Stockton Celebrates Euro-American Heritage
The first school district to proclaim heritage month
By Thomas Lee

It had to happen sooner or later. African Americans have Black History Month and Asian Americans have Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. So why can’t European Americans have European American Heritage Month? If America truly is a country of immigrants and each group’s culture is to be celebrated, why hasn’t anyone celebrated European Americans’ contributions to this country? That is the question the Stockton Unified School District asked itself last month. One month later, the school district made history by being the first to proclaim April as European American Heritage Month.

“[The school district] has a multi-national calendar setting up each month to highlight certain events of various cultures,” said Linda Whittock, program specialist in the district curriculum and professional development office. “It was brought up at a board meeting [by board trustee Glen Dolberg] that there wasn’t an European American month in the education calendar.”

As a result of the meeting, Whittock wrote up a resolution to recognize European American contributions to the United States. “European Americans always had recognition in U.S. history. The point of the district was to highlight all groups,” she said. “The goal was to include European Americans in the daily scope of history and to take a look at history in a more in-depth way. European Americans are a part of that history.”

Louis Calabro, president of the European/American Issues Forum, based in the Bay Area, applauded the school district’s decision. “It was a brave thing they did,” he said. “Now European American school children can rejoice and celebrate their heritage. It lets European American kids know they have a rich [ancestry] and that many inventions were contributed by Europeans.”

Because the resolution was only ratified in April, it has not yet been implemented. April 2001 will be the first time the Stockton school district celebrates European American Heritage Month.

The curriculum for the heritage month has not been set but is likely to highlight the city of Stockton’s history. “Stockton was founded by European Americans and I would hope they would emphasize the history of the city’s establishment,” said Dolberg.

European American Heritage Month is not a new concept to California. On September 9, 1998, the California State Board of Education passed a resolution to recognize October 1998 as European American Heritage Month. That resolution was only valid for the 1998 school year and European American Heritage Month had not been celebrated since.

Whittock chose April to designate as European American Heritage Month instead of October because it was a month in the school calendar not declared by any group. It was an open month right between February’s Black History Month and May’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. But upon further research, Whittock found that April is a month rich in historical events significant to this country. “Many events leading to the establishment of our country occurred in April,” she said. For example, April is the month that George Washington was sworn in as the First President of the United States in 1789.

The school district received little opposition towards its declaration and the school board voted unanimously 7 to 0 to approve the resolution. “The board didn’t make a formal announcement until after the resolution had already been ratified,” said Whittock. “Any negative comments to the month were made after the fact.”

Supporters of the decision contend that the idea that European Americans are a distinct and legitimate ethnic group is catching on. “People are becoming aware and interested in the fact that Europeans are an ethnic group. It’s an awakening, a rising level of consciousness,” Calabro said.

“I understand how some people may be wondering why this is necessary. In history books European American history is represented a lot while other groups are not,” said Raymond Tom, the district’s director of state and federal programs. “But that’s not what this is about. They’re recognizing immigrant groups and European Americans are an immigrant group to America.”

Tom, who is of Chinese descent, added that when children think of America, they automatically think of white people. They do not realize the country is made up of groups of immigrants, including European Americans, he said. “Kids think white is America. We have to understand that we’re all American. Asian Americans, African Americans are all part of America,” he said. “We’re all newcomers to this country. Not one group owns it.”

Not everyone agrees with Tom’s rationalization however.

Calabro while agreeing that European Americans are a distinct ethnic group has a different view of what is American. “Everything isn’t American, not in California. The demographics are changing. Fifty one percent are non-European. We are a minority,” he said.

Calabro believes that a heritage month would reduce discrimination and defamation directed against European Americans as well as minimize negative associations of European Americans. “ Everything taught in schools about European Americans is negative, like how [European Americans] took over the land from [Native Americans]. Why not focus on the positive? Why be ashamed to be European American? We made this country but now are a minority in terms of participation and numbers,” he said.

When it comes down to it, the basic underlying principle of European American Heritage Month is equality, according to the school board. “All human beings should be treated equally. It would be a shame to leave any one group out,” Dolberg said.