Since the United States seized half Mexico’s territory after the American War of 1847, Mexican Americans have suffered from isolation. Their population was centered along the border, often months away from the East Coast. An out of sight, out of mind mentality developed.

   What most people knew about Mexicans was the stereotypes in the press and popular literature, stereotypes that persisted even among progressive such as John Steinbeck. Trade unionist viewed Mexicans through a more jaundiced eye, seeing them as competitors or scabs.

   Even as their numbers grew and though many Mexicans had never seen Mexico, they were considered foreigners—intruders. It was not until the World Wars when large numbers of Mexican Americans lost their lives fighting for a country that did not fully accept them that a few began noticing that they were Americans.

   As transportation cut distances and their numbers multiplied, their voting power increased. This forced the left begin to take some notice. They cared about the plight of the migrant and discrimination, but Mexicans were never high on their shopping list of causes. It was even hard for the left to tack on the word Mexican to American as if the terms did not belong together.

   Mexicans were so isolated that even the sociologist lost them. Many of the early studies included the descriptor “the invisible minority” when referring to Mexican Americans as a whole.

   Things appeared to be looking up by the 1980s as labor finally dropped is xenophobic policies toward immigrants and as their numbers were too large to ignore. The façade of a greater Latino community emerged as more Latino organization headquartered themselves in Washington DC.

   Yet recent events are a wakeup call. In Arizona, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and elsewhere the vulnerability and the euphoria of the Latino giant have been exploded.

   Latinas/os are national organizations in name only. They have not formed a national consciousness which is a prerequisite for a community. It does not function as a family and the attitude in times of stress is it could not happen here!

   Liberals as a whole still do not include Latinas/os on their Xmas gift list. Progressive magazines run an occasional article about injustices toward them and feel good about eating their taco for the week.

   A strange value system has evolved that we unfortunately pass on to our children. Consciously and unconsciously we get caught up with the idea that there is no natural order of things. History becomes an abstraction, a political tool for those who justify the chicanery of the robber barons in our midst.

   It is therefore difficult to form a logic to inform our values.

   A new vocabulary emerges that limits us. A person who questions or, for that matter thinks, is a cynic, a skeptic. She is labeled a pessimist instead of a seeker of truth.

   I consider myself a cynic but far from being a pessimist I am optimistic because I believe that ultimately history will judge the current set of criminals. I am active in the struggle in Arizona because of believe in values such as community – that create the ambience that brings about progress.

   I would be lying if I did not add that this optimism is being sorely tested by the lack of justice in Tucson today. The events in Arizona shake my faith in American democracy and the fairness or ability of the judicial system.

   In Arizona I met Sean Arce, a young forty something teacher who coordinates the Tucson Unified School District’s La Raza Studies program. You cannot miss Sean, he is a big man. Sean is married, has two kids Maya and Emiliano. His wife is a school teacher; he is working his on his PhD; she on a law degree at night.

   Born in Tucson Sean was raised in Oakland, California; a linebacker at San Jose State University, he returned to Tucson to play linebacker for the University of Arizona. Sean became a school teacher and was one of the founders of the highly successful La Raza Studies. He wanted to do something about the dropout problem; he wanted to teach students to think critically.

   The problem is that Arizona does not want Mexican Americans to get an education. Based on pressure by Tea Party leaders the assault on La Raza Studies has been continuous for a decade.

   In 2010 the legislature passed HB 2281 which outlaws Mexican American Studies is seditious. Driven by the Southern Arizona Leadership Council (SALC), a cabal of mostly white males, the TUSD wants to eliminate Sean. SALC members have reaped over a billion dollars by manipulating Tucson government – the city, the schools, the University of Arizona.

   SALC anoints business friendly directors of the programs who determine who gets the contracts. SALC’s decisions have nothing to do with leadership or community. Their pursuit is profit. The attitude is, “What’s good for SALC is good for Tucson.”

   SALC’s power rests on the support of the Arizona Republican Party, today a hostage of the Tea Party Movement. Its base is disaffected white voters who fear the growth of the Latina/o community.

   Used to not being questioned, the SALC leadership felt threatened by the growing sense of community among Mexican Americans. Forced in 1997 to initiate a Mexican American Studies program, they were stunned by its successes in strengthening its bonds to the community.

   Empowered by 2281 and racist state politicians SALC moved to control La Raza Studies. They appointed one of their own John Pedicone as superintendent of the TUSD at an incredible salary of $250,000. This is even though Pedicone had had an unspectacular career as a six year superintendent of a district of under 6,000 students.

   In just over a year, he has made life miserable for Sean, his family, the teachers and students. Just this month Sean has been stripped of his supervisorial duties and teachers are being transferred to non-threatening positions. Teachers are not supposed to care.

   In the midst of an educational crisis Pedicone has come up with a solution — attract white students to three of its schools. The cash strapped TUSD Governing Board passed a $92,000 appropriation to fund the campaign.

   According to Pedicone, the district does not educate students because there are not enough white students: “in a district where 75 percent of students are minority, the reality is there is a need to attract Caucasian kids to get some kind of balance.”

   The target schools have students of nearly 85 percent of the student body Mexican American.

   Arizona’s older Americans are 83 percent white; children under 18 are 57 percent. SALC’s answer is to wipe out a program where 80 percent of its Latino students go on to college, in comparison to only 24 percent nationwide.

   Where are the liberal media and the Latina/o community in all of this? Where the moral outrage that will check what is going on? Evidently the courts and the Barack Obama administration have turned the other way.

   The Ninth Circuit decision recently required enforcement of the settlement agreement between Tucson schools and the federal government which embodies the ethnic studies program, reopening court supervision. Pedicone and company laugh at this decision and do what they damn please.

   Where is the moral outrage of liberal media and institutions? The truth be told, they always have a Wisconsin or a Jerry Brown to re-elect.

   But the hardest to understand is why the Latina/o and particularly the Mexican American communities outside Tucson have been so passive?

   It always seems that people like Sean pay the price for caring about the kids, for caring about the community.

   PLEASE GO TO http://saveethnicstudies.org, CLICK ON THE DONATE BUTTON AND CONTRIBUTE $5.00, $10.00 OR MORE MONTHLY. SUPPORT THE TUCSON COMMUNITY, IT IS YOUR COMMUNITY.