By Kim Rogers - Staff
After pressing the Texas State Board of Education to create a Mexican-American studies course last year, educators and activists are concerned that the textbook proposed for the class contains passages some deem “racist” and poorly written.
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According to NBC, the book, titled “Mexican American Heritage,” is on a list of proposed textbooks for use in Texas public schools and, if approved, would be implemented in classrooms as early as next year.
Critics oppose what they call the book’s inaccurate depictions of Mexican-American history and culture, as well as the inclusion of writers who are neither Mexican, nor Mexican-American.
"The people who wrote it obviously have no understanding of the difference between the term Chicano, Latino, Hispanic, so that any time the word is uttered in the book, it's used incorrectly," Tony Díaz, a Houston-based educator, author, and activist told NBC.
Among some of its more offensive passages is one excerpt that claims Mexican-Americans, during the 1960s civil rights era, "opposed Western civilization and wanted to destroy this society." In another, the book connects Mexican-Americans to illegal immigration, claiming it has caused "poverty, drugs, crime, non-assimilation, and exploitation.”
According to the Washington Post, the book is produced by Momentum Instruction. The company is owned and operated by Cynthia Dunbar, a former member of the Texas State Board of Education and well-known Christian right-wing activist.
Although the book serves as a setback for activists and scholars pushing for more representation of Latino communities in the Texas education system, community organizers still have hope.
According to NBC, the state board will hold a public hearing in September to listen to public comments and look over findings from a panel of educators reviewing the book, and a final vote on whether to approve or reject the text will come in November.
Lauren Callahan, spokesperson for the Texas State Board of Education told NBC: "It is a long process, and it's a long process for that reason - so that people have ample time to go through and review the materials."
Until then, scholars and activists are joining hands to hold community meetings across the state to educate people on the book’s content and how they can assist to keep it from entering classrooms.
An online petition has also emerged as a part of the mobilization against the book.
"We have about 20 weeks before the vote, so we're going to start now and keep constant pressure," Diaz told NBC.