School's Thanksgiving celebration meets political correctness in Claremont

For decades, Claremont kindergartners have celebrated Thanksgiving by dressing up as pilgrims and Native Americans and sharing a feast. But on Tuesday, when the youngsters meet for their turkey and songs, they won't be wearing their hand-made bonnets, headdresses and fringed vests.

Parents in this quiet university town are sharply divided over what these construction-paper symbols represent: A simple child's depiction of the traditional (if not wholly accurate) tale of two factions setting aside their differences to give thanks over a shared meal? Or a cartoonish stereotype that would never be allowed of other racial, ethnic or religious groups?

"It's demeaning," Michelle Raheja, the mother of a kindergartner at Condit Elementary School, wrote to her daughter's teacher. "I'm sure you can appreciate the inappropriateness of asking children to dress up like slaves (and kind slave masters), or Jews (and friendly Nazis), or members of any other racial minority group who has struggled in our nation's history."

Raheja, whose mother is a Seneca, wrote the letter upon hearing of a four-decade district tradition, where kindergartners at Condit and Mountain View elementary schools take annual turns dressing up and visiting the other school for a Thanksgiving feast. This year, the Mountain View children would have dressed as Native Americans and walked to Condit, whose students would have dressed as Pilgrims.

Read the rest of the story here.

--Seema Mehta

Photo: Kathleen Lucas

Comments

[Roy]

The problem with celebrations like this is that the extent to which students are taught about Native American culture amounts to cutting finges into paper pags and fashioning construction paper together into some sort of a headband. Perhaps if schools (and parents) did a better job of teaching (and learning) about the cultural and historical aspects of Native American People there would not be such divided views on the matter... most likely because this type of behavior would no longer be tolerated.

[Claremont Mom]

What is wrong with teaching our children that people from different backgrounds can come together in a peaceful manner and share with one another?

We all have so much to be thankful for in this country including the strides which have been made and continue to be made in bringing many different cultures together.

My children were never taught to be slave owners or slaves on Thanksgiving, they were taught that 2 different cultures came together for a feast.

Claremont will never stand up to those self proclaimed "educated" persons who continue to destroy the traditions of our country. Once again Claremont Unified caves into political nonsense and takes away a fun tradition for the children.

[Tim_CA]

Great...Now the loons are perverting a holiday tradition that celebrates a day that people put aside their diferences, sat down, gave thanks, and shared a meal together. Whether this really occured or is folklore is irrelevent, the message is valid and good, and the tradition is cherished.

Now, because some nut-job wants to play the perpetual victim, it's ruined for a group of innocent children - and the message (of brotherhood, tolerance and thankfulness) is lost.

Ms. Raheja - you really need to get a life. Fill the pathetic hole in your sole with something other than disdain - this is a celebration, and a time for reflection and nothing else. Go somewhere else to search for your 15 minutes of fame and let our little ones have fun, pretend to be Pilgrims and Native Americans and enjoy their day.

[hall monitor]

We have officially gone too far. This story also made http://detentionslip.org ! Check it out for all the crazy headlines from our schools.

[LA Guy]

Michelle Raheja thinks her ancestor's choice of dress was "demeaning"? Perhaps since she is the educator specializing in the area, she can explain to the school (and the interested public at large) exactly who was forcing the native indians to dress that way?

[Ashley]

As a Condit Alum I was surprised to hear about the controversy surrounding my once small and quiet elementary school. Having once participated in the annual Thanksgiving Feast (16 years ago), I can assure you that this group of kindergarteners does no see the ritual as “demeaning”, but rather as a fun day of playing and learning shared among friends. I am all for political correctness, but where does one draw the line? Should we now cancel the Halloween parade because some children’s costumes might be offensive to a select few? How about Christmas and Chanukah celebrations? Mrs. Raheja if you felt so strongly against this why would you have not taken a more pro-active approach to solve your problem. Work with the school, teachers and parents to find a more suitable compromise. Do not use a harmless kindergarten activity as a place to voice your political agenda. You know what I find offense? The group of protestors standing outside an elementary school holding up signs that read “Genocide”; if you want to draw attention to genocide why don’t we start with the horrific killings of innocent people in the Darfur region of Africa. I do believe the stereotyping that kids learn and (often practice) in today’s society as gotten out of hand. However, instead of just drawing attention to a select ethnic group and in the process ruining a chance for kids to be kids, find an alternative to bring attention to the issues of stereotyping. Instead of having 5 years old become the spot-light of a local news story why not try to use your voice for advocating and implementing programs that teach kids about stereotyping and bullying. You could have taken this opportunity to go into your daughter’s classroom and teach them about your Seneca culture and history. Teach our youth to be respectful, kind and how stand up against stereotypes and bullies, but do not use them to gain attention for your own personal agenda. This isn’t about the parents or the school, it’s about the kids and we should keep it that way!

[Al Clarke]

My name is Al Clarke. I am a 31 year veteran of public school education on the Navajo Nation in Utah. 16 of those years were as an administrator. My wife, also a teacher, is Navajo, and one of the three best kindergarten teachers I have ever seen. As a school administrator I have seen a lot of issues like this come up. Sometimes they were my issues to deal with. Several times it was issues like this one. I offer the following editorial comment for you to use or pass on as you see fit.

Fact: Thanksgiving. Settlers, some of them Pilgrims, had a dinner together with local American Indians.

The debate as to whether is was a secular harvest festival, a "last supper" of a failed socialist experiment, or a religious celebration may go on. But the fact is that American Indians and white settlers shared a meal and enjoyed a positive experience together. That's about the level of understanding to expect from age 5 and 6, and it's a positive thing.

Professors may "know" a lot more about it than 5-year-olds (or maybe not,) but the thing that matters is the positive sense that people with opposed interests can get along, if even only over a dinner.

Perhaps the erudite ones question the political wisdom of the native inhabitants. How demeaning that they ate dinner with these land-stealing culture-killers instead of slaughtering them all! How demeaning that they even allow childish representations of American Indians to in any way celebrate anything white people did in America! Well, relax. You Ones Who Know will get your uninhibited shot at brainwashing them your way when they grow up and go to college. Meanwhile, let the little guys celebrate a 5-year-old vision of different people celebrating a common interest. Is that so demeaning? If we could all do that, we might be a better nation and world because of it.

In a vision of Isaiah of an end of world conflict, he saw that the lamb and the lion would rest together without fear or hunger, and that a child would lead them. Perhaps the children will lead us if we let them.

[Al Clarke]

My name is Al Clarke. I am a 31 year veteran of public school education on the Navajo Nation in Utah. 16 of those years were as an administrator. My wife, also a teacher, is Navajo, and one of the three best kindergarten teachers I have ever seen. As a school administrator I have seen a lot of issues like this come up. Sometimes they were my issues to deal with. Several times it was issues like this one. I offer the following editorial comment for you to use or pass on as you see fit.

Fact: Thanksgiving. Settlers, some of them Pilgrims, had a dinner together with local American Indians.

The debate as to whether is was a secular harvest festival, a "last supper" of a failed socialist experiment, or a religious celebration may go on. But the fact is that American Indians and white settlers shared a meal and enjoyed a positive experience together. That's about the level of understanding to expect from age 5 and 6, and it's a positive thing.

Professors may "know" a lot more about it than 5-year-olds (or maybe not,) but the thing that matters is the positive sense that people with opposed interests can get along, if even only over a dinner.

Perhaps the erudite ones question the political wisdom of the native inhabitants. How demeaning that they ate dinner with these land-stealing culture-killers instead of slaughtering them all! How demeaning that they even allow childish representations of American Indians to in any way celebrate anything white people did in America! Well, relax. You Ones Who Know will get your uninhibited shot at brainwashing them your way when they grow up and go to college. Meanwhile, let the little guys celebrate a 5-year-old vision of different people celebrating a common interest Is that so demeaning? If we could all do that, we might be a better nation and world because of it.

In a vision of Isaiah of an end of world conflict, he saw that the lamb and the lion would rest together without fear or hunger, and that a child would lead them. Perhaps the children will lead us if we let them.

[Peter M]

Michelle Raheja is a killjoy. Her arguments are completely without merit, but then that is what Political Correctness is for. There is no need for her to defend her viewpoint. She only needs to make outlandish comparisons, claim membership in a "special or protected" group and the rest of us must suffer.

Well here is my outlandish comment. Why were the Indians slaughtered in the United States while they were not (officially) in Canada and Mexico? It is because the Indians chose to make war on the colonists, first siding with the French during the French and Indian War, then with the British during the Revolution. We never forgot this treachery, and the Indians suffered for it.

But what will the children learn from this. I hope they come away with the message that some people are so hateful of this country and its less than perfect heritage that they want everybody, including the most innocent among us to suffer.