Simon Wiesenthal Center Urges Santa Ana Reverse its Adoption of Anti-Semitic Ethnic Studies Curriculum

May 3, 2023

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is urging top California officials including, Education Superintendent Tony Thurmond, and State legislators to demand that Santa Ana School District reverse its adoption of Ethnic Studies: World Geography and World History courses which were heavily criticized when first submitted to Sacramento some years ago.

“Perhaps the SAUSD is unaware that this curriculum masks its anti-Jewish and extreme anti-Israel propaganda as historical fact. American Jews across the US are the #1 target of religious-based hate crimes according to the FBI. We cannot have young impressionable students indoctrinated to such biases, distortions, omissions and lies about the Jewish people and the Jewish state of Israel,” stated Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action.

The Jewish people are not “colonizers” of the land of Israel but dating back over 3,000 years are the descendants of an indigenous people. The Palestinian/Israeli conflict is presented in a deeply distorted way.

The original California Assembly Bill 101(AB101) states that K-12 ethnic studies curriculum, instruction, and instructional materials must, “Not reflect or promote, directly or indirectly, any bias, bigotry, or discrimination against any person or group of persons on the basis of any category protected” by the state’s anti-discrimination laws. It also states that, “it is the intent of the Legislature that local educational agencies not use the portions of the draft model curriculum that were not adopted by the Instructional Quality Commission due to concerns related to bias, bigotry, and discrimination.” The courses approved by SAUSD promotes some of the very biases and bigotry that legislators and Governor Newsom expressed opposition to.

The SWC urges the SAUSD Board live up to its own rules that ensure that “all sides” of controversial issues “must be given a proper hearing” and that classroom discussions must, “not reflect adversely upon persons because of their race, sex, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, handicap, or occupation.” 

Deployment of this curriculum violates SAUSD’s commitment to its students, parents and community.

For further information, please email Michele Alkin, Director of Global Communications at malkin@wiesenthal.com or Shawn Rodgers at srodgers@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed.

 

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization numbering over 400.000 members. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO).