For Immediate Release:
February 14, 2011

Contacts:
Ernesto Mireles, MSW.
Xicano Development Center
mirelese@msu.edu
(517) 881-6505

Deyanira Nevarez, National Coordinator
Save Ethnic Studies
deyanira.nevarez@gmail.com
(520) 975-1485

Lansing, Mich. – For the week of February 21-25, several universities and community organizations will being hosting a series of presentations by Norma & José González, wife and husband who teach Chicano Studies, Literature, and History in the Tucson Unified School District. They are two of the eleven litigants in a lawsuit filed last year to stop Arizona HB 2281 a bill allegedly aimed at shutting down ethnic studies programs under vague interpretations that label their educational content as “promoting resentment toward a class of people,” and “promoting the overthrow of the U.S. government.” This bill went into effect on Jan. 1 of this year. This presentation is part of a national tour the Gonzalez’ and the nine other litigant teachers are undertaking to raise awareness, education and money to defend our collective heritage.

The Raza Studies program has been in existence for the past 12 years and during that time it has reduced the drop out rate to less than 3 percent. In addition to this remarkable statistic 80 percent of the Raza Studies graduates go on to college. Yet, this great program that should be a national treasure to be duplicated, was ended by Arizona State Law on January 1st of this year.

You can see a trailer for the documentary about the Raza Studies Program here Precious Knowledge (http://vimeo.com/15062646).

For information about the week long three state Midwest tour please contact either Deya Nevarez the National Coordinator for the Save Ethnic Studies Campaign at (520) 975-1485 or Ernesto Mireles the Executive Director of the Xicano Development Center in Lansing, Mich., at 517-881-6505.

The Gonzalez’ will be at the following universities and community locations:

Monday Feb. 21, 2011:
Central Michigan University
Park Library Auditorium
Time: 2:00 pm
Contact: Sarah Avery (wojto1sa@cmich.edu)

Michigan State University
Room 252 Erickson Hall
Time: 4 pm – 6 pm
Contact: Aaron Bodle (aaronbodle@gmail.com)

Tuesday Feb. 22, 2011:
Wayne State University Law School
Spenser Partridge Auditorium
Time: 6:00 pm
Contact: Eliza Perez-Qualls (elizafacio@yahoo.com)

Wednesday Feb. 23, 2011:
Eastern Michigan University
Student Center Auditorium
Time: 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Contact: Dr. Richard Stahler-Sholk (rstahler@emich.edu)

University of Detroit Mercy
Life Sciences Bldg. Rm. 115
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Contact: Dr. Gail Presbey (presbegm@udmercy.edu)

Thursday Feb. 24, 2011:
Institute for Research on Race & Public
Policy at University of Illinois at Chicago
Time: 10 am – 2 pm
Contact: Dr. Michelle Boyd (mrboyd@uic.edu)

Indiana Northern University
Time: 6 pm Location TBA
Contact: Dr. Raul Contreras (rcontrer@iun.edu)

Friday Feb. 25, 2011:
Chicago Teachers for Social Justice and
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization
Time: Evening Location TBA
Contact: Dr. Pauline Lipman (plipman@uic.edu)