SAN FRANCISCO — Whenever Daisy Herrera spots fearful facial tics or hears anxiety in the voices of students — which is often — she reassures them that the process of becoming U.S. citizens doesn’t require them to renounce their Latina/o heritage and culture.
“But, 100 percent of them think that way,” Herrera said of her students who are preparing for the naturalization exam. “I tell them that they can love their community and their past in Mexico yet also love the United States for the opportunities for which they came. I encourage them to embrace both nations.”
Officially, Herrera teaches her students facts and statistics that they are expected to know for their naturalization tests, along with the background behind test questions. For example, how many stars are on the U.S. flag? (50). Who is considered the father of this country? (George Washington).
But Herrera noticed that the standard lesson plans address only a few aspects of U.S. history, such as World Wars I and II, the Great Depression and the Persian Gulf War. So she introduces topics such as the Depression-era removal of Mexican Americans who were scapegoated for the shortage of jobs in this country, and how they were rounded up for deportation from Los Angeles neighborhoods that are familiar to many of her students. Back then, government officials described it as repatriation, but many of the individuals were actually U.S. citizens.
“American history is not just biscuits and gravy,” Herrera said. “There is an ugly side to it, and I try to correct the Eurocentric history and assumptions. I expand on what students already know, or I give them a perspective that’s different than what they see and hear in pop culture.”
Her remarks came during the annual meeting of the National Association for Ethnic Studies, which concluded over the weekend. The field grew out of the civil rights movement and the concerns and priorities of students of color on college campuses around the country.
