TUSD BANNED BOOKS LIST(s)

The lists of banned books comes from the Cambium report, which was gathered from MAS-TUSD. Searn Arce, director of MAS-TUSD affirms that all the books on the lists below have been banned.

In this format, they were compiled (the firt ones) by Manuel Hernandez at U of A, and the next part, by librarian and scholar, Debbie Reese.



These are the Arizonan Chican@ authors suppressed in TUSD: Dictionary of Latino Civil Rights History (2006) by F. A. Rosales, Codex Tamuanchan: On Becoming Human (1998) by R. Rodríguez, The X in La Raza II (1996) by R. Rodríguez, Let Their Spirits Dance (2003) by S. Pope Duarte, Mexican American Literature (1990) by C. M. Tatum, and New Chicana/Chicano Writing (1993) by C. M. Tatum.



Other suppressed authors are: Gloria Anzaldúa, César Chávez, Rodolfo Acuña, Tomás Rivera, Luis Valdez, and, believe it or not, many others.



Ironically, all banned authors from Mexican American Studies in TUSD write in English. Many have national and international prizes.



Please find below the list of books prohibited for students in MAS, an academically advanced program that successfully channeled 85% of its high school participants into college or the university:



Debbie Reese has compiled this list from the May 2, 2011 Cambium Report.



High School Course Texts and Reading Lists Table 20: American Government/Social Justice Education Project 1, 2 - Texts and Reading Lists

Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years (1998) by B. Bigelow and B. Peterson
The Latino Condition: A Critical Reader (1998) by R. Delgado and J. Stefancic
Critical Race Theory: An Introduction (2001) by R. Delgado and J. Stefancic
Pedagogy of the Oppressed (2000) by P. Freire
United States Government: Democracy in Action (2007) by R. C. Remy
Dictionary of Latino Civil Rights History (2006) by F. A. Rosales
Declarations of Independence: Cross-Examining American Ideology (1990) by H. Zinn


Table 21: American History/Mexican American Perspectives, 1, 2 - Texts and Reading Lists

Occupied America: A History of Chicanos (2004) by R. Acuña
The Anaya Reader (1995) by R. Anaya
The American Vision (2008) by J. Appleby et el.
Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years (1998) by B. Bigelow and B. Peterson
Drink Cultura: Chicanismo (1992) by J. A. Burciaga
Message to Aztlán: Selected Writings (1997) by R. Gonzales
De Colores Means All of Us: Latina Views Multi-Colored Century (1998) by E. S. Martínez
500 Años Del Pueblo Chicano/500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures (1990) by E. S. Martínez
Codex Tamuanchan: On Becoming Human (1998) by R. Rodríguez
The X in La Raza II (1996) by R. Rodríguez
Dictionary of Latino Civil Rights History (2006) by F. A. Rosales
A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present (2003) by H. Zinn


Course: English/Latino Literature 7, 8

Ten Little Indians (2004) by S. Alexie
The Fire Next Time (1990) by J. Baldwin
Loverboys (2008) by A. Castillo
Women Hollering Creek (1992) by S. Cisneros
Mexican White Boy (2008) by M. de la Pena
Drown (1997) by J. Díaz
Woodcuts of Women (2000) by D. Gilb
At the Afro-Asian Conference in Algeria (1965) by E. Guevara
Color Lines: "Does Anti-War Have to Be Anti-Racist Too?" (2003) by E. Martínez
Culture Clash: Life, Death and Revolutionary Comedy (1998) by R. Montoya et al.
Let Their Spirits Dance (2003) by S. Pope Duarte
Two Badges: The Lives of Mona Ruiz (1997) by M. Ruiz
The Tempest (1994) by W. Shakespeare
A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America (1993) by R. Takaki
The Devil's Highway (2004) by L. A. Urrea
Puro Teatro: A Latino Anthology (1999) by A. Sandoval-Sanchez & N. Saporta Sternbach
Twelve Impossible Things before Breakfast: Stories (1997) by J. Yolen
Voices of a People's History of the United States (2004) by H. Zinn


Course: English/Latino Literature 5, 6

Live from Death Row (1996) by J. Abu-Jamal
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven (1994) by S. Alexie
Zorro (2005) by I. Allende
Borderlands La Frontera: The New Mestiza (1999) by G. Anzaldua
A Place to Stand (2002), by J. S. Baca
C-Train and Thirteen Mexicans (2002), by J. S. Baca
Healing Earthquakes: Poems (2001) by J. S. Baca
Immigrants in Our Own Land and Selected Early Poems (1990) by J. S. Baca
Black Mesa Poems (1989) by J. S. Baca
Martin & Mediations on the South Valley (1987) by J. S. Baca
The Manufactured Crisis: Myths, Fraud, and the Attack on America's Public Schools (1995) by D. C. Berliner and B. J. Biddle
Drink Cultura: Chicanismo (1992) by J. A Burciaga
Red Hot Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Being Young and Latino in the United States (2005) by L. Carlson & O. Hijuielos
Cool Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Growing up Latino in the United States (1995) by L. Carlson & O. Hijuelos
So Far From God (1993) by A. Castillo
Address to the Commonwealth Club of California (1985) by C. E. Chávez
Women Hollering Creek (1992) by S. Cisneros
House on Mango Street (1991), by S. Cisneros
Drown (1997) by J. Díaz
Suffer Smoke (2001) by E. Diaz Bjorkquist
Zapata's Discipline: Essays (1998) by M. Espada
Like Water for Chocolate (1995) by L. Esquievel
When Living was a Labor Camp (2000) by D. García
La Llorona: Our Lady of Deformities (2000), by R. Garcia
Cantos Al Sexto Sol: An Anthology of Aztlanahuac Writing (2003) by C. García-Camarilo et al.
The Magic of Blood (1994) by D. Gilb
Message to Aztlan: Selected Writings (2001) by Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales
Saving Our Schools: The Case for Public Education, Saying No to "No Child Left Behind" (2004) by Goodman et al.
Feminism is for Everybody (2000) by b hooks
The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child (1999) by F. Jiménez
Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools (1991) by J. Kozol
Zigzagger (2003) by M. Muñoz
Infinite Divisions: An Anthology of Chicana Literature (1993) by T. D. Rