LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, May 4, 2016 (New York Times): Victors are said to write history. But in California, history is being written by a committee that is at the center of a raging debate over how to tell the story of South Asia as it tries to update textbooks and revise curriculums for Grades 6 and 7.
The dispute centers on whether the region that includes modern-day India, Pakistan and Nepal should be referred to as India or as South Asia, to represent the plurality of cultures there — particularly because India was not a nation-state until 1947. It also touches on how the culture of the region is portrayed, including women’s role in society and the vestiges of the caste system.The issue has prompted petition drives, as well as a #DontEraseIndia social media campaign and a battle of opinion pieces.
On one side are advocates from the Hindu American Foundation, which seeks to shape the image of Hinduism in the United States. Backed by some scholars, they want the entire area under dispute to be referred to as India, reflecting what they say is the most important influence in the area. A group of other scholars challenge the historical accuracy of this view. They say the area should be referred to as South Asia.
Perhaps no state other than California, with its large immigrant population, would have such a contentious fight. According to the foundation, nearly half of the 2.5 million Hindus in the United States live in California. The textbook dispute has come up as the state’s Instructional Quality Commission debates a new framework for the kindergarten to 12th grade social science curriculum, an effort meant to include new research and reflect the state’s increasing diversity. The State Board of Education will vote on the final changes next month.
Much more at “source” above.