Lee Ewing from the Arizonans for Immigration Control called this morning to discuss a protest taking place tonight in front of the Tucson Unified School District about raaasa.
“Raaasa?” I asked. “I’m not sure what you mean. Can you tell me what Raaasa is?”
“Raaaasa studies in our schools,” he replied.
It clicked. La Raza.
I didn’t jump down his throat because he mispronounced the word or assume he was some bad old fart. He said he’d been living in Tucson for 12 years, so Spanish words can be difficult for those Southwest newbies. I remained kind. I thought about the Arizona Superintendent of Public Education Tom Horne, and wondered if Mr. Ewing concerned the school district was buckling to Horne’s criticism of Tucson schools for teaching ethnic-studies classes (Mexican-American and African-American).
Horne had said he was concerned about ethnic chauvinism–that kids in these classes would think they were better than everyone else and have a stronger identity with their race and culture than the rest of their classmates. (At least that’s how I interpret ethnic chauvinism). White people in the classic Western-civilization sense–we started it all, and we control it all–may be guilty of ethnic chauvinism, too. Although Horne didn’t discuss history or humanities classes.
I digress.
Mr. Ewing is protesting La Raza studies because the books used in the classes are “teaching subversion.” He also mentioned they are full of left-wing socialist ideas that are preparing Mexican-American youth to occupy America and “kill the gringos.”
Arizonans for Immigration Control organized a committee that looked at books used in La Raza studies and concluded they need to be taken out of the classroom before kids got any more crazy Aztlan ideas in their head.
The books that scare Ewing and his friends are mostly history books, many written by Latinos, such as Occupied America: A History of Chicanos, by Rodolfo Acuna. It was published in 1972 and is considered the definitive book on Mexican-American history. Another is The Mexican American Heritage by Carlos Jimenez, published in 1994, a history book that goes back to the Aztec, Toltec and Mayan civilizations and discusses how they influenced Mexican-American contributions to society. Sounds like a good read to me.
A third book of concern is Critical Race Theory by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, which discusses civil rights insights, and law and policy–for everyone.
There is a fourth book, but Mr. Ewing could only remember the word “pedagogy.”
“I don’t know if you’ve ever heard this word before–pedagogy. It’s a new word,” Mr. Ewing said, or struggled to say. “But this is by some guy from South America, and it’s all about taking over the United States.”
Well, unfortunately, Mr. Ewing, “pedagogy” is not a new word. I think the gentleman who he was talking about from South America is Paulo Freire, an educator who works to inform teachers on how to help their students put pedagogy into action–critically thinking about their education, and coming into consciousness about their role as students in their world, their society, their community.
Pedagogy is good Mr. Ewing. In practice, it’s how some people, hopefully in their youth rather than later in life, find their voice–as queer kids, Mexican kids, African-American kids, punk-skateboard kids, Goth Mexican-American kids–any identity out there. It’s good for the soul and much healthier than committing suicide or killing everyone in your classroom.
I think Mr. Ewing must have heard me breathe hard a few times, and then I asked him what these books have to do with immigration control. He told me about the whole Aztlan movement and how Mexicans have a plan to take over the United States. He said San Francisco State University and UC-Berkeley were bases for Aztlan, because the schools taught Raza theory.
Mr. Ewing said he was hoping to talk to Jim Nintzel, who he said seems to get this stuff. While insulting me (and possibly Nintzel), he also heavily complimented the Tucson Weekly for its balanced coverage on these issues, even if we are left-leaning.
Thanks Mr. Ewing, I think. Call again, and next time ,ask to leave a message for Jim Nintzel.
Just a suggestion, Mr. Ewing: Perhaps you should catch up on American history and read up on the Chicano movement that took place in the ’60s and ’70s. The movement, led by Oscar Zeta Acosta, is where the terms La Raza and Aztlan were born.
Aztlan, in my opinion, boils down to a philosophy I heard my mother and her sisters discuss over coffee and cigarettes: “We didn’t cross the border; the border crossed us.”
This article appears in Jan 10-16, 2008.
Hi Mari Herreras. That was an interesting post. Lee Ewing sounds to me like a bit of a ding-dong.
