGinnis stated they intended the film to be “a space for students to speak on this controversy [because] their voices are often left out of the public discourse.” Eren McGinninis compares this cause to the Civil Rights movement, because she says they need, just as the Civil Rights activists needed, “the support of the nation” in order to “fight racism and ignorance.” This film is her attempt at gathering such support. Eren McGinnis also explains the purpose of following individual stories of students as a means to “humanize a large and complicated issue” (Sargent). Eren McGinnis also revealed the meaning behind the film’s title. “Precious Knowledge” as a reference to the Mayan tenets, taught in the MAS program, which say to “self-reflect (Tezcatlipoca), seek out precious and beautiful knowledge (Quetzalcoatl), begin to act (Huitzilopochtli), and ultimately transform (Xipe Totec).” This title’s focus on Quetzalcoatl—precious knowledge—highlights what the activists in the film are fighting for. The title “Precious Knowledge” and Quetzalcoatl, and its ties with the Aztec’s, is also intended by the filmmakers to remind students of their own deep history in this country and their indigenous ancestors. With this knowledge, Eren McGinnis hopes to support the same message supported by the Mexican-American Studies program that these Mexican-American students “are not ‘outsiders’ or invaders” to this country (Sargent).

[this is very well written and for the most part holds a relatively neutral stance. It expresses both view points rather equally and does a good job of informing the reader. I have a couple edits that I think might make the sections a little more detailed or resolve some grammar errors [errors in my opinion, but grammar was never my strong suit]. I think that adding a little bit about each book would also help to inform the reader as to why they were banned and thus show the books and the reasons. Other than that very good job.]

Kittencrew (talk) 01:51, 23 November 2016 (UTC)