Raza studies gives rise to racial hostility

L.P. Farnsworth · #1 (**permalink**) 05-29-2008, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Immediately it was clear that the class was not a U.S. history course, which the state of Arizona requires for graduation. The class was similar to a sociology course one expects to see at a university.
Where history was missing from the course, it was filled by controversial and biased curriculum.
The basic theme of the curriculum was that Mexican-Americans were and continue to be victims of a racist American society driven by the interests of middle and upper-class whites.
In this narrative, whites are able to maintain their influence only if minorities are held down. Thus, social, political and economic events in America must be understood through this lens.
This biased and sole paradigm justified teaching that our community police officers are an extension of the white power structure and that they are the strongmen used "to keep minorities in their ghettos."
It justified telling the class that there are fewer Mexican-Americans in Tucson Magnet High School's advanced placement courses because their "white teachers" do not believe they are capable and do not want them to get ahead.
It justified teaching that the Southwestern United States was taken from Mexicans because of the insatiable greed of the Yankee who acquired his values from the corrupted ethos of Western civilization.
It was taught that the Southwest is "Atzlan," the ancient homeland of the Aztecs, and still rightfully belongs to their descendants - to all people of indigenous Mexican heritage.
As an educator, I refused to be complicit in a curriculum that engendered racial hostility, irresponsibly demeaned America's civil institutions, undermined our public servants, discounted any virtues in Western civilization and taught disdain for American sovereignty.
When I raised these concerns, I was told that I was a "racist," despite being Hispanic. Acknowledging my heritage, the Raza studies staff also informed me that I was a vendido, the Spanish term for "sellout."
The culmination of my challenge to the department's curriculum was my removal from that particular class. The Raza studies department and its district-level allies pressured the Tucson High administration to silence my concerns through reassignment to another class during that one period.
The Raza studies department used the "racist" card, which is probably the most worn-out and desperate maneuver used to silence competing perspectives.
It is fundamentally anti-intellectual because it immediately stops debate by threatening to destroy the reputation of those who would provide counter arguments.
Unfortunately, I am not the only one to have been intimidated by the Raza studies department in this way.

Guest opinion: Raza studies gives rise to racial hostility | EDUCATION

Does it really make sense to instill racist memes and hatred in one ethnic community, while educating others against it?

saltwn · #2 (**permalink**) 05-29-2008, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Farnsworth, L.P.

Guest opinion: Raza studies gives rise to racial hostility | EDUCATION

Does it really make sense to instill racist memes and hatred in one ethnic community, while educating others against it?

I don't know where the idea was first dreamed up that minorities cannot be prejudiced. But this vein of educating would tend to make a person prejudice.

I was lucky to have had a very good and knowledgeable professor of history in Jr. college. I liked his history classes so well, I signed up for his ethnic studies course. He should have written a book on how to design an ethnic studies program for one's local region. He gave statistics and covered major events. Polish immigrants' contribution to industry; how African Americans got to the mid west and why; the Zoot Suit Riots; Irish potato famine's effect on American society and so many more groups that pertained to the nation as a whole and to the area I lived in at the time.
Ethnic Studies should be designed by an historian and mainly taught at the college level. Just my opinion.

foundit66 · #3 (**permalink**) 05-30-2008, 12:54 PM

The techniques described in this story are repulsive.
It is no less racist to proclaim that Hispanics are inferior than it is to claim that whites exist to oppress.
Teaching this does NOT HELP anybody. It's destructive. No constructive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltwn

Ethnic Studies should be designed by an historian and mainly taught at the college level. Just my opinion.

A very good idea.

It should help to ensure that the person in charge of the class actually has a decent background on the issue. Hopefully encouraging the class to be more than just anti-ethnic bile.

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