Letter to the Editor

Leslie WellsH-House PrincipalMy grandfather, Manuel Alvarez, became a citizen of the United States in 1922, when he was 18 years old.  At that point, he had already learned English and Japanese (he taught Japanese railway workers English, so that they could cross into the United States), in addition to his native Spanish and Mayo, an indigenous dialect spoken in Sinaloa, Mexico.  He learned all of these languages, despite having no more than a third grade education.Because he did not have much formal education, it was difficult for him to secure work - he ended up working in the fields.  For more than twenty years, he traveled around California picking strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes (the worst, according to him), all kinds of melons, sugar beets and other crops.  It was during this time that he met my grandmother, who was also working in the fields and packing plants. Later, he worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture developing more effective practices for controlling rodents in the fields.Married life brought new challenges for my grandfather.  Not only did he have to save money to buy a house for his new wife and five children, but he also worked to help his and my grandmother’s siblings become U.S. citizens.  Through very careful money management, periods of near starvation, and no real material goods of any consequence, my grandfather was able to help his sister buy a house, fund another sister who became a beautician and started her own business, help a neighbor start a lucrative contracting business in the Imperial Valley, support his other families (to say my grandfather “got around” would be an understatement) and save money for my mother and her siblings for school.  Each time he helped another person, he would ask that person to help two other people and ask those two to do the same, thus continuing the giving trend.My mother, her brothers and sister never took advantage of the money that my grandfather set aside for them to further their education.  They all did well for themselves, but they wanted their children, my generation, to achieve what they could not.I was the first in my generation to actually finish college.  My parents didn’t have too much money to contribute towards my education, so I took out loans and earned scholarships, my grandfather also kicked in money to help.  He saw me as a golden opportunity and he knew that if I were to help others as a teacher, I’d have the opportunity to truly make changes.Since then, I’ve helped many students and, like my grandfather had, I’ve asked those I help to help two other people.Many of my former students are doing exactly what my grandfather wanted to see: helping others. The only way that our society can move forward is to receive help, and give help in return.Why do I share my family’s story?  I do so to illustrated the shock and disappointment I felt by the choices students made on Friday, Oct. 22 before and after the Homecoming Pep Rally.As I watched students on their way to the rally, I saw several of them wearing oversized sombreros, ponchos and fake mustaches.  I understand the desire to stand out, but the choice to denigrate those of us with Mexican heritage is a poor one.In advertising, we’ve seen two companies (Frito Lay and Taco Bell) retire characters that were considered stereotypical and offensive. Even television shows, like “Ugly Betty,” had the main character ridiculed for dressing the same way I saw students dress for this pep rally.  The Betty character was viewed as “less than,” when in reality, she had skills and attributes that were valuable.Though I’m sure that the students didn’t intend to offend anyone, the decision to dress in such a stereotypical manner was disturbing regardless.  It belittles the beliefs and attitudes that my grandfather represented, and paints Mexicans as lazy, uneducated, criminal drunkards.  It also minimizes the impact of many of our Latino faculty and staff on this campus by relegating them to a cartoonish existence.Through my experience with Latinos and other immigrants I’ve learned that they are among the hardest working people in our country.I recognize that as teenagers many of you are still growing and maturing, so it is natural that some decisions be flawed. Others of you, however, recognize bad choices and avoid them. I applaud the overwhelming majority of the students who did carry themselves with dignity and maturity, and I hope that you continue to be role models for the students who acted with less honor.After the rally, there were students chanting and throwing food and bottles of water.  This presents a dangerous situation for both students and staff.  It also brings the level of confidence in students to a lower level.Later that same evening, at the Homecoming game, I witnessed mob mentality.  There was a section of Samohi students in the stands who exhibited poor conduct.  They retaliated against rooters from Beverly Hills, hurled insults and water bottles.  What should have been a fun night of competition and a welcome to our alumni turned into a display of vulgarity and immaturity.Please carefully consider the potential choices made because you may unintentionally be offending people, like myself, who are here to give you opportunities for a better future.