About Unit 3

Essential Question: How have marginalized communities in the United States both preserved and negotiated identity across generations?

Unit 3: Culture, Values, & Identities centers the history and culture of four ethnic groups that remain prominent in Los Angeles. An Ethnic Studies course is rightfully a course in “hard history,” where students uncover stories of oppression and injustice; however, it is critical for students to recognize that no people group should be defined by histories of injustice. Rather, each ethnic group explored in this course represent deep and profound cultural wealth, representing varying values that shape their cultural identity. This unit gives students the opportunity to explore the cultures and values that make up different ethnic group’s identities. Specifically, students explore cultural practices of Indigenous, Asian, African, and Latin Americans, as well as how those practices contribute to and shape Los Angeles. This unit should be seen as a celebration of the diversity that makes up city students live in.