SBOE should reject offensive Mexican American studies book

Express-News Editorial Board

Published 4:52 pm, Thursday, November 17, 2016


In this file photo, Texas State Board of Education Secretary Rueben Cortez Jr. speaks at a rally for Mexican-Americans to express displeasure with the State Board of Education's controversial proposed textbook “Mexican American Heritage,” which lists several inaccuracies and false information about Texas' rich cultural heritage.

The textbook “Mexican American Heritage” has no place in Texas public school classrooms.

The State Board of Education made the right move in voting 14-0 against adoption of the offensive book this week. We urge the 15-member elected board to reject the controversial Mexican-American studies text when the item comes up for a final vote today.

Texas’ 5 million school children deserve access to quality educational materials in their classrooms.

“Mexican American Heritage” is fraught with factual errors and omissions. It resorts to racist stereotyping of Mexican-Americans.

The book depicts Mexican-Americans as lazy, and claims immigrants’ ideas are radical and a cultural and political threat to our country.

The authors, who are not experts in this field of study, present a slanted and warped perspective of history that reputable historians have decried as historically inaccurate. It is unconscionable that the textbook made it this far in the selection process.

SBOE members need to make a better effort to expand the pool of materials they can select from as they start the process over again. The board received only one submission in response to a call in 2015 for textbooks that included Mexican-American studies.

The board this week approved a call for bids for ethnic studies textbooks for 2018. Publishers with experience publishing books on Mexican-American studies must be encouraged to participate.

The outcry against the adoption of “Mexican American Heritage” from educators, historians and the public has come from across the state.

A petition asking the SBOE to reject the text was signed by 1,500 people. More than 50 people showed up to speak against the adoption of the textbook at the SBOE meetings in Austin this week. Included in that group was a busload of students from the Houston Independent School District.

Cynthia Dunbar, a conservative Republican and former SBOE member who is now CEO and owner of the Momentum Instruction, which published “Mexican American Heritage,” hinted at possible litigation if the book is rejected.

In a letter to the board, she said rejection of the book would be unconstitutional. Dunbar views the criticism of the text as slanderous, libelous and defamatory.
The SBOE needs to ignore the empty threats.

A team of university professors who reviewed the book found 407 errors. Truth is the ultimate defense in the court of public opinion and the civil justice system.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/...n-10621668.php