Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

May 28, 2012

Roberto Rodriguez: Demonizing Mexican-American studies is unjust

Demonizing Mexican-American studies is unjust


by Roberto Rodriguez - May. 28, 2012
Posted at Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

I pick up the phone at my office at the University of Arizona and learn that I have three recorded messages waiting for me. The first one begins with the caller claiming to be half White and half Native American, addressing me as an "(expletive) Mexican" and a "Raza (expletive)." This while injecting a .357 Magnum into his rant.
The second and third calls are similar. The vitriol is inexplicable and virtually incomprehensible, except for the threats of extreme violence.
As a lifelong writer, receiving vicious hate mail is not new to me, including receiving a registered letter to my house from the Ku Klux Klan. But receiving death threats as a professor -- this is new.
Just the week before those calls, a video was placed on YouTube by right-wing elements, accusing me of being the ringleader of the movement to defend Mexican-American Studies (MAS) from being eliminated by the state, via House Bill 2281. In reality, that six-year effort has primarily been a student-led movement.
The funny thing is they invented the things that I supposedly did: standing on top of a table while directing the students to chain themselves to the school boardroom chairs and screaming at my students if they didn't read precisely what I wrote for them to read at the board meetings.
Complete fabrications are indeed funny to me, but I can't say the same thing about death threats.
For rest of the column, please go to:
Read more:  http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2012/05/25/20120525mexican-american-studies.html#comments#ixzz1wDEKw49f
Also, if you wish to republish or repost column, you have my (the author's) permission. If you require permission from the Arizona Republic, please contact the editorial department
Thanks , Sincerely
Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez
PO BOX 3812
Tucson, AZ 85722

COLUMN: http://drcintli.blogspot.com/
ARCHIVED COLUMN OF THE AMERICAS
http://web.me.com/columnoftheamericas
Cintli don't tweet, text, facebook, digg and is not linked.... but you can still email or call me.

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