Ethnic Studies Illegal In Arizona, Profiling Still Ok

Ethnic studies — like African-American studies or Chicano studies — are now officially illegal in Arizona. This goes back to a bill that passed around the same time as SB 1070 in Arizona which alleged that such courses of study fomented “resentment” against particular groups of people, such as whites for example.

Even though some teachers sued the state to do away with this law, it’s gone into effect.

Overall, I think it’s safe to say that when the government begins to tell you what you can and cannot learn about it’s a step in the wrong direction. I find it fascinating that, while Arizona Republicans are the first to complain about “big government,” as long as the government is controlling things they find distasteful (illegal immigration or Chicano studies for example), it’s all good.

What’s the next step? The court case may or may not make a difference in the law, but as the more detailed Census data nears release, I’m sure writers of laws like these in Arizona will be hatching up more ways to control what they perceive to be “inappropriate” expressions of resentment.