I am wondering, did you tell him your thoughts on the telephone? Or did you sigh in exasperation at him, without saying much, and then come write this post afterward? Will you be attending his protest of “raaaasa”? Is his group very big, or are they just a handful of assorted sun-baked Tucson xenophobes?
A few comments:
— Objectively, what do you think kids and high-schoolers should be taught about “La Raza” and such? Do you think “La Raza” is a somewhat loaded term for people of Mexican descent, or do you think it is an appropriate term to teach people? I can understand being against ignorant racists, but being against them is not the same as presenting your own position and making it clear to readers.
— In regards to ethnic studies, what *do* Tucson high schools teach to children? Is there a unified curriculum, and if so, what is the philosophy behind it? Do Ewing’s concerns have any merit at all?
— Where do you draw the line between “ethnic chauvinism” and “having a strong identity with one’s race and culture”? I mean, is it possible that some people with a strong racial/cultural identity are, in fact, racists when it comes to other people? Have you encountered such people? If a white Anglo type person can be racist, then can’t others be equally racist, and if so, is that an acceptable tit-for-tat, or is it just as bad?
— Regarding the “Aztlan movement” — is it a real movement? Is it something that is widely believed / accepted / part of the general sentiment among Chicanos? I wouldn’t know, but you seem to be in a position to know. Is it a real thing, or just a poing of view? I have a hard time understanding what, “We didn’t cross the border; the border crossed us,” actually means. So help me out here. Are you implying that Arizona used to be Mexico?
I don’t have any stake in this debate, other than wanting both sides to be clear and make solid arguments, or none at all. I have seen a lot of questionable reasoning on both sides, which bothers me. (And when I say “both sides,” even that is nebulous, since there seem to be more than two sides, and what constitutes each side is sometimes a moving target.)
I do think that as long as we are going to take the idea of nationalism seriously, then we should accept that the U.S., as a nation, needs to maintain its borders, regulate the traffic, and have clear definitions of what constitutes citizenship, with well-enforced rules for who gets to be a citizen, and how.
I also think that there is a legitimate debate to be had about what is an appropriate curriculum in terms of state history, national history and world history, especially when so much of it is tied in with identity and politics. My view is that the more dry and factual such a curriculum is, the better. If indeed any of the books you cited do have strong political undercurrents, then I think it is fair to at least question their validity as teaching material. There should be an open debate. Ridiculing some misguided dude who can’t pronounce La Raza doesn’t add much to that debate.
Although it is kinda funny….some geezer trying to pronounce a simple word, but too out-of-it to even come close.
Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasa.
Mmmm, pasta.
Actually Sam, I think the blog is the perfect place to write about this and discuss this. You have a lot of questions that I’ll get to, but I have a pretty full day today. Perhaps tonight. I enjoy the discussions we’ve had on this topic, Sam and I’m certainly not afraid to discuss things that may be uncomfortable. But in the end, the blog is a great place to bring situations up, such as this, give you my opinion even if you don’t agree with it or understand it(not write an article on it), and then allow any discussion to take place. Talk to you soon.
Mari
Yeah I understand having a full day. I have a full day today myself….and yet somehow I am just sitting here, eating a Trader Joe’s salad.
Regarding the question I asked: I am still wondering what people have to say about the connection between having a strong racial/cultural identity and being racist. Not that they have to be connected, but there do seem to be some examples. Here’s one that I came across recently.
When people are taught to form self-value in terms of their race and ancestry, then they might end up devaluing others because of their non-inclusion in that race and ancestry.
That’s why I am strongly considering an endorsement for Doctress Neutopia, who wants to eliminate the borders.
Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy!
OK Sam… Excuse me for having a full plate once in a while. Yet, I too sit here right now, eating a hummus plate at the Coffee Exchange off Campbell. Sharing my lunch time with you, dear blog friend who likes to have fun debates on race, immigration and all of its headaches and legalities.
