"Newsweek" ran an article on "The Homosexual Teacher" in December 1978. At the end of a tumultuous two-year period framed by Anita Bryant's anti-gay campaign in South Florida and John Briggs' proposition to bar gay and lesbian educators from working in California public schools, reporters concluded, "Most homosexual…

The latest episode in the long-running struggle for control of the Constitution, and the political power that goes with it, is playing out in the federal courts in California. The contending philosophies are originalism, which holds that the Constitution should be read as it was originally understood by the framers and ratifiers, and the congeries…

In this article, the author talks about native Americans, the national parks and the concept of historical inevitability. The notion of historical inevitability, always a victor's argument, is as old as the stories of the ancient conquerors. It has permeated the history of Indian America, as told by white historians, and people are still today…

When the author proposed a spring course on major topics in African-American history, drawing a large enrollment was her chief concern. She had previously taught the course under a different title at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a campus with a sizable African-American presence among students and faculty members. She now teaches…

This article presents an interview with Ronald Takaki, a prolific and respected author and a successful teacher who wrote a number of important histories that explore the cultural diversity of the United States of America, including "From Different Shores: Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in America" (1994), "Strangers from a…

The question of how communities and individuals adapt to changing climatic conditions is of pressing concern to scientists and policymakers in light of the growing evidence that human activity has modified the Earth's climate. A number of authors have suggested that widespread changes in human settlement and migration patterns may occur in…

Argues against Gunther Barth's assertion that the anti-Chinese movement in the United States resulted from Chinese Americans' rejection of liberal American ideals. Holds that it was the participation of Chinese farmer/vendors in Californian society during the late 1800s that made them objectionable to racially biased Whites. (Author/GC)

"Aztlanscape" is a painting that explores the notions of history, migration, and cultural exchange. It depicts various places with significant relationships to one another, reconfigured into a new landscape. The specific locales used in this painting are Albuquerque, New Mexico; Oakland, California; and Mexico DF, Mexico. These cities…

This essay recreates the exciting Latin music and dance scenes of post-World War II Southern California, showing how Mexican Americans produced and consumed a range of styles and, in the process, articulated their complex cultural sensibilities. By participating in a Spanish-language expressive culture that was sophisticated and cosmopolitan,…

After a 16-year absence from the public school classroom, an education professor returned for a semester to teach American history to an eleventh-grade class. He recounts four lessons concerning the need for classroom order, student motivation, teacher efficiency, alternative student grouping arrangements, and student feedback about teaching…

Examines the history of educational administration in the USA during the Progressive era (1890-1940). Using Callahan's Education and the Cult of Efficiency as a starting point, examines school district-based administrative practices that offered viable alternatives to the business-oriented, "scientific management" reforms that tended to…

Discusses the recent controversy emerging over California's first serious attempt at rewriting traditional history texts from a more multicultural perspective. Analyzes the opposition to the idea of a common U.S. history and the solutions offered in its place. (CJS)

In 1998 the American Historical Association began an ambitious project, "Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age," designed to allow groups of historians in different parts of the country to experiment with the use of computer-based technologies to enhance the teaching of undergraduate survey courses. It aimed to enable these historians…

The report is twofold in presenting an analysis of current Indian programs in the State of California with recommendations for improvement based on a study of state and federal agencies and a brief history of Indian legislation significant for California Indians. Recommendations proposed were establishing a new Division of Native American Affairs…

Intended to help readers develop an appreciation of the contributions of Franco-Americans to the cultural heritage of the United States, this book, the second of six volumes, presents 15 readings representing many perspectives--from the historical to the sociological--illustrating the thinking and feelings of those in the forefront of…