Esmeralda Bermudez spins Mexican textbooks in Oregon public schools

Esmeralda Bermudez of the Oregonian offers (oregonlive . com/education/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1190174129275910.xml) "Mexican lesson plans crossing the border". The Mexican government - with the assistance of useful idiots and others - has managed to get their curriculum [1] used in three Oregon high schools. This is only the latest similar incident [2].

Although she was defended by her paper for another article [3], the current article is completely missing any hint that this would be in any way a bad thing. One would think that, faced with a subject like this, Bermudez might consider phoning a few people who oppose illegal immigration and/or Mexico's agenda to find out what they think. Apparently she's not that kind of reporter. This case also illustrates that there are powerful forces - including those in government and the media - who oppose assimilation and who, for ethnic reasons or others, wittingly assist Mexico with its goals.

The Associated Press appears to have rewritten her report to fashion something misleadingly titled "Oregon Schools Adopt Mexican Curriculum, Stirring Debate" (foxnews . com/story/0,2933,297542,00.html). As with the apparently original article, there is no debate, only promotion.

For the "debate" see the entry from KGW here (beloblog . com/KGW_Blogs/talkofthetown/archives/2007/09/mexican_lesson_plans_in_oregon.html). Most of those leaving comments are opposed; if Bermudez were in any way a real reporter rather than just a hack, couldn't she have found some opposition?

From the original article:
Conversations are under way between the Oregon Department of Education and Mexico's secretary of public education to align the curriculums of Oregon and Mexico so many courses in Mexico will be valid here and vice versa. The innovative move puts Oregon on par with other educators nationwide who have launched similar ventures in Yakima; San Diego, Calif.; and Austin, Texas.

..."[Bilingual aides and such are] not enough," said Patrick Burk, chief policy officer with the superintendent's office of the Oregon Department of Education, adding that the goal is to "minimize disruption" for immigrant Latinos.

"The availability of resources is astounding," said Burk, who flew to Mexico with a team of Oregon curriculum officials in August to discuss making equivalency standards official. "We're able to serve the students so much better if we're working together."
Spoken like a true useful idiot. Write him and let him know what you think: patrick.burk@state.or.us
...In Washington, nearly 30 schools have already implemented Mexico's curriculum into the classrooms. Yakima School District was among the first, drawing educators from across the state who traveled to the schools to learn about the new method.

"We're seeing them score higher," on standardized tests, said Jorge Herrera, the coordinator who manages the programs for the state. "And more are staying in school." Annually, staffing the programs in Yakima schools costs an estimated $60,000, he said...
Others quoted:

* Patricia Ramos, "the director of national affairs for Mexico's Institute for Adult Education and National Advisory of Education for Life and Work"

* Dale Bernardini, "a teacher who handles programming of Oregon and Mexico's partnership for Reynolds School District"

* Tim King, "director of Clackamas Middle College and Clackamas Web Academy"

* Francisco Rico, teacher at Reynolds High School

If you're in those school districts, discuss this issue with those people directly, pointing out the downsides of what they're involved in. If they don't relent, work to publicly discredit them or recall them from office. The same goes for those at the state level: attend their public meetings and ask them detailed questions about this issue designed to drive them from office.

[1] The program is named "community plazas" and includes history and other books and a website.

[2] Heather MacDonald discussed this issue here (city-journal . org/html/15_4_mexico.html). Other localities using these or similar books from a foreign government include Minnesota and Los Angeles. Compare the current coverage to that offered by another ethnically-compromised "reporter", Rachel Uranga. Earlier this year Louis E. V. Nevaer promoted the textbooks.

[3] On August 24, 2007, Therese Bottomly, the Oregonian's "managing editor/readership and standards" offered (blog . oregonlive . com/oregonianeditors/2007/08/_from_therese_bottomly_managin.html) "Immigration article provokes backlash" about one of the reporter's prior efforts. Not only can't she find anything wrong with Bermudez' coverage, and not only does she attempt to portray opponents to illegal activity as angry racists ("Suffice it to say, most of it was tinged with anger and some of it with outright racism"), but she offers a quote:
Peter Bhatia, executive editor of The Oregonian, says, "We certainly appreciate the passion around this issue and while our coverage has not been perfect it has been truthful and fair. We cannot and will not edit the newspaper to suit any agenda, pro or anti. Nor will we back off in covering this important issue. We are very fortunate to have a capable, talented and tough reporter on the story, Esme Bermudez. She will continue to serve our readers well in dissecting the complexities of the immigration debate."
Just as long as you only want to hear Mexico's side of things, that is.

