In early January, 2012, the Tucson Unified School District suspended their Mexican American studies programs in high schools. The District Board in Tucson, Arizona had voted to suspend certain ethnic studies courses such as, Native American Studies, African American Studies, and Pan Asian Studies, from the curriculum, as they were in violation of a newly passed law.

In a city where the population of Latinos is 41.6%, as reported by the U.S Census Bureau, it is somewhat shocking to see that the Mexican American studies programs have become controversial.

The passing of Arizona’s SB 1070 law which “requires a reasonable attempt to be made to determine the immigration status of a person during any legitimate contact,” according to Arizona State Senate, has now been emphasized with the HB 2281 bill that was signed into law on December 31 of 2011.

The new and equally controversial bill that passed in Arizona banned schools from teaching classes that were targeted toward a specific ethnic group because it would promote resentment and teach Latino students to hate other groups. The Tucson Unified School District has been effected both by supporters of the HB 2281 law and by those against the elimination of the program.

Supporters of the HB 2281 law stand strongly behind it because the Mexican American studies courses along with other ethnic studies courses have forced the district to withhold funding for the schools, nearly $15 million or 10% a year, until the courses have been examined thoroughly for a proper curriculum.

Mexican American studies courses were suspended because the material was presented “in a biased, political, and emotionally charged manner,” CNN mentioned as part of the state superintendent’s order.

Many students and teachers that have participated in several Mexican American courses in Tucson have a different point of view. Teachers of the TUSD believe that these courses have become crucial in the high school careers of students in Tucson by having them learn about groups of Latinos that have become an important part of Mexican American culture.

Classes such as Latino literature, Chicano art, and other classes that incorporate Mexican American perspectives have been eliminated and turned into normal history or literature classes. Many books that were required for these classes have been boxed and put away.

CNN reported that board member, Adelita Grijalva, argued that the elimination of Mexican American studies courses were merely part of the anti-immigrant sentiment that has become common throughout Arizona. Other citizens of Arizona argue that eliminating the Mexican American studies courses are simply following state law.

The battle to save ethnic studies courses in the U.S has stirred enough controversy to get students involved and even enough to get outside organizations, such as the Intellectual Freedom Committee, have tried to get involved on this growing issue as well by coming to the defense of Mexican American studies courses and saying that they are no different from African-American studies or Native American studies courses, and should therefore not be eliminated.

The sole elimination of Mexican American studies courses but leaving other ethnic studies courses intact will continue to be challenged and supported by citizens of Tucson, Arizona, but eliminated for the time being.