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 Editorials | Opinions | May 2008 
Raza Studies and the Legislation of Thought Control
 Roberto Rodriguez - Tucson Citizen
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 |  | Did indigenous and African peoples have souls and were they fully human? Were they entitled to full human rights, including the right to their own spiritual beliefs and cultures? |  | | | |
For the past generation, those who have been clamoring for walling the U.S./Mexico border like to portray the immigration debate as a war over American values and Western civilization.
Some even link it to the "war on terror."
While some who specialize in scapegoating do not bother to code their dislike of brown peoples, others are quick to emphasize that they are anti-illegal immigrant, not anti-immigrant.
And yet many of their proposals - which call for a national language and the elimination of ethnic studies, while encouraging massive racial profiling - have little to do with illegal immigration.
For example, Arizona state Rep. Russell Pearce's proposal to amend SB 1108 would prohibit tax dollars to be spent on public schools that "denigrate American values and the teaching of Western civilization."
It also would prohibit race-based organizations in public schools.
Clearly, his proposal has nothing to do with "illegal immigration" as his primary target is the elimination of Raza Studies at Tucson Unified School District - a national leader in K-12 curriculum development - and MEChA - Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano De Aztlan.
Neither of these exemplary educational organizations needs defending. Rather, it is those who are attempting to legislate censorship and thought control who need defending.
Incidentally, Pearce's proposal would target not just the above-named educational groups, but any or all that are "race-based." This potentially also includes groups or organizations that focus on American Indian, African-American, Asian-American, Jewish and Catholic issues, etc.
Pearce's amendment states: "A public school in this state shall not include within the program of instruction any courses, classes or school-sponsored activities that promote, assert as truth or feature as an exclusive focus any political, religious, ideological or cultural beliefs or values that denigrate, disparage or overtly encourage dissent from the values of American Democracy and Western civilization, including democracy, capitalism, pluralism and religious toleration."
Because there's no consensus on these topics, or on their definitions, it would be impossible to enforce such amendments.
For instance, would teachers be able to teach that torture and the U.S. "right" to wage permanent war against any nation - regardless if there is a moral justification - constitute American values?
Or would they teach that they are aberrations of American values?
Would they teach that favoring corporate profits at the expense of workers and the environment is an American value - or an aberration?
Truthfully, Americans have faced similar dilemmas since this nation's founding. In fact, it is a dilemma since the arrival of Europeans to this continent.
Did indigenous and African peoples have souls and were they fully human? Were they entitled to full human rights, including the right to their own spiritual beliefs and cultures?
Such questions led to land theft, genocide and forced conversions and assimilation. It also led to slavery, even close to 100 years after the U.S. Declaration of Independence. It also led to unjustified and continued U.S. military interventions throughout the Americas.
Not forgotten is that African- Americans, American Indians and women were deprived of full citizenship and their full humanity - including the right to vote - for at least the first 100 years of the republic.
Asians and Mexicans (who also suffered massive land theft) also were subject to exclusion and mass repatriations. All these groups were subject to defacto and dejure segregation and discrimination.
What is the American value: the right of all to be treated fully human or the maintenance of that racial and gender pecking order?
Taken to its logical conclusion, under Pearce's proposal, teachers and students wouldn't be permitted to study these topics and ask these questions. This points to what is wrong with education in America: politicians, not educators, are now in control of the classroom.
U.S. history has been well-served by a struggle over what constitutes "American" and human values (the two have not always been synonymous). Without that struggle, slavery, legalized segregation, discrimination and dehumanization would still be in effect today.
Fortunately, the march of history (and human rights) is always forward. Apparently, not in Pearce's America.
Roberto Rodriguez, Ph.D., is a research associate in Mexican-American Studies at the University of Arizona. Email: XColumn (at)gmail.com |
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