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Kindergartners in Claremont, California have been told that they can't dress up as Indians to celebrate Thanksgiving.
By SEEMA MEHTA
NOV. 25, 2008 12 AM PT
MEHTA IS A TIMES STAFF WRITER.
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.”
Quote:
"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."Insulting stereotype, or harmless holiday feast?
NOV. 25, 2008 12 AM PT
MEHTA IS A TIMES STAFF WRITER.
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.”
What's more, the concept of Thanksgiving is absurd. There would have been no one to give thanks to since Obama was not yet president when the first one was held. Now comrade, pass the tofurkey.
Opiate of the People
What's more, the concept of Thanksgiving is absurd. There would have been no one to give thanks to since Obama was not yet president when the first one was held. Now comrade, pass the tofurkey.If we must continue with this offensive tradition, let me repeat what I have written elsewhere (for repetition is work, aids others' learning, and burnishes reputations (depending on content)). To wit, let us not eat turkeys but eat jive turkeys.
It is a modest proposal, comrades, but very progressive.
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