Mr. Ewing may be a bit of ding-dong as you put it, but I think he is an example of why folks get pissed when this topic comes up and why in the past when you and I have discussed this issue, I have pointed out the problems with racism the illegal immigration debate produces. We have always agreed that yes, we have a problem. Yes, the gov’t. needs to get off its ass and do a comprehensive immigration program, and you and I discussed the reasons why it will probably never happen – the business community doesn’t really want to hire people to work at regular wages or address the wages of people who work in this country legally.
How I treated Mr. Ewing was the way I treat everyone when they call with a story idea – I am cordial. It is my job. I asked him questions he wasn’t happy to answer, but I remained polite. No, I didn’t attend his protest, but he’s in my file for a story idea that I’d rather discuss with Jimmy and not you… Mr. Sam.
Thanks for the list of stereotypes Mr. Ewing brings to mind. I am human. They came to my mind. I was still polite. I also still contribute to this blog, so I used the conversation to write about his POV, the books he’s worried about and my opinion. I think I can do that, but if not, JB needs to drag me around the office and set me straight.
Objectively – I don’t know if I can answer objectively on this topic – but here we go: Yes, I think kids and high-schoolers – everyone there should be taught about the La Raza movement. If we did, would we be dealing as much with people like Mr. Ewing? If we took a Howard Zinn approach to how we teach our history, would it be that bad?
I am married to a nice guy who isn’t Latino, but happened to be one of only a handful of kids in an East LA school who wan’t Latino. He’s Latino by default. Most of his friends are Latino and have a strong sense of identity. They love the guy and never ridicule him because he isn’t of Mayan descent, so no Sam, I agree with them… I am not racist because I know alot about my culture and family history. But it does help when talking to racists and it does make me feel good about my roots.
I’d like to see more ethnic studies classes or cultural studies classes. In Seattle there is a school or program for kids who are gay identified. From Stonewall to Harry Hay, there is a rich history here that could make a young person realize there are people who have come before them that made a difference.
The fact that there are people out there who are better off knowing about their ethnic and cultural identify isn’t a product of ethnic chauvinists, but the way this country was made and progressed in all it’s nasty racist glory. We are playing catch-up.
I think ethnic chauvinism is a big load of turd from Mr. Horne, who by the way makes his way to a Republican women’s group and shares his concerns and that they need to recruit more like-minded folks to become TUSD board members. What is this really about Sam? C’mon.
I don’t just love being Mexican, but I also love St. Patrick’s Day, bagpipes, “good-looking” Scottsmen in kilts, all Japanese food, corned beef sandwiches with a bowel of matza ball soup from Canter’s in LA, Passover seders and anything my mother makes, from tamales to beef stroganoff. I love the world, but I also have a strong identity. I am typical Mexican-American – tacos are good USA eating, next to burgers and teriyaki chicken.
I also think everyone is racist. We can all work on not being racist, but I think we all are. And sometimes I have a chip on my shoulder as a result of thinking that way, but it’s the truth. And more people need to think about it.
I don’t go to Knights of Columbus meetings or Italian Club meetings to protest Christopher Columbus. I could debate a friend on the topic. But I’m not going to go down there, and in thinking that, Mr. Ewing needs to stay away from ethnic studies. There’s a load more good from these classes. Hatred is not bred in these books or classrooms. It’s bred by people who come across people who have not so nice things to say about people who are Latino or African-American, or anything else.
The Aztlan movement wasn’t a movement, it was a term and historical reference used during the Chicano Rights Movement that was, Sam, a real life movement. I don’t know anyone Latino who is storing arms in their basement ready for the day we will all take over and turn the borders around. Those are just daydreams 🙂 The anti-immigrant and anti-Latino folks have hooked into Aztlan as the reason for their bigoted philosophies. If you look on their Web sites it gets brought up all the time as a reason we should be distrustful of Mexicans and keep them out. Similar to how Protocols of Zion was used in Germany and anti-Janpanese hooey that made us feel good about locking away fellow citizens. People make stuff up, it becomes a tool to use as an excuse to hate. It’s an old method people use over and over again.
And for some folks Sam the line, “We didn’t cross the border; the border crossed us,” is a nice phrase that is darn fun for T-shirts and bumper stickers, and for some folks who were here before Arizona became a territory it is absolutely true and recalls a time before borders were such an issue.
