Rodolfo Acuña, Chicano activist, professor and author of TUSD-banned Occupied America, recently published an essay on the political blog Counter Punch in response to a paper he received by Tucson Unified School District’s Augustine Romero, now charged with developing TUSD yet-to-be unveiled multicultural curriculum.
You can read Acuña’s essay in it’s entirety here, but here’s a snippet:
When anything titled a “white paper” comes across my email, I usually ignore it. Why is truth always called “white”? Why not brown, yellow or black? Is it because black is considered negative, i.e., Black Friday, black as sin, Halloween, or death whereas white is the color of god and goodness?
Sowhen I received a paper titled “White Paper: Cultural Responsive Pedagogy,” I only read it because it was authored by Dr. Augustine Romero, the director of Tucson Unified School District’s department of student equity. Romero is charged with putting Humpty Dumpty together again—i.e., the Ethnic Studies program that the TUSD school board smashed to bits. (Humpty Dumpty refers to a large canon used during the 17th Century English Civil war).
Romero is a controversial figure and many of his former colleagues refuse to talk to him. They see Romero’s decision to stay in his administrative post with the District as a defection because, according to them, it gives the destruction of Mexican American Studies legitimacy. As proof they point to the pattern common in institutions of higher learning that destroy ethnic studies programs, and then remake them in their own image.
Although informative, the paper came across as an apologia. Romero says that MAS was a highly successful, well-constructed program, not shying away from the fact that it was destroyed at the behest of the Arizona Attorney General and Superintendent of Schools, a decision that was solely based on politics — pedagogy played no role.
Clearly Romero is conflicted.
In reading the paper I found myself agreeing with Romero as to pedagogy; the paper would have been highly appropriate in an academic setting. However, the paper never explains why he absolves the District and joins a corrupt group. Romero says that the District is in the midst of “its second attempt to obtain unitary status in its federal segregation case,” adding that the District does not understand how “to make schools more effective and joyous places for all students.” He concedes that the TUSD destroyed an “effective and special” program.”
What is disturbing is Romero’s lack of context, which is necessary for most professionals to understand what is happening in Tucson. The truth be told, most progressive educators view Romero as a champion and advocate for MAS, a fighter for its integrity. Witness his multiple YouTube presentations.
This article appears in Oct 11-17, 2012.
A “White Paper” refers to a document or paper that is authoritative and seeks to explain a stance or position on a subject. This is in contrast to a “green paper” which is a preliminary much more informal paper that precludes a “white paper”. “Blue books” tend to be the final step after the “white paper” which present the finalized detailed law or policy. I think I have this correct. Either way the origins of these names have nothing to do with “white” people, “green” people nor “blue” people. Unless smurfs and leprechauns are also oppressors!
I quote Acuña from his response;
“The study of history should not be based on half-truths. Something is or it isn’t.”
So stop the race baiting with your own half truths! In depth analysis of Mexican-American studies should be offered in ELECTIVE form, just like the other ethnic studies courses. American history courses should include the history of all Americans and need to be improved but replacing American history courses with Mexican-American history courses is not progress, it is a lateral move. We need to improve the content of the courses we have and we can do that by working together!
I am surprised that you continue to feed all the misinformation out there by legitimating this man and his polarizing efforts distinguished as scholarship. Come on, statements such as “Romero is a controversial figure and many of his former colleagues refuse to talk to him.” What gives Acuna the authority to make these false statements? This retaliation against Romero is a smear campaign designed to punish those who pursue new ideas or new approaches to education.
History will show that Rudy ignored charges, and in fact actively participated in a cover-up by MAS teachers who refused to address issues of sexism and sexual harassment.
I am tired of hearing this whining by these people. My grandparents came from Holland the legal way and were forced to learn English. If you want your Spanish and Mexican history classes, stay in Mexico.
Ethnic History education is the responsibility of YOUR parents. ..NOT our schools. This is America and what you need to learn is AMERICAN history.. and YES I am most certainly an American of Mexican descent.
Carmo, are you refering to Sean Arce who likes to use his wife as a pinata?
What a racist article. If this is an example of those in MAS who were exposed to our children, glad MAS is history. Speaking of history, do you really think MAS told the kids the real truth? Better stop now, before the real truth of history is told.
A fine example of ignorance and paranoid racism. Acuna needs help.
I agree. I can see who the 3 Sonorans looks to for inspiration in spewing hate and repeating non-truths to his avid readers. After all, Acuna has made a career out it. I have a copy of Occupied American from college. It is going in the trash after reading this column.
Obviously some people in the nation still have difficulty accepting the Mexican American citizen as having a part in our nation’s History. If it happened in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, all of which are U. S. states and it involved brown people its still American History. Unfortunately in the state of Arizona, some still believe, their ancestral history is far more superior then the other.
There’s a number of historical events that have transpired on American soil which we’re not particularly fond of such as Native American history , Japanese racial profiling during the second world war, Black slavery. Non-the-less they are apart of our nation’s history. But perhaps we can do what we have done so conveniently in the past, and stuff the skeleton of Mexican American history in the old closet along with the rest of our collection, and pretend it never happened.