What do you think Latino and conservative groups clash over student's "Mexico" t-shirt?
BIG BEAR LAKE - A "Mexico" t-shirt worn to support the county's World Cup soccer team has created a full-blown controversy in the Bear Valley Unified School District. The mother of the girl who wore the shirt to Big Bear Middle School on June 11 alleges her seventh-grade daughter's teacher took offense to the shirt and accused her of being an illegal immigrant in front of the class. Diana Aviles says she and her daughter are U.S. citizens. The teacher later apologized. The incident has erupted into a battle between anti-illegal immigration activists and Latino groups who say the teacher's alleged behavior is an example of racism and racial profiling. At the district's Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday, members of the conservative activist's group We The People were expected to speak during public comment. The group opposes illegal immigration and employers who hire and exploit illegal aliens, according to a statement on its Web site. Ray Herrera, the group's founder, president and spokesman, says he believes Aviles is an illegal immigrant granted amnesty. He says she's trying to push a "Mexican agenda" on Americans. She allowed her daughter to attend school with the shirt and owns a Mexican restaurant in Big Bear City that displays a Mexican flag, which Herrera describes as "antagonistic." Aviles said it's not outrageous to have a Mexican flag in a Mexican restaurant. The flag has been taken down because of harassment, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Advertisement -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- she said. When the Mexican flag was up, she said the American flag was larger and displayed higher. "I'm not pushing anything political," Aviles said. "I had a small Mexican flag and a huge American flag, only for the reason that I'm a Mexican-American restaurant. I don't like people to say I'm not American. This is my country." Herrera said Latino groups such as The League of United Latin American Citizens have publicly called the incident an example of racial profiling so it can be cited during it's fight against Arizona's SB 1070 law, which requires police in the state to check the immigration status of people they suspect are illegal immigrants. "They've been campaigning throughout the county on behalf of illegal immigrants," Herrera said. "This is just a case where they think they've found another poster child - another racial profiling story." Leroy Martinez, vice president of LULAC Council 3163, said he decided to attend the meeting after he heard the group planned to speak. "If (Herrera) wants to turn this into an immigration issue that's his problem," Martinez said. "The reality is you have an American student who was profiled." A statement from the district says it's investigating allegations from a student that a teacher made racist remarks against her during a class. The statement then says the district will not comment on the findings of the investigation until it's completed. Aviles says the teacher should be fired. She wants her daughter to be moved to another class if the teacher remains at the school. "I'm angry," Aviles said. "Why should it be turned into a political thing when this is about a child who is being ridiculed? That teacher showed hatred in the class." The teacher's apology is enough and the investigation should be dropped so the matter doesn't distract students, Herrera said. http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/sanbernardinocounty/ci_15461281
Immigration - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
People are on edge regarding this topic and the teacher grossly misstepped in the wake of the kids in cali being forced to remove their american flag t-shirts. This was in california right? ESPECIALLY in border states, people are immigration crazy ( i live in phx, i know) Citizens are mad and feel betrayed and its not hard to set people on both sides off right now. I like this aviles lady though. I dont know if the teacher should be fired, if so all the teachers in tucson teaching kids whitey is the devil and holding them down should be let go too. I dont know. Hererra sounds like a jack*ss though. Mexican flags in mexican restaurants antagonistic? Thats like expecting chinese restaurants to take down the dragons.
2 :
it happened in CA and thus has nothing to do with AZ's new law the teacher was way out of bounds, but that doesn't change the fact that illegal aliens are here illegally
3 :
If she is not pushing anything agenda wise - then why is she complaining? If she is such a U.S. citizen, why fly a foreign flag over your business at all? Why not just the U.S. flag? She and her daughter already got an apology. For most people that is enough. So who is being unreasonable and showing racist hatred now? Hint: It isn't the teacher.
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