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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTen-Year-Old Wukchumni Boy’s Refusal to Sing Derogatory Song Leads to Its Removal from School
http://nativenewsonline.net/currents/ten-year-old-wukchumni-boys-refusal-to-sing-derogatory-song-leads-to-its-removal-from-school/Fourth-grader Alex Fierro, a member of the Wukchumni (Yokut) tribe, proves one persons actionor lack of actioncan make a difference. He is already at his young age a catalyst for change in his school district. Alex, 10, refused to sing 21 Missions in his music class. 21 Missions is a song that glorifies all 21 Catholic missions in California.
Once his class at Shannon Ranch Elementary in Visalia, California were given the words of 21 Missions to sing, Alex did not feel right about singing the song. Alex told his mother, Debra Fierro, about the song and asked her to write a letter to his teacher so he would not have to sing the song. His mother asked him to tell her about the song, and he refused to speak any of it. She asked him to bring the song home and he did the next day.
On Friday, April 24, 2015, his mother read the song and she notified the Wukchumni Tribal Council and elders to share the song. Debra Fierro and the tribal leaders were outraged by the lyrics that they found to be derogatory towards American Indians.
Once his class at Shannon Ranch Elementary in Visalia, California were given the words of 21 Missions to sing, Alex did not feel right about singing the song. Alex told his mother, Debra Fierro, about the song and asked her to write a letter to his teacher so he would not have to sing the song. His mother asked him to tell her about the song, and he refused to speak any of it. She asked him to bring the song home and he did the next day.
On Friday, April 24, 2015, his mother read the song and she notified the Wukchumni Tribal Council and elders to share the song. Debra Fierro and the tribal leaders were outraged by the lyrics that they found to be derogatory towards American Indians.
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Ten-Year-Old Wukchumni Boy’s Refusal to Sing Derogatory Song Leads to Its Removal from School (Original Post)
KamaAina
Dec 2015
OP
Good for him and his mom! The words to that song are not suitable to a secular public school....
Hekate
Dec 2015
#2
So glad Alex Fierro had the courage to rebel against what's within this stupid, racist song.
Judi Lynn
Dec 2015
#3
I love children who do this. I openly encouraged it in my history classroom when I taught here.
Feeling the Bern
Dec 2015
#7
Xipe Totec
(43,890 posts)1. Good for the boy!
It is interesting to me, looking at the quoted words. The 21 missions were Spanish missions. Yet the song is in English and uses racist language that is English-specific.
There are two layers of insult here that I can't quite articulate.
Hekate
(90,714 posts)2. Good for him and his mom! The words to that song are not suitable to a secular public school....
That song belongs in Sunday School. Maybe.
Judi Lynn
(160,542 posts)3. So glad Alex Fierro had the courage to rebel against what's within this stupid, racist song.
It's a witless, ridiculous song to teach to ANY children.
Person 2713
(3,263 posts)4. This song was being taught at a PUBLIC school??? Sick
malaise
(269,045 posts)9. Institutional racism is live and well
Person 2713
(3,263 posts)10. To save the soul , soothe the savage breast
Glad the kid just said no
No just no
brer cat
(24,574 posts)5. Good for Alex!
How many children had to endure this before one small boy spoke up? "...And a child shall lead them." Isaiah 11:6 NKJV
eggplant
(3,911 posts)6. Irony alert. n/t
Feeling the Bern
(3,839 posts)7. I love children who do this. I openly encouraged it in my history classroom when I taught here.
pnwmom
(108,980 posts)8. Good for him and his outraged Mom. n/t
niyad
(113,332 posts)11. yayy for alex. and many are still, correctly, outraged about the canonization of the
genocidal junipero serra.
the creation and continuation of the california mission system is an utter crime, and should be regarded as such.