Code Section

51221.3.  

(a) Instruction in the area of social sciences, as required pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 51220, may include instruction on World War II and the American role in that war. The Legislature encourages this instruction to include, but not be limited to, a component drawn from personal testimony, especially in the form of oral or video histories, if available, of American soldiers who were involved in World War II and those men and women who contributed to the war effort on the homefront. The oral histories used as part of the instruction regarding World War II shall exemplify the personal sacrifice and courage of the wide range of ordinary citizens who were called upon to participate. The oral histories shall contain the views and comments of their subjects regarding the reasons for American participation in World War II and the actions taken to end the war in the Pacific. These oral histories shall also solicit comments from their subjects regarding the aftermath of World War II in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

(b) The Legislature finds and declares that the current state-adopted academic content standards already include instruction on the Korean War and the Vietnam War in the appropriate grade level consistent with those standards. The Legislature encourages that this instruction include a component drawn from personal testimony, especially in the form of oral or video histories, if available, of American soldiers who were involved in those wars.

(c) (1) The Legislature encourages the instruction required pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 51220 to include instruction on World War II and the role of Filipinos in that war, consisting of an accurate history of the contributions of the Filipino American veterans who fought courageously in the United States Army for freedom and democracy in World War II under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur.

(2) The Legislature encourages the instruction described in paragraph (1) to include a component drawn from personal testimony, especially in the form of oral or video histories of Filipinos who were involved in World War II and those men and women who contributed to the war effort on the homefront. The oral histories used as a part of the instruction regarding the role of Filipinos in World War II are encouraged to do all of the following:

(A) Exemplify the personal sacrifice and courage of the wide range of ordinary citizens who were called upon to participate and to provide intelligence for the United States.

(B) Contain the views and comments of their subjects regarding the reasons for their participation in World War II.

(C) Solicit comments from their subjects regarding the aftermath of World War II and the immigration of Filipinos to the United States.

(d) (1) Instruction in the area of social sciences, as required pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 51220, may include instruction on the Bracero program.

(2) The instruction described in paragraph (1) may include a component drawn from personal testimony, especially in the form of oral or video histories of individuals who were involved with the Bracero program. Oral histories used as part of the instruction regarding the Bracero program may do all of the following:

(A) Exemplify the economic and cultural effects of the Bracero program during and after World War II, including, but not limited to, its effects on the railroad system, agriculture, and immigration in California and the United States of America.

(B) Contain the views and comments of their subjects regarding the reasons for their participation in the Bracero program and their immigrant story, generally.

(3) This subdivision shall be carried out in a manner that does not result in new duties or programs being imposed on a school district. In that regard, the Legislature finds and declares that this subdivision does not mandate costs to local agencies or school districts and that materials used to comply with this subdivision shall be part of normal curriculum materials purchased by school districts in their normal course of business and purchasing cycles.