This letter was published in Arizona Central in support of anti-Latino Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce. We think it is quite telling and speaks to a lot of the issues surrounding the current state of AMERIZONA.
Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce
March 15, 2011
Dear Senator Russell Pearce,
I am compelled to write to you about a recent event that occurred to me. I currently work as a substitute teacher in the west valley areas of Phoenix, Glendale, and Peoria. I was called upon to teach history and language arts for 8th grade at a Glendale public school. The number of students I had in each class ranged from 28 to 38 children, which were almost all Hispanic and a couple of Black children. The day started out as usual turning on the television listening and watching the announcements and saying the Pledge of Allegiance. During the Pledge of Allegiance I notice the vast majority of students refusing to stand and say the pledge. I asked the students why they refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance and they responded by saying, “we are Mexicans and Americans stole our land.”
The students’ final drafts that I read were basically the same. Most of them stated they were in the country illegally, White Americans are racist, and that they came here for a better life. I asked the class if America adopted Mexico immigration laws would Americans still be consider racist?The teacher’s instructions were for the students to read a few pages and answer the questions regarding Mark Twain in their history textbook and to finish their final drafts to Senator Steve Gallardo thanking him for his position on Illegal Immigration rights. Their teacher apparently had showed them a video with Senator Steve Gallardo and Lou Dobbs. Most of the students came unprepared for class not possessing paper and pencil. I provided the students with paper and pencils only to have them wade-up the paper and throw it at each other along with their pencils.That question they could not answer and called me a racist for asking it. I mentioned that my wife and children are Hispanic so how could I be racist? I asked the students to stop speaking Spanish in class because it was impolite to speak a language in front of people who may not speak that language. Their response was that Americans better learn Spanish and their customs because they are taking their land back from us.
When it came to completing the Mark Twain assignment only 10 students completed it out of all my classes. Most of the students refused to open the book, tore the pages out of the book, or threw the textbooks at each other. I thought are these the students we are trying to educate with taxpayers money. I have found that substitute teaching in these areas most of the Hispanic students do not want to be educated but rather be gang members and gangsters. They hate America and are determined to reclaim this area for Mexico. If we are able to remove the illegals out of our schools, the class sizes would be reduced and the students who wanted to learn would have a better chance to do so and become productive citizens.
I applaud and support your efforts to stop this invasion into our state and country. When the citizens of a country are forced to speak the invaders language, adopt their customs, and forced to support them, are we not a conquer nation? I do not want to see our state and nation turned into a third world country. Thank you for standing up to this invasion. You may contact me by phone, e-mail, or mail. Thank you, again.
Sincerely,
Tony Hill
To all the Tony Hills of the world, this is not an invasion just a changing of America. 1 in 6, baby.
It is hard to beleive that the student attitude is the one described by Mr. Hill. But the letter also attest to the fact the students were so ignorant as they knew the land they were standing on had been taken away from Mexico.
Good point, Yeyo.
This is only one example of the on-going barrage against Latinos rampant in Arizona exasperated by the bigots masquerading as legislators which coincidentally are all GOP/Tea Party members.
The sad part is that the nation keeps giving these fear-mongerers media attention and their pathetic characterization of Latinos as criminals, ignorant, un-American, dirty, lazy, etc.
It is a forgotten fact that in the mid-60’s, our country became so alarmed with the failure of our schools to include the “minority” experience in our public schools that through the National Defense Education Act it convened an Institute in Los Angeles consisting of diverse educators from throughout the country to begin the process of revising traditional education to begin the inclusion of the elements of our country that were excluded from most history books. Now AZ says it is un-American to teach our history!!!!!
These AZ legislators and Governor are an embarrassment to our people, state and country!
Agreed!
Difficult to believe that immigrant (even less, when undocumented ) children would behave in that manner. Most of these children are taught to respect adults and teachers in particular, tend to be shy, know little about politics. The whole idea that they “do not want to be educated but rather be gang members and gangsters. They hate America and are determined to reclaim this area for Mexico” seems ludicrous to me. Parents, no matter what social strata they come from, including rural areas, which most of these children would come from, value education and respect authority.
If they come here is to work and make (mostly in low paid jobs) money to help their families survive. Culturally, they have not been taught to be bold, aggressive or disrespectful.
As teenage children, of course that they can be disruptive in a classroom and can behave in a not socially accepted manner. The teacher and in this case more important, a substitute teacher can set the tone and (given his/her experience)set ground rules of what is the expected behavior in his/her classroom.
Children that come from disadvantaged homes, whether form a minority group, poverty, or that have been victims of any kind of abuse are going to need a special caring teacher that can assess different needs and should set the tone in a classroom as soon as the need for it becomes apparent.
Teaching is more than just about a job. Successful teachers usually love children and love teaching. Teachers have a very difficult job, almost always work against the currents and get very little respect in this society.
Great point
Judging by the content of his letter, it’s clear that Mr. Hill walked into that classroom with his mind already made up about what he would find. Even if some of what Mr. Hill alleges is true (which has been contradicted by teachers and students at the school), Hill’s willingness to attribute the behavior of some students to include “all Mexicans” reveals his prejudiced mindset. I question the intent and veracity of anyone who refers to children as “invaders.”
A follow up…
Glendale School District spokesman Jim Cummings: “We don’t believe that he (Mr. Hill) represented this campus accurately at all,” Cummings said. “We’ve had these kids, most of them, since kindergarten. They grew up here. We see them 180 school days a year. (Hill) sees them one. We know that this is not typical in any way, shape or form of their behavior.”
Full article:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/03/24/20110324glendale-district-defends-students.html
Excellent response by the spokesperson.