Oregon’s youngest students will experience a new emphasis on race, identity, and equity as the state incorporates ethnic studies requirements into the social studies curriculum for all students in K-12. It will be the first state to do so. The new focus stems from an Oregon law passed in 2017 that directed the Oregon Department of Education (DoE) to develop standards to “improve cultural competency and promote critical thinking with regard to histories, contributions, and perspectives of ethnic and social minority groups.” The standards will permeate the study of “civics and government, economics, geography, financial literacy, history, and social science analysis,” according to the department. Published in March 2021, the new standards are now being adopted in many schools across the state and will be required for the 2025-2026 school year. Already, Oregon teachers, staff, and administrators are being trained on the elements of ethnic studies, which the department cites …