HOUSTON (AP) – A textbook proposed to help teach the cultural history of Mexican-Americans in Texas public schools is under scrutiny by scholars.
The Houston Chronicle reports the book describes Mexican-Americans as people who “adopted a revolutionary narrative that opposed Western civilization and wanted to destroy this society.”
The textbook, titled “Mexican American Heritage,” also links Mexican-Americans to undocumented immigrants.
The State Board of Education voted to include textbooks on the subject after activists last year demanded that Mexican-American studies be formally included in state curriculum.
Tony Diaz, director of Intercultural Initiatives at Lone Star College-North Harris, says “instead of a text that is respectful of the Mexican American history, we have a book poorly written, racist, and prepared by non-experts.”
Texans have until September to submit comments on proposed instructional materials.
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