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AB-123 Pupil instruction: social sciences: farm labor movement: Filipinos.(2013-2014)

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Assembly Bill No. 123
CHAPTER 476

An act to amend Section 51008 of the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction.

[ Approved by Governor  October 02, 2013. Filed with Secretary of State  October 02, 2013. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 123, Bonta. Pupil instruction: social sciences: farm labor movement: Filipinos.
Existing law requires a school district, as part of its adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to offer courses in specified areas of study, including, among others, social sciences, drawing upon the disciplines of anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology.
Existing law requires the State Board of Education to ensure that the state curriculum and framework, where appropriate, include instruction on Cesar Chavez, and the history of the farm labor movement in the United States, and that the state criteria for selecting textbooks include information to guide the selection of textbooks that contain sections that highlight the life and contributions of Cesar Chavez, and the history of the farm labor movement in the United States.
This bill would additionally require that the state board ensure that the state curriculum and framework, where appropriate, include instruction on the role of immigrants, including Filipino Americans, in the farm labor movement. The bill would provide that it shall not be implemented unless funds are appropriated by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute for its purposes.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) All pupils who learn about the farmworker labor movement should learn about the influence of all major groups involved in the movement to fully understand this important part of California history.
(2) According to a 2010 report by the United States Census Bureau, there are currently over 1.1 million Filipino Americans in California. Filipino Americans comprise the largest Asian population within California and the third largest Asian population within the United States.
(3) It is important that pupils learn about the influence of Filipino Americans and their culture on the farmworker labor movement. The formation and continuing work of the farmworker labor movement have had an enormous impact on helping to stop the suppression and oppression of farmworkers and the general working public on a national scale.
(4) Unfortunately, the story of how the Filipino American labor leaders and workers helped create the farmworker labor movement has been greatly ignored by national and international media.
(b) It is therefore the intent of the Legislature to help include the important role of Filipino Americans in the history of the state and by recognizing those noteworthy historical Filipino American figures who never received appropriate recognition for their work with the farmworker labor movement.

SEC. 2.

 Section 51008 of the Education Code is amended to read:

51008.
 The State Board of Education shall ensure that the state curriculum and framework, where appropriate, include instruction on Cesar Chavez and the history of the farm labor movement in the United States, and the role of immigrants, including Filipino Americans, in that movement, and that the state criteria for selecting textbooks include information to guide the selection of textbooks that contain sections that highlight the life and contributions of Cesar Chavez, the history of the farm labor movement in the United States, and the role of immigrants, including Filipino Americans, in that movement.

SEC. 3.

 This act shall not be implemented unless funds are appropriated by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute for its purposes.