Reading about La Jolla reminds him of Paris

BIPOC studies

Being from California, you might think that aspects of Critical Race Theory are implemented in the public education curriculum, but that is not necessarily the case (“San Diego students required to take ethnic studies,” City Lights, October 16, 2019).

I was fortunate to attend a diverse high school in Escondido where it was almost impossible to not include culturally-responsive education. However, there were many historical narratives that were excluded from my education such as that of Japanese concentration camps or the history of the LGBTQ+ community. There continues to be widespread misinformation of accurate U.S. history in public schools and this hinders students in future ventures such as college.

Critical Race Theory components were always alluded to in my high school classes, but never explicitly mentioned until I went to college. In one of my Sociology courses, a white cis-hetero male peer told my professor that he didn’t believe “institutionalized racism existed.” My professor was quick to shut him down and explain why he was incorrect to think that way.

It wasn’t until that moment, for the first time in my 18 years of life, that I felt seen as a BIPOC. Some students never get to experience that feeling of representation in their educational journey. This is why it’s so important that public schools implement race-conscious education. Call your local representatives, contact your school board, and educate yourself to ensure that every student obtains the same quality of education.

Albertina Estrada Martinez

Escondido

Out and roundabout

Reading about the traffic roundabouts on La Jolla Boulevard reminded me of when I was driving in Paris during the 1970s and got caught up in the center lanes of the very large and very busy roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe (“How do La Jolla Boulevard roundabouts rate?”, California Dreams, July 21).

The French rule of the road protocol, priorité à droite (priority to the right), was maddening. The autos entering the roundabout had the right of way and it was a challenge to maneuver right in the traffic. It took me several loops to navigate safely out of the circle. Also, while driving between Sydney and Cairns in Australia about 20 years ago, the 2,400 kilometer journey was filled with roundabouts all along the way. You could drive for very long distances without having to stop. In Australia, the autos inside the roundabout had the right of way, but driving clockwise in the roundabout on the left side of the road was a genuine ordeal.

George Cooper

El Cajon