There is a controversy at a San Jose community college—should a course be taught by the most qualified teacher—or someone of the same ethnicity as the course to be taught?
“Nearly 600 community members signed an online petition within days of its launching to oppose the hiring of a non-Native instructor for Evergreen Valley College’s first full-time Native American studies teaching position.
Indigenous students, faculty and residents with feathers and ceremonial drums protested at the San Jose-Evergreen Community College District meeting on Tuesday, with signs reading “Nothing about us without us is for us.” The board was set to approve the hiring of ethnic studies instructor Ryan Tripp at the meeting, but unanimously voted to put the decision on hold. Advocates said the hiring of a non-Native instructor furthers the discrimination that Indigenous communities have faced for generations.”
The bottom line is simple—this is about racism being normalized and quality education has no place in a community college. Could this be why in the last five years California community colleges have lost one third of their students—the students understand college is a political experience, not one based on education. Want politics? Go to a rally.
San Jose community college delays ethnic studies hire after protests
by Loan-Anh Pham, and Lorraine Gabbert, San Jose Spotlight, 5/11/23 https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-community-college-delays-ethnic-studies-hire-after-protests/
Nearly 600 community members signed an online petition within days of its launching to oppose the hiring of a non-Native instructor for Evergreen Valley College’s first full-time Native American studies teaching position.
Indigenous students, faculty and residents with feathers and ceremonial drums protested at the San Jose-Evergreen Community College District meeting on Tuesday, with signs reading “Nothing about us without us is for us.” The board was set to approve the hiring of ethnic studies instructor Ryan Tripp at the meeting, but unanimously voted to put the decision on hold. Advocates said the hiring of a non-Native instructor furthers the discrimination that Indigenous communities have faced for generations.
“We have the opportunity to bring somebody in to give representation to the Native American students we have on campus, and we dropped the ball,” Professor Arturo Villareal told San José Spotlight. He teaches ethnic studies at Evergreen Valley College.
Villareal said ethnic studies is meant to directly highlight the experiences of students of color, and a core tenet is to hire instructors from marginalized communities. The Evergreen Valley College ethnic studies department had no say in the final hiring decision, he added. Ethnic studies examines the histories, issues and struggles of different ethnic groups in an effort to address current-day experiences.
The community college district reviewed its hiring process after concerns were raised about the selection. The district used the same process as it would for any other full-time faculty position, a spokesperson said at the meeting. The district has two campuses: Evergreen Valley College and San Jose City College.
Debate heats up over teaching ethnic studies in Santa Clara County
Maria Fuentes, vice president of the San Jose Evergreen Community College District board, said board members are listening to students and residents.
“The community and our educators have asked us to look at this and to take this very seriously,” Fuentes said. “If we table it, we can figure out how to resolve it.”
Evergreen Valley College student Marcus Rodriguez said students should be taught by an instructor who has endured the trauma and daily struggles of Indigenous people. He told the board it was offensive not to hire someone from the community.
“I don’t want a non-Native teaching what my ancestors have lived through,” Rodriguez said.
Data from the National Indian Education Association reveals 0.5% of teachers nationwide are Indigenous, with Indigenous students making up 1% of the student population. In Santa Clara County, the Indigenous population makes up 1.2%, according to census data.
Resident Ray Techicuauhtli Baeza said there are plenty of qualified Indigenous educators to fill the role, and fixing the hiring process requires input from Indigenous students and staff.
“It’s more than just having a degree from a college or university,” Baeza told San José Spotlight. “It’s also living in the communities, understanding what life is like, understanding the ceremonies, understanding the songs, understanding the history, the way of life that we live.”
