Ethnic Studies

Why Study Ethnic Studies

Many students feel upon completing their K-12 education that culturally relevant curriculum has been missing from their education. This is no accident. As Angela Valenzuela explains in her book Subtractive Schooling, traditional models of education use a combination of assimilationist practices and policies to push students towards assimilating into the dominant culture of the United States.

Ethnic Studies courses can be a space that resists subtractive schooling by embracing and highlighting the culture of students, providing students with opportunities to gain insight into their own positionalities and ultimately have pride in themselves.

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Degrees & Certificates

At this time, Foothill College does not offer a degree or certificate in Ethnic Studies.

All Foothill Ethnic Studies courses satisfy CSU Area D and Area F, CSU’s new Ethnic Studies requirement as of Fall 2021.
The courses also satisfy Foothill GE requirements for Area I, Humanities, and Area VI, United States Cultures & Community.

Quick Look at Ethnic Studies Courses

For a quick look at Ethnic Studies courses at Foothill, see list below. For complete course details, including units, hours and prerequisites, view course catalog. For when a course is offered, view class schedule. [Link to dept schedule]

ETHN 1 Introduction to Ethnic Studies
ETHN 2 Introduction to African American Studies
ETHN 3 Introduction to Latinx Studies
ETHN 4 Introduction to Native American Studies
ETHN 5 Introduction to Asian American Studies
ETHN 7 Introduction to Pacific Islands & Oceania Studies
ETHN 8 Introduction to Land & Labor

Our Approach

Interdisciplinary

Ethnic Studies is an examination of major concepts and controversies in the study of racial and ethnic difference in the United States. In Ethnic Studies courses, students explore race and ethnicity as historical and contemporary categories of identification in the context of social inequality. Through the lenses of history, sociology, politics, economics, law, science, art, literature, culture, and social justice, Ethnic Studies courses examine and authenticate the values, contributions, and lived experiences of historically marginalized groups.

Intersectional

Ethnic Studies explores issues of identity and positionality as they relate to race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, socioeconomic class and labor, national origin, mixed heritages, religion/spirituality, generation, and ability.

Intentional

At Foothill, we believe that successful Ethnic Studies courses achieve three goals.

Implement decolonial pedagogy, providing students with the tools to undertake a systemic critique of power and the traumatic history of colonialism and racism, while shifting traditional classroom dynamics toward a student-driven liberatory process.
Are adaptive to and shaped by community knowledge, helping students further understand the racial struggles they have already witnessed in their lives and in the United States.
Use culturally relevant, intersectional approaches that allow students to see all of themselves in the course material.

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