Ep 20. Precious Knowledge

Independent Lens is a documentary series that brings some of the most stimulating and critical issues to the forefront on its final episode of season 13 - Precious Knowledge. The documentary revolves around the controversy surrounding the Tucson Unified School District's Mexican American Studies program (MAS), which was eventually banned by the state of Arizona. The issue caused a stir both in Arizona and around the country.

Precious Knowledge, directed by Ari Palos, is an intimate account of the students who participated in the MAS program and the educators who taught it. The documentary highlights how the MAS program introduced the students to a culturally relevant curriculum centered on Mexican-American history, literature, and art. Students were taught the value of critical thinking and how the historical legacy of discrimination, oppression, and resistance is relevant today.

Through the documentary, viewers are introduced to some of the key figures of the controversy, including politicians, educators, and activists who were fighting to protect and maintain the MAS program. The documentary shows how the MAS program was under constant scrutiny by the newly elected, conservative-dominated Arizona lawmakers, who believed that the program was teaching students to hold a militant ideology and was promoting ethnic solidarity over national unity.

The documentary captures how the political discourse in Arizona became more divisive after the election of Governor Jan Brewer, who sought to clamp down on illegal immigration and reversed many of the policies designed to protect the rights of immigrants in Arizona. Governor Brewer and her allies saw the MAS program as a threat to her immigration crackdown and believed it was creating divisiveness among the students.

The tension between the state government and the educators came to a head when the Arizona State Legislature passed HB 2281, which prohibited the teaching of courses that promote resentment or advocate for the overthrow of the United States government or encourage separatism based on race, ethnicity, or religion. The law was primarily seen as an attempt to ban the MAS program.

Following the passage of the law, Dr. Augustine F. Romero, Director of Student Equity in Tucson Unified School District, was tasked with dismantling the MAS program. The documentary shows how Dr. Romero faced immense pressure from both sides, as students and teachers fought to keep the MAS program alive while the state government threatened legal action if it continued.

Throughout the documentary, we hear from students and educators about how the MAS program had a profound impact on their lives and academic success. Students who participated in the program report higher grades, a greater sense of pride in their heritage, and a better understanding of how their culture is an essential part of American history and society.

Ultimately the documentary leaves the audience with a question of what it means to be American. It raises critical issues about the politicization of education and rights of freedom of speech and expression in education. The controversy that surrounded the MAS program shines a light on how the education system struggles with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Precious Knowledge takes the viewers on a thought-provoking journey that questions the role of education in shaping our collective understanding of who we are as a society and as a nation. It leaves the viewers with a resonating question about what we need to do to ensure that all students have access to an equitable education that values their cultures and identities.