Ethnic Studies

1. Which decade did the course Ethnic Studies begin?

The Ethnic Studies movement began in the late 1960s, specifically in 1969 at San Francisco State University.

2. What is the purpose/goal of the Ethnic Studies course?

To explore the histories, experiences, and contributions of marginalized racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., and to promote social justice, equity, and critical thinking.

3. What are the two central themes of Ethnic Studies?

Resistance and resilience of oppressed communities

The impact of systemic oppression and inequality

4. What is the name of the group which created the Ethnic Studies course?

The Third World Liberation Front (TWLF).

5. KNOW: The founders of the first Ethnic Studies course were composed of multi-ethnic college students.

Yes, the TWLF was a coalition of African American, Latino, Asian American, and Native American students.

6. Know and be able to apply the 4 I’s of Oppression:

Ideological – The belief system that one group is better than another.

Institutional – Laws, policies, and institutions that maintain inequality.

Interpersonal – Oppression expressed between individuals.

Internalized – Oppressed people believing and acting on those oppressive messages.

7. Know and be able to apply the 4 Tenets of Ethnic Studies:

These vary slightly by curriculum, but commonly include:

Identity – Understanding and valuing one’s own culture and history.

History – Studying untold or misrepresented historical narratives.

Agency – Empowering students to act against injustice.

Justice – Working toward social equity and change.

8. Why was the Shawnee leader Tecumseh an important Indigenous leader?

Tecumseh was significant for uniting various Indigenous tribes in a pan-Indian resistance against U.S. expansion into Native territory during the early 1800s.

9. What were some examples of Indigenous people showing resilience after being forcibly relocated to reservations?

Continued practice of cultural traditions and languages

Establishment of tribal governments and schools

Resistance movements like the Ghost Dance and legal battles for land rights

10. During the 19th century, what state became the final destination for the Indigenous people from the South?

Oklahoma, especially after the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears.

11. Know the difference between Acculturation vs. Assimilation:

Acculturation: Adapting to a new culture while retaining one’s original culture.

Assimilation: Absorbing into the dominant culture, often losing aspects of the original culture.

12. Who were the 5 Civilized Tribes?

Cherokee

Chickasaw

Choctaw

Creek (Muscogee)

Seminole

13. What was the impact of the building of the Transcontinental Railroad on the Pawnee tribes of the Great Plains?

It led to loss of land, displacement, and violent conflict, disrupting the Pawnee way of life.

14. What was the purpose of Francis Walker’s Indian Boarding Schools?

To assimilate Native American children into Euro-American culture by erasing their languages, traditions, and identities.

15. What were the 2 main ports of entry for immigrants coming to America in the 19th and early 20th century?

Ellis Island (New York, for Europeans)

Angel Island (California, for Asians)

16. What was the first significant immigration bill passed in the United States restricting specific immigrants?

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

17. Define: Nativism

A policy or belief system favoring native-born citizens over immigrants, often tied to anti-immigrant sentiment.

18. Define: Xenophobia

The fear, hatred, or mistrust of people from other countries or cultures.

19. Understand the construct of Race

Race is a social construct—not a biological fact—created to categorize and rank people based on physical characteristics, mainly to justify unequal treatment and systems of power.

20. Define: Minority groups

Groups that are marginalized or discriminated against due to differences in race, ethnicity, religion, or culture, and who have less access to power or resources.

21. Define: Racism

A system of advantage based on race, involving prejudice and institutional power that leads to discrimination and oppression.

22. Define: Prejudice

A preconceived opinion or feeling, often negative, toward a person or group without adequate knowledge or reason.

23. Define: Discrimination

Unjust or unfair treatment of individuals or groups based on race, gender, age, or other characteristics.

24. Define: Refugee

A person who flees their home country due to war, persecution, or natural disaster, seeking safety elsewhere.

25. Know the difference between Push vs. Pull factors.

Push factors: Conditions that drive people to leave their homeland (e.g., war, poverty, persecution).

Pull factors: Conditions that attract people to a new area (e.g., job opportunities, freedom, safety).

26. What precedent across the nation was established after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson?

It upheld the doctrine of “separate but equal,” legalizing racial segregation.

27. What were some tools used to disenfranchise Blacks throughout the Jim Crow South?

Literacy tests

Poll taxes

Grandfather clauses

Voter intimidation and violence

28. What was the significance of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education?

It overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, ruling that segregated schools are inherently unequal, and mandated desegregation of public schools.

29. What was the Great Migration? How did it change the perspective of the Jim Crow ideology about Blacks?

The Great Migration was the movement of millions of African Americans from the rural South to Northern and Western cities between 1916–1970. It challenged Jim Crow stereotypes by showing that Black Americans could thrive when given opportunities outside of systemic Southern racism.

30. Who was Medgar Evers?

A civil rights activist and NAACP field secretary in Mississippi who worked to end segregation; he was assassinated in 1963 for his efforts.

31. Who were the Greensboro Four? Why were they important?

Four Black college students who launched a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, NC in 1960. Their peaceful protest helped ignite the sit-in movement across the South.

32. Who were the Little Rock Nine? Why were they important?

Nine Black students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. Their enrollment tested Brown v. Board of Education and required federal intervention to protect them.

33. What was the main purpose behind the Selma-to-Montgomery march?

To demand voting rights for African Americans and protest voter suppression in the South.

34. What important law was passed by Congress because of the Selma-to-Montgomery march?

The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which banned racial discrimination in voting.

35. Latinos are composed of what three combinations of roots?

Indigenous (Native peoples of the Americas)

African (due to the transatlantic slave trade)

European (primarily Spanish colonizers)

36. What is the basis of the term Hispanic?

It refers to people from Spanish-speaking countries or of Spanish-speaking heritage, emphasizing language and colonial ties to Spain.

37. What is the basis of the term Chicano?

Originally a political and cultural identity adopted by Mexican Americans in the 1960s, especially those involved in the Chicano Movement for civil rights and empowerment.

38. What is the basis of the term Latino?

Refers to people from Latin America (including Brazil), regardless of language, focusing on geography and cultural origin rather than just Spanish heritage.

39. What was the result of Mexico losing the Mexican American War?

Mexico lost about half of its territory to the U.S. (including California, Arizona, New Mexico, etc.) through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848). Many Mexicans suddenly found themselves living in U.S. territory and faced discrimination.

40. How did the plight of Mexican Americans compare with Blacks in America?

Both groups experienced systemic discrimination, segregation, disenfranchisement, and labor exploitation. However, their experiences varied by region and historical context.

41. What was the significance of the court case, Roberto Alvarez v. Lemon Grove School District?

It was the first successful school desegregation case in U.S. history (1931), where the court ruled that Mexican American children could not be segregated from white children in schools.

42. What was the result of the repatriation program for many Mexican Americans?

During the Great Depression, hundreds of thousands of Mexican Americans—many of them U.S. citizens—were forcibly deported to Mexico, in an effort to reduce welfare and job competition.

43. What was the Bracero Program?

A U.S.–Mexico agreement (1942–1964) that brought Mexican laborers to work temporarily in American agriculture and railroads. While it helped with labor shortages, it often involved exploitation and poor working conditions.

44. What was the significance of César Chávez? Which politician was one of the strongest allies of the UFW?

César Chávez co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) and led nonviolent protests for better wages and conditions for farmworkers.

Robert F. Kennedy was a strong political ally who supported Chávez and labor rights.

45. What was the significance of Dolores Huerta?

She was a co-founder of the UFW and a powerful activist who coined the phrase “Sí, se puede!” She fought for labor rights, education reform, and gender equality.