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Chicago Public Schools launch Latino studies curriculum

The Interdisciplinary Latino and Latin American Studies Curriculum (ILLASC) focuses on the history, arts and culture, and contributions of Latinos and Latin…

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Chicago Public Schools (CPS) introduced this week the Interdisciplinary Latino and Latin American Studies Curriculum (ILLASC), which focuses on the history, arts and culture, and contributions of Latinos and Latin Americans in the United States.

“To learn about Chicago is to learn about our diverse culture and identity,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “That is why we are making sure the study of Latino history and culture is a core part of education in Chicago.”

 “Latinos are now the largest student demographic in Chicago Public Schools, but for far too long their ancestral story was relegated to the back pages of our history books,” said CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett. “The history of Chicago cannot be written without celebrating the contributions of immigrants from Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Their triumph over ignorance, prejudice and discrimination is the quintessential American story – and finally that story will be told in every grade and in every school across CPS.”

 “This is a curriculum that that engages Latino and Latin American content in a deep and meaningful way, exploring, analyzing and investigating culture, dignity and identity. It goes way beyond Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Jesse Ruiz, Vice President of the Board of Education. “It engages the cultural diversity of the Latino community in the US, and of Latin America, and it considers how to advantage all learners by giving young people a greater sense of self-awareness through the study of heritage and culture.”

The curriculum will be soft launched from Kindergarten to 10th grade and will be implemented more in depth this summer.

Some of the cultural topics include Literature of the Liberators, such as Bolívar, San Martín, Martí; Mayan mathematics; Agriculture and El Niño/La Niña; Percussive rhythms of Afro-Latin American cultures and much more.

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