This article explores the relatively unknown history of the San Diego City Schools’ attempts at intercultural reform after World War II and how educators responded to the specific needs of students and community members in the wake of racial, ethnic, and religious tensions on the West Coast. The 3-year intercultural program was one of the first of its kind in California and became a template for those in Los Angeles and San Francisco to follow. How the program developed, what was instituted in the classrooms, and the conservative political resistance faced by school leaders is examined.
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