How do you react to this AP headline: “Ex-school official: Radicals taught Mexican-American program”

The article, “Ex-school official: Radicals taught Mexican-American program,” written by Astrid Galvan of the Associated Press appeared in a number of newspapers today including the New York Times and the Washington Post.

Of course, the headline is true in so far as the idea that radicals taught the Mexican-American program in the schools of Tucson was claimed by an ex-school official, but might be misleading if you don’t question the truth of the assertion by the former school official.  The Journal of Educational Controversy has published a number of articles on the banning of the Mexican American curriculum in Tucson, Arizona.  After reading the articles in the Washington Post or the New York Times, take a look at one of our journal’s articles on what actually occurred inside one of those classrooms.  You can find the article, “Dangerous Minds inTucson: The Banning of Mexican American Studies and Critical Thinking in Arizona,” by Curtis Acosta, a former teacher in the school district, in our 2014 Volume 8 issue.  The theme for that issue was, “WhoDefines the Public in Public Education.”

SPLC Denounces Letter from Attorneys General Seeking Repeal of DACA

The article below is reprinted with permission of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

 
SPLC Denounces Letter from 10 Attorneys General Seeking ‘cruel and heartless’ Repeal of DACA

June 30, 2017

 
The Southern Poverty Law Center this week denounced a letter signed by 10 state attorneys general as “cruel and heartless” because it asks the Department of Justice to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Under DACA, which was created by the Obama administration, the federal government has granted reprieves from deportation to nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children.

“Attorneys general from 10 states are egging the federal government on to be more cruel and heartless in its approach to immigration,” said Naomi Tsu, SPLC deputy legal director. “The letter requests that the Department of Justice revoke protections for immigrant youth and begin targeting for deportation these young people who have grown up as Americans.

“These attacks will prevent children, many of whom know no other home, from working legally and reaching their full potential. If the Trump administration follows through on this request, they will be responsible for further pushing immigrant communities underground, making communities less safe, less prosperous and more divided.”

The 10 state attorneys general who signed the letter are Steve Marshall of Alabama, Leslie Rutledge of Arkansas, Lawrence G. Wasden of Idaho, Derek Schmidt of Kansas, Jeff Landry of Louisiana, Doug Peterson of Nebraska, Alan Wilson of South Carolina, Ken Paxton of Texas, Herbert Slatery III of Tennessee, and Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia.

Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter also signed the letter.

The SPLC has fought for young immigrants in danger of being deported, in spite of DACA. In March, the SPLC, along with others, won the release of Daniela Vargas from the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Vargas, a 22-year-old DACA recipient, was detained by ICE agents shortly after speaking at a Jackson, Mississippi, press conference on March 1 about her hope that she and other young immigrants could remain in the United States and contribute to the country they’ve long called home.

The SPLC and others filed court papers seeking the immediate release of Vargas, who was brought to the United States from Argentina at age 7.

 Editor: Here is a link to the letter sent by the ten attorneys general to the Justice Department.
For an informative and sensitive article published in our journal, read: "A DREAM Deported: What Undocumented American Youth Need their Schools to Understand," in our Volume 7 issue at http://cedar.wwu.edu/jec/vol7/iss1/10/