OPINIONS - EDITORIALS
SCHOOLS MUST EXERCISE MORE CARE WHEN TALKING RACE
2010-08-25 14:22:45
Some parents of Hispanic students at a local elementary school were angered last week after receivin... read more
JUVENILE CENTER DECISION PROVES COUNTY OFFICIALS NOT LISTENING

County Commissioner David Anderson said “no” last week to an increase in the county's juvenile cent... read more
PUBLIC’S RIGHT TO KNOW MUST TRUMP FEAR
2010-05-14 12:05:45
We believe state Rep. Leslie Osborn and state Sen. Ron Justice may have had the best intentions when... read more
CLOSED MEETING WRONG MOVE FOR WAVERING COWRA
2010-04-07 14:50:30
While it's commendable that the chairman of the Central Oklahoma Water Resources Authority is up fr... read more
PUBLIC OFFICIALS MUST UPHOLD SUNSHINE LAWS
2010-02-24 13:09:58
Public officials who shave the corners on the state's Open Meetings and Open Records acts undermine ... read more
MOTEL TAX CAN BE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD FUTURE
2010-02-05 16:09:16
Mustang City Council members are considering levying a new hotel/motel tax that would require the ci... read more
SAFE PATHS TO SCHOOLS SHOULD BE A PRIORITY
2009-10-16 14:48:24
Earlier this month, almost 150 Mustang Centennial Elementary students marched five blocks from the m... read more
VETO OF BILL DEALS BLOW TO CHILDREN
2009-04-29 12:59:59
On the same day Oklahoma State University announced it would no longer destroy animals used in the s... read more
HOUSE BILL ON STEM CELL RESEARCH DESERVES SUPPORT
2009-04-22 13:16:39
The state's largest newspaper is encouraging Gov. Brad Henry to use his veto pen on HB 1326. The leg... read more
BOND ISSUES FOR SCHOOLS DESERVE SUPPORT
2009-04-02 13:23:53
Mustang School District voters have a historic decision to make — historic not only in size but also... read more
SCHOOLS MUST EXERCISE MORE CARE WHEN TALKING RACE
MUSTANG NEWS
Edition:Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Some parents of Hispanic students at a local elementary school were angered last week after receiving a letter from that school's principal asking for more information about their race.
The letter was meant to be innocent and was aimed at complying with new federal requirements that school districts gather further information about Hispanic students as part of their race and ethnicity reporting standards. The letter offered little explanation other than telling Hispanic students that they must choose from a list of five options regarding what races applied to them. The choices were:
*American Indian or Alaskan native
*Asian
*Black/African American
*Native Hawaiian or other Pacific islander
*White
The problem is that the letter made it sound like the student must choose to be a race other than Hispanic, leading some parents to become angry that their child's Hispanic origins were seemingly deemed not good enough for the government or the school. A simple search of the issue at the U.S. Department of Education website showed a more detailed explanation of why the information was needed and should have been included in the letter.
A sample of the letter also showed a question left out of the Mustang letter, which allowed students a chance to choose Hispanic as a primary choice. The second race question, the only one that appeared in the letter, was aimed at seeing if the child's family identified with other racial groups.
Hispanic families are understandably sensitive to the government's intrusion into their lives. Many of their families have been in our country for generations — but unfortunately they are often still eyed with suspicion in the current political climate where illegal immigration remains a concern for the nation and a political football for politicians.
Mistakes were made in the letter. It was not drafted with the care it needed, and its dismissive tone further amplified parents' anger. It is also clear, though, that the letter's origin and intent were benign. School officials can and should do better.

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