LA Times: Claremont parents clash over kindergarten Thanksgiving costumes

[ljs]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-thanksgiving25-2008nov25,0,1458033.story

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.

Raheja, an English professor at UC Riverside who specializes in Native American literature, said she met with teachers and administrators in hopes that the district could hold a public forum to discuss alternatives that celebrate thankfulness without "dehumanizing" her daughter's ancestry.

"There is nothing to be served by dressing up as a racist stereotype," she said.

Last week, rumors began to circulate on both campuses that the district was planning to cancel the event, and infuriated parents argued over the matter at a heated school board meeting Thursday. District Supt. David Cash announced at the end of the meeting that the two schools had tentatively decided to hold the event without the costumes, and sent a memo to parents Friday confirming the decision.

Cash and the principals of Condit and Mountain View did not respond to interview requests.

But many parents, who are convinced the decision was made before the board meeting, accused administrators of bowing to political correctness.

Kathleen Lucas, a Condit parent who is of Choctaw heritage, said her son -- now a first-grader -- still wears the vest and feathered headband he made last year to celebrate the holiday.

"My son was so proud," she said. "In his eyes, he thinks that's what it looks like to be Indian."

Among the costume supporters, there is a vein of suspicion that casts Raheja and others opposed to the costumes as agenda-driven elitists. Of the handful of others who spoke with Raheja against the costumes at the board meeting, one teaches at the University of Redlands, one is an instructor at Riverside Community College, and one is a former Pitzer College professor.

Raheja is "using those children as a political platform for herself and her ideas," Constance Garabedian said as her 5-year-old Mountain View kindergartner happily practiced a song about Native Americans in the background. "I'm not a professor and I'm not a historian, but I can put the dots together."

The debate is far from over. Some parents plan to send their children to school in costume Tuesday -- doubting that administrators will force them to take them off. The following day, some plan to keep their children home, costing the district attendance funds to punish them for modifying the event.

"She's not going to tell us what we can and cannot wear," said Dena Murphy, whose 5-year-old son attends Mountain View. "We're tired of [district officials] cowing down to people. It's not right."

But others hoped that tempers would calm over the long holiday weekend, and the community could come together to have a fruitful discussion about Thanksgiving and its meaning.

"Its always a good thing to think about, critically, how we teach kids, even from very young ages, the message we want them to learn, and the respect for the diversity of the American experiences," said Jennifer Tilton, an assistant professor of race and ethnic studies at the University of Redlands and a Claremont parent who opposes the costumes.

[ljs]

and then this.... http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/11/nearly-two-doze.html

Nearly two dozen protesters were stationed this morning in front of Condit Elementary School in Claremont, the site of a decades-old Thanksgiving tradition that is under fire because kindergartners dress up in handmade pilgrim and Native American costumes.

After a handful of parents complained that the Native American headdresses and vests were demeaning, cartoonish stereotypes, the Claremont Unified School District eliminated the costumes from this year's festivities, but allowed the turkey feast to go forward.

The protesters were evenly split between parents who supported the costumes and parents who opposed the outfits, and their discussion grew so heated that school officials called police, who separated the protesters on separate sidewalks, said Lt. Dennis Smith of the Claremont Police Department.

Police are also paying extra attention to Claremont schools Supt. David Cash's home, after he called police to report he was receiving hate e-mails and feared for his safety, Smith said. The e-mails did not rise to the level of criminal prosecution.

Cash and Condit principal Tim Northrop did not return phone calls seeking comment, but school employees reported that the commotion in front of the school was heated.

"It's been wild," said one woman who declined to give her name. Meanwhile, the kindergartners -- some of whom showed up wearing their banned costumes -- frolicked on the playground, eating, running and chattering with friends, Smith said. "The kids were oblivious," he added, "as they should be."

[BigMike619]

"There is nothing to be served by dressing up as a racist stereotype," she said.

dont they realize that indians really do dress up in the same garb with pride.

and thats how pilgrims DID dress!!

this reminds me of a south park episode though where they all protest everything about the holiday play.

[#98QBKiller]

What a bunch of idiots. Let the kids enjoy Thanksgiving

[ljs]

funny that only one parent complained and they changed the entire plan.

[Koolblue13]

Should be a bunch of disease ridden Natives and starving pilgrims with nothing but some bad horse meat, taking turns hiding from each other so they don't get raped and murdered?

Where is the fun in that?

[#98QBKiller]

Should be a bunch of disease ridden Natives and starving pilgrims with nothing but some bad horse meat, taking turns hiding from each other so they don't get raped and murdered?

Where is the fun in that?

Don't forget the buffalo shooting.

[RonJeremy]

ehh...It's California...the land of fruits and nuts. What do you expect?

[herrmag]

I guess the economy must be on the upswing if so many people have the time to skip work and fight each other over such ridiculous retardedness.

[Koolblue13]

I guess the economy must be on the upswing if so many people have the time to skip work and fight each other over such ridiculous retardedness.

We are never to poor to feign anger, are we?

[NavyDave]

Should be a bunch of disease ridden Natives and starving pilgrims with nothing but some bad horse meat, taking turns hiding from each other so they don't get raped and murdered?

Where is the fun in that?

Hmm an abundant harvest and gasp trade (earliest form of capitalism) led to giving thanks to the allmighty and wow Native Americans were part of it too.

Rape and Murder was brought to the pristine new world as well as drug use...

[Predicto]

For once, I agree with the crowd complaining about PC-ism run amok. :doh:

[BigMike619]

ehh...It's California...the land of fruits and nuts. What do you expect?

yeah, only the 5th largest economy in the world.

[81artmonk]

This has been news here in Cali for a few days. I wasn't really surpirsed by it since this kind of foolishness happens here on a regular basis.

How is this racist-stereo types. Didn't indians where headdresses with feathers and animal skins??

IMO this is one of the few times in history where both sides could be proud and celebrate the goodness between our two cultures.

[Cheers, Beers and Mountaineers]

Hooray PC ism.

I was a native american in elementary school. How fitting.

[deejaydana]

Leave it to the LA Times to publish such worthless trash as this...

Don't we have more pressing issues to talk about than the feelings of a grade schooler and parents who feel its their right as Americans to whine about every single perceived injustice they find (or invent)? No wonder newspapers sales are in the toilet.

BTW: If you're ever in the LA area and you want to pick up the "funnies" just buy the LA Times and read the Op/Ed section. It's would make any college university paper blush with envy, such is its love of all things flamingly liberal.

[Predicto]

Leave it to the LA Times to publish such worthless trash as this...

Don't we have more pressing issues to talk about than the feelings of a grade schooler and parents who feel its their right as Americans to whine about every single perceived injustice they find (or invent)? No wonder newspapers sales are in the toilet.

BTW: If you're ever in the LA area and you want to pick up the "funnies" just buy the LA Times and read the Op/Ed section. It's would make any college university paper blush with envy, such is its love of all things flamingly liberal.

Spoken like a regular reader of the Wall Street Journal Op-Ed page.

[deejaydana]

Spoken like a regular reader of the Wall Street Journal Op-Ed page.

You say it as if it's a bad thing!

Seriously though, I read most of the majors everyday as well as online content and the LA Times, while at times provocative, is just (like every other paper) beholden to their owners but they've really taken a major downturn. I'm as open minded as the next person (and have lived outside of the US so I have what I feel is a fair view of the world or at least perhaps a more balanced view) and I just have to laugh at Americans who feel they live an oppressed life here. The LA Times just has nothing to contribute w/a "story" like this one. Thanks for your feedback here...I'm always down for intelligent and provoking dialogue.