My arguments or opinion may not always be clear and it may not always take one side or another, but that is my right. I am a mixed up product of this country and society. If you’d rather none at all, than we wouldn’t have fun discussions that help us learn a little more here and a little more there.
And finally, Sam, are we taking the idea of nationalism seriously? Should we? The Doctress has some mightly fine ideas in this realm. Nationalism gets ugly and I think that’s when we get in trouble. This topic is gray, so we can’t be dry and factual, in the classroom, on a blog or if we sat down and discussed this over coffee. That’s life. That’s the problem.
“When people are taught to form self-value in terms of their race and ancestry, then they might end up devaluing others because of their non-inclusion in that race and ancestry.”
Regarding the example you gave with this comment – I think you have to consider that there are going to be certain immigrant groups that are like this. Often this attitude has developed over time when certain folks have had to work like hell to survive. It’s also a reason why some ethic/cultural groups tend to stick to together from neighborhoods to community centers, etc., part of it is survival and part of it is sticking together when other groups don’t want to have anything to do with you. That’s life and part of life in the US. Wrong or right, it exists for a reason.
hI mARI- I’m glad you are working @ the weekly– we needed a Chicana writer in Tucson! Finally someone who understands!!!!!
Wow Mari, you shamed me with that block of text. I thought I was the ruler of the Big Block of Text! No more… I am just an amateur…
Anyway, here are my short answers to what you wrote:
— Mmmm, hummus plate…
— I am interested in the books mentioned in your blog, so feel free to expand on any insights they offer. If not, next time I get my ass down to the library I’ll read them myself. (I love libraries…a place where everybody is obligate to be quiet…)
— Sorry, but I still don’t know what “the La Raza movement” is, exactly. Is it teaching kids the dry and sometimes unpleasant facts about the history of this corner of the U.S., or is it teaching kids to be “proud” of their race? If the former I’d encourage it. If the latter, not at all. Not what school’s supposed to be for.
— I’m glad you haven’t experienced and do not embody any reverse racism, or racism-by-minorities. I guess my point isn’t that people who are taught to be proud of their ancestry will end up racists. It’s that teaching this isn’t really the role of the school. Also, I do think that “pride in one’s ancestry” can spill into racism when pressure is applied. The distinction I want to make is between being proud of one’s ancestry/race/culture, and being proud of the principles, ideas and accomplishments they embody.
— Would you like to see more ethnic and cultural studies classes in high schools? Isn’t that more the realm of colleges? I think it would be fair to have a general humanities class that includes more ethnic and cultural source material. When we’re talking about high school, you have to remember that most of these kids are starting from scratch. The foundation laid should be general. Since this is the U.S., shouldn’t they be taught first about the culture that forms the underpinning for this society, which is more rooted in European humanities and Western Civ? Heck, even Mexico gets much of its cultural basis from Spain. Like I said, it wouldn’t be so bad if it included more ethnic elements, but it does get questionable if there are only 2 electives and one of them is “Culture of Western Civ.” and the other is “Culture of La Raza.” Personally I think learning Aristotle, Homer, Dante, Milton, Leonardo, Voltaire, Rousseau etc. should trump learning Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
— “In Seattle there is a school or program for kids who are gay identified.” …..in high school? Really? I’d like to know what’s on the syllabus for this: Oscar Wilde, Walt Whitman, Truman Capote?
— “I think ethnic chauvinism is a big load of turd…” — on this we agree!
— “…who by the way makes his way to a Republican women’s group and shares his concerns and that they need to recruit more like-minded folks to become TUSD board members. What is this really about Sam? C’mon.” Obviously the Republicans and racists take this issue way too far to the other side. I consider myself more of a middle-grounder. You say “La Raza studies for everybody!”, he says, “No La Raza studies ever!” and I say, “Integrate some La Raza studies into existing curriculums in a balanced way that keeps things in context and doesn’t degrade the overall quality of the edumacation.”
— “…I also love St. Patrick’s Day, bagpipes, “good-looking” Scottsmen in kilts, all Japanese food, corned beef sandwiches with a bowel of matza ball soup…” Ewww…I had a bowel of matza balls oup — after I ate it!
