Re: Offensive WASL Reading Passage

[free2teach1@aol.com]

Thank you for sharing this. As disgusting and moronic this passage is, it comes as no surprise from the sort of people who make their livelihood by sorting and humiliating children for a buck.
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: pgutpgut@msn.com
To: arn-l@interversity.org; LiteracyForAll@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 11:06 AM
Subject: [arn-l] Offensive WASL Reading Passage


Susan Ohanian had this on her announce listserv and I felt compelled to share it with you. I sit dumbfounded at how blatantly racist and inappropriate the passage is, especially given it appeared on a STATE test. At the same time I am inspired by the young man's words and courage for speaking his mind. The item has since been removed, but why in the sam hill was it there to begin with? Notice how the young writer "wasted" 10 minutes of test time trying to sort through his feelings...also notice the reaction of the young writer's "friends" that the test item produces... 
 
"Hello. I am a tenth grader who is taking the state mandated Washington Assessment of Student Learning. During the first part of the reading portion, I had to read a story and reply on it. The story I had to read was extremely offensive. So much in fact I did not start the test for around ten minutes due to frustration. True the story was written by a hispanic about a sample from his life, but there is no reason for stories such as this to be on a test. 
 
The story went along as the following... A boy named Panchito was working with his "Papa" and brother on a berry farm. Panchito and his brother earned .85 cents an hour while his "Papa" earned a dollar for "hard work". Also, Panchito's brother was a janitor from Monday-Friday. Panchito had just learned the word skirmish and had an idea. He picked up a rotten strawberry and threw it at his brother. After some more picking, Panchito's brother hit him back with a strawberry. Suddenly, the brothers ran back to their house to clean their now stained work shirts. Fearing the anger of their "Papa", the brothers change and clean their house. This was mainly due to the fact that Ito, a white employer, was coming with their paychecks. When Ito arrived with their checks, the family was gathered together. Both "Papa" and Ito sat down and Ito gave "Papa" his sixty five dollar check for a month of work, along with two checks for the brothers. 
 
Afterward, Panchito's mother offered Ito taquitos. Ito, in a fake white-imitating-a-hispanic accent, replies, "Gracias." Then as Ito talks about the food he had just recieved, Panchito asks, "Don Miguel loved Mama's taquitos too, did you know Don Miguel?" Ito replies, "Yes, he worked for me for a couple of years, but he had it coming to him getting deported to Mexico." Ito and Panchito's family say their farewells and the story ended. 
 
This story bothered me in multiple ways. For starters, I too am a hispanic, of Mexican decent to be precise. This story goes too far in hispanic stereotypes. The fact that the story, in summary talks about how Mexicans are strawberry pickers that will work for practically free is extremely offensive, but to place this content in a state test is unbelievable. Many of the thousands taking this test will have the idea of Mexicans all working for nothing and being deported for no plain reason. 
 
Upon completeing this so called "assesment", my friends had all snickered at me and razzed me about the content of the "racist mexi-story." How our state can allow content like that in a test is nothing short of vile, discriminating, demeaning, degrading, and horrid. This needs to stop. I know that I am not the only only one offended by this, but many people are too afraid to come forward about this information, because of the fear of having their WASL disqualified and failed, all events that will happen if any student leaks anything about this test. In short this needs to be stopped, before more discriminatory stories are placed in tests, and engraved in my generation's heads. Hispanics are far more than "berry-pickers" and "janitors". I work very hard and I am in many advanced classes. I am offended. 
 
Thanks for your time, 
"A" 
 
 
 
Priscilla Gutierrez 
Outreach Specialist 
New Mexico School for the Deaf 
 
...change is inevitable, growth is optional... 
 
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