California's landmark legislation making ethnic studies a high school graduation requirement is unravelling, with Governor Gavin Newsom withholding funding and some districts pausing their curricula after accusations of antisemitism. The mandate, passed in 2021 and championed by Newsom, was hailed as a progressive milestone, requiring all high schools to offer the subject by fall 2025.
The controversy centres on course content that includes discussions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which critics argue veers into antisemitism. State legislators proposed a bill to restrict how the subject could be taught but it stalled. Newsom then withheld the funding needed for the requirement to take effect, potentially causing the initiative to collapse. San Francisco Unified School District last week paused its own curriculum development after parental complaints.
The saga highlights deep political divisions in schools, even in liberal California. While ethnic studies originated from student protests at San Francisco State University in the 1960s, its radical concepts such as postcolonial theory and intersectionality have entered the mainstream after the 2020 racial justice protests. Now, 24 states have incorporated some elements, but California is the only one to mandate it as a graduation requirement.
Critics see the curriculum as leftwing indoctrination, while supporters argue it elevates historically marginalised groups. The law's flexible guidelines have led to disagreements over what constitutes antisemitism and whether international conflicts belong in these courses. With the deadline looming, the future of the requirement remains uncertain.