Comments

As this government becomes mexican and this nation become a third world hell its books will become all the mexican/ third world so called side of history the fact is this BS Has been going on for 40 years when I was in High school a hispanic bitch told me this was in fact all part of mexico I called her A Red Bitch in school and that was at the top of the cold war I was sent home for being a real American and standing up for the ideals of the USA and by the way that bitch loved old castro and said so in that class-room. People if you stand around and do nothing but say yes to evil doers you will someday become the new jew inside a camp.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WILL BE FINDING MORE SPANISH-SPEAKING INSTRUCTORS, SAID BURK OF THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. HE SAID ABOUT 15 PERCENT OF OREGON STUDENTS ARE LATINO, COMPARED WITH 2 PERCENT OF TEACHERS. I am sure the local chapters of La Raza if not MEChA will be perfectly happy to aid in the recruitment effort. In fact I am sure they will insist on final authority on any candidate.

Lonewacko, Did you see the articles about the Hobbton school district in Sampson County North Carolina that banned the wearing of clothing displaying any flag, including the American Flag? Of course the ACLU came to the rescue, but one suspects primarily to further its own Open Borders agenda. The school district was attempting to cut down on gang related problems associated with students wear flags from "other" countries. Its actions were the result of last ditch recommendations by local law enforcement Of course Sampson County has had a huge surge in its Illegal Alien population in recent years. The rural county is second in the country in terms of hog production. There are also the a number of meatpacking operations. The huge corporate CAFO livestock production facilities are notorious for hiring Illegals. In North Carolina family farms use to raise hogs in sustainable numbers of a couple hundred per farm just over a decade ago. Now a few dozen CAFO's raise hogs on feed lots of over 10,000 animals. CAFOs are worker safety and environmental nightmares, not to mention a disaster for the surrounding communities. Hog farming is now a job American won't do and no illegal should have to either. You see the samething happening to Dairy farming in Wisconsin and Turkey farming in Indiana. This is another great area where you should reach out to Environmentalists. Try riding a bike with in a few miles downwind of a CAFO and it will literally drop you to your knees.

Here is a embarrassingly know-nothing reaction to the Hobbton School story at a major Liberal netroots sight. http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/flag-clothes-banned-by-tristero-by-way.html It is amazing that so many folks on the left have no idea or worse interest in what was going on. The following was my comment in response. http://www.haloscan.com/comments/digby/278416340187508464/#696909

Where there is a Mexican textbook, there is Mexico.

_Spoken like a true useful idiot._ Or a faggot, take your pick.

One of the bigger things that kills me about this whole immigration movement bullshit is the bullshit argument that Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, etc. were somehow "stolen" from Mexico by the big, bad, evil USA. Oh, because, that's right, Mexico was such a peace loving utopia with the most magnanimous leaders this world has ever seen until we provoked them into finally taking up arms (and, they would have us believe, they did so begrudgingly). GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK. Ever heard of the Constitution of 1824??? Where was your fucking peace-loving Mexican Utopia when Santa Anna decided to wipe that Constitution with his ass??? If any nation was ever a war-mongering, land-grabbing nation it was Mexico, and Spain before it. We stole the southwestern states??? Go cry me a river. Apparently history began when Mexico lost their land. Bullshit. The only thing someone who professes this bullshit can say, while still being honest, is that we won, they lost, and they are bitter about it. And it's not as if their culture made such a huge impact at the time to even claim that it was a de facto Mexican state. This isn't the Rhineland. This isn't Alsace-Lorraine. The culture(s) in these regions, be they American, German, Scandinavian, Irish, American Indian, or anything else, not only rivaled but overpowered the "overwhelming" Mexican influence they claim they had. These regions were more Americanized than angry Mexicans today could ever hope to believe (why do you think Santa Anna rescinded the Constitution of 1824??? Texas was becoming too American and too hard to control under Mexican rule.). Most Mexican culture that is now commonplace in these regions is because of the gracious, freedom-loving culture of the US that embraces other cultures and allows outsiders to practice their customs freely, not because these regions are just "so obviously Mexican". If Mexico wants to claim these regions as their own, then I suggest they order their "army" to gather both their rifles, get on their squadron of mules, and just try to "take it back". Otherwise, shut the fuck up, stop taking advantage of a putrid welfare system, and, hey, here's an idea, maybe try to improve your own damn country instead of holding the US responsible for it being the shithole that it is.

Ames, they _have_ sent an army and they are taking it back. They're living all around you. More reinforcements arrive every day. And instead of repelling the invaders our leaders _welcome them_. That's where our problems start and end.