A lesson in hyphenated-American racism

Yesterday, a reader took me to task when I wrote about Texas state Representative Trey Martinez Fischer (D-116):

“Fischer’s official biography says he’s “a rising leader in the Democratic Party,” and “chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus.” It’s curious that he labels himself Mexican first and American second.”

One commenter said: “Nemerov implies disloyalty or something because ‘Mexican’ comes first.”

Today, Fox Phoenix reports that Tucson, Arizona high school students took over a school board meeting last night, protesting the board’s plan to make a Mexican-American studies class an elective, instead of required.

This class being mandatory means that school resources and students’ time were dedicated to studying Mexican history, instead of American history.

(Or perhaps they could devote more resources to English? The Department of Education reports that for public school students, about 31% of all 4^th graders, and 30% of 8^th graders, read proficiently. In Arizona, reading proficiency levels are about 28% for 4^th graders, and 27% for 4^th graders.)

Students were upset over this. American students, in an American school, in an American state.

When you place “Mexican” in front of “American”, you get Mexicans.