— “…Passover seders and anything my mother makes, from tamales to beef stroganoff.” It’s funny you mention beef stroganoff, because I made it on Tuesday. It is so easy to make, but it tastes like gourmet food (to me). Ingredients: big white onion, box o’ shrooms, garlic bulb (use half or less depending on garlic tolerance), high quality beef, cream of mushroom soup, small container sour cream, paprika, cayenne pepper, egg noodles. To make: Cut all fat off beef, cut into thin strips, marinate (red vinegar works, but I use wine). Chop onion into squares, chop mushrooms into mushroom-shaped flats. Sautee onions and beef with a pat of butter until beef turns from pink to grey, then add mushrooms and pressed garlic (powdered garlic is OK too but not as good). When mushrooms are pliant, add can of soup (do not add water) and sour cream. Add about 8 shakes of cayenne pepper — depending on how hot you like things, which I do. Stir and continue heating on low/medium. Add paprika to give it alluring orangish color. Boil all the egg noodles about 10 min. Drain noodles, serve, and let people add the stroganoff sauce to their preference (salt and pepper might be needed). Mmmm….awesome.
— “I love the world, but I also have a strong identity. I am typical Mexican-American – tacos are good USA eating, next to burgers and teriyaki chicken.” On this we differ: I have no ethnic-based identity (if I do have one, then I am in denial about it). I don’t even have much nationalist identity, at least not in terms of the symbolism associated with it: flags and eagles and crap. I think people should get excited about principles, not things. Sure, I looooove Japanese food, Mexican food, etc., but to me that is about appreciating a myriad of tastes. (It’s also a good window into appreciating different people.) But I think it’s a little sad when people’s identity is based so much on what’s come before, what’s been done before. What about now? In the future? It seems to me getting too caught up in rituals, traditions, etc. is a recipe for not being able to change and adapt to new social structures. People get more rigid and defensive. What would happen if we magically waved a “Men in Black” over everybody’s face and made them forget all of their racial and cultural heritage? Would people really be that much less better off? I don’t think so. We’d still have all the recipes for the great food, and all the terrific books and music….just not the sense that “this is what makes me valuable as a person.” That’s all just STUFF. What makes people valuable is what they DO, how they deal with things. Being good to your family because that’s the right thing to do = great. Being good to your family because you come from a long line of so-and-so’s and… = lame.
— “I also think everyone is racist. We can all work on not being racist, but I think we all are.” I guess the next question is, “how are you defining racist?” It sounds like you have a very broad definition. I don’t consider myself racist. I am probably classist though. Some guy walks up saying F-word this, and F-in’ that, I usually am quite wary.
— “I don’t go to Knights of Columbus meetings or Italian Club meetings to protest Christopher Columbus.” This is a non-parallel because these are private groups. You’ve got to admit this is a sloppy comparison.
— “Hatred is not bred in these books or classrooms. It’s bred by people who come across people who have not so nice things to say about people who are Latino or African-American, or anything else.” I agree, and I wouldn’t go so far as to say they promote hatred. I think it’s open to debate if they’re helpful. (Even on that count, I’m not claiming they aren’t, but it’s worthy of questioning.)
— “The Aztlan movement wasn’t a movement, it was a term and historical reference used during the Chicano Rights Movement that was, Sam, a real life movement. I don’t know anyone Latino who is storing arms in their basement ready for the day we will all take over and turn the borders around. Those are just daydreams :).” Even if nobody is storing arms etc., which is good, why would anybody daydream that? What would the daydream consist of? A larger Mexico? Even if none of this is taken seriously, I do think you should consider why people find this offensive, because on some level, it sounds like a lack of loyalty to the sovereignty of the United States, its principles, etc. Can you not see that? Even if one is not offended, at the very least, it makes you wonder, why do people daydream about this? What would be their ideal, that they’re daydreaming about? Different borders? No borders? Or what?
— “The anti-immigrant and anti-Latino folks have hooked into Aztlan as the reason for their bigoted philosophies.” Sure, but how can you blame them for wondering about it? Doesn’t the fact that it sets of racists indicate that maybe pro-Chicano-rights groups should retire the Aztlan business? Or is the philosophy, “Hey look, this Aztlan stuff pisses people off …so let’s run with it! Ha ha, look at them get angry! We aren’t even serious about any of it, but let’s keep talking about Aztlan just to see their faces turn red!” ?
— “If you look on their Web sites it gets brought up all the time as a reason we should be distrustful of Mexicans and keep them out.” So why don’t Chicano-advocates retire the Aztlan business to take the wind out of the racists’ sails? Pretty simple, eh? Much simpler than saying, “We don’t really mean any of it, but we’re not going to discount it, either, because, you know, it’s sort of a daydream of ours….but not a REAL daydream, just a ‘fun thing’.” You have to admit that this doesn’t wash.
— “Similar to how Protocols of Zion was used in Germany and anti-Janpanese hooey that made us feel good about locking away fellow citizens.” I don’t know the exact history of the Protocols of Zion, but modern Jews definitely don’t abide by it. I am not even sure if it is a real, sincere text….isn’t it just by some extreme sect, or something? The Jewish/Zionism debate is another thing for another time, and even though there are a lot of parallels between the Mexico border and things happening in Israel, the non-parallels are significant enough to render the comparison dangerous, at the least. (Besides, I would think that Mexican advocates would identify much more with Palestinians…)
— “And for some folks Sam the line, “We didn’t cross the border; the border crossed us,” is a nice phrase that is darn fun for T-shirts and bumper stickers, and for some folks who were here before Arizona became a territory it is absolutely true and recalls a time before borders were such an issue.” You’re not answering my question. Before Arizona became a territory, there was no Mexico, so how would the border have crossed anybody? I’m asking this on a technical level. As for it being a fun phrase for T-shirts, why is that ‘fun’? Is it fun because it’s considered true, fun because it upsets people, or what? Perhaps it is analysis-proof and I shouldn’t even be asking. But I think people do and say a lot of things without questioning them, and that’s wrong no matter what side you’re on. (Perhaps one reason I am responding negatively to the phrase is because it reminds me of “I didn’t leave the Democratic party; the Democratic party left me,” which is often used self-servingly.)
— “My arguments or opinion may not always be clear and it may not always take one side or another, but that is my right.” I agree, that is your right, and I am not trying to quiet you by debating. By all means, keep posting and spreading your ideas and thoughts on all these matters. I enjoy reading them.
— “And finally, Sam, are we taking the idea of nationalism seriously? Should we? The Doctress has some mightly fine ideas in this realm. Nationalism gets ugly and I think that’s when we get in trouble.” Well considering that nationalism is the current basis for the civilized world, and its current system of laws, property rights, justice, etc., I think we should take it seriously. Outside of that, I find blind patriotism (jingoism) as ugly as you do. And I think Doctress Neutopia rocks, but only when she’s physically inside a cut-up flag. Her super-powers diminish when she’s outside of one.
Oy Sam… you are still the king of block text. I can never take that away from you. Remember, it was lunch and I was stuffing my face. You brought up a couple of items that made me wince, and I really want get to them, but my plate is full right now. I know, I know, I’ve used that excuse before, but I’m traveling to LA as we speak. I will say the Doctress is better when she is doing stuff with the flag. I hope she takes my August Mine idea seriously, or posts a lesson for turning flags into panchos. Take care.
Hi Mari, I am curious what made you wince. I am guessing it was the recipe for beef stroganoff. Look, maybe you make it a different way, alright? I like a whole onion…maybe you prefer a half-onion. Get over it.
Oh, regarding this graph: “I think you have to consider that there are going to be certain immigrant groups that are like this. Often this attitude has developed over time when certain folks have had to work like hell to survive. It’s also a reason why some ethic/cultural groups tend to stick to together from neighborhoods to community centers, etc., part of it is survival and part of it is sticking together when other groups don’t want to have anything to do with you. That’s life and part of life in the US. Wrong or right, it exists for a reason.”
Let it be noted for posterity: Mari Herreras has excused racism!
By the way, I’m just givin’ you crap. I understand your basic point…
I hope you had fun in L.A., the city of asphalt.