01 Intro

I. INTRODUCTION TO CA HINDU TEXTBOOK CONTROVERSY

A. Discrimination against Hinduism versus other religions in CA Textbooks

• Summarized in Academic Hinduphobia by Rajeev Malhotra and Vidhi Jhunjhuwala

• The California Textbook Trial By Kalavai Venkat in Sulekha.com

• See also : Discrimination and California School Textbooks by Anant Saraswat

• Do California Textbooks Discriminate against Hindus? How do they describe the Role of Women, by Vishal Agarwal (03/08/06)

Older, general articles related to Hinduism in US Textbooks:

• “Stereotyping Hinduism in American Education” by Rajiv Malhotra

• 2. “Hinduism in American Classrooms” by Rajiv Malhotra and Dave Freedholm

• Indian Identity in American Schools by Dr Alex Alexander in Sulekha.com

• Are Hinduism Studies Prejudiced by Sankrant Sanu in Sulekha.com

• Academic Researchers vs Hindu Civilization dt. 12/04/2004, by Dr Gautam Sen in Sulekha.com

• “Stereotypes in Schooling, Negative Pressures in the American Educational System on Hindu Identity Formation” by Yvette Rosser

• “Countering Stereotypes” by Julie Patel and Mona Vijaykar

B. Examples of Errors in CA Textbooks:

• Samples from Sixth Grade CA Textbooks dt. 12/20/05 by Vishal Agarwal

C. Issues of Disparity and Prejudice in Textbook Adoption Process: Summarized in the following article

• Hindu American Foundation Press Release (gives a good chronological summary and chronology of how the process was biased against Hindus)

• The Uphill Battle Faced by Hindu Americans by Vishal Agarwal

D. Problems Faced by Hindu American children in Schools due to prejudiced and stereotypical treatment of India and Hinduism in school textbooks:

• CA Textbook Wars: Forgetting the Little Child, the Heart of the Matter by Niraj Mohanka

• Description of humiliation in classroom by student Trisha Pasricha

• Experiences of Professor Sreenath Sreenivasan (Columbia University): Making Peace with Oscar in Rediff.com

Testimonies by several children and teenagers within the following articles:

• ‘Hindu Press International’ news-release: CBE Approves most Hindu changes to Textbooks dt. 03/01/06

• Report on Sacramento Hearing on 02/26/06 by Vishal Agarwal (published on 03/06/06)

E. Problems faced by Hindu American Parents due to discriminatory treatment of India and Hinduism in textbooks studied by their children in schools:

1.“Parents frustrated by Portrayal of Hinduism in California Textbooks” by Gaurang Desai in ‘India Post’ dt. Jan 6, 2006

There is no dedicated article on this online, but testimonies of several parents are recorded within these articles:

• ‘Hindu Press International’ news-release: CBE Approves most Hindu changes to Textbooks dt. 03/01/06

• Report on Sacramento Hearing on 02/26/06 by Vishal Agarwal (published on 03/06/06)

• CA Textbook Wars: Forgetting the Little Child, the Heart of the Matter by Niraj Mohanka

• “Torn Between Worlds, Hindu Parents Struggle to Pass on Culture to US Born Children” dt. 02 April 2006 by Sheila B Lalwani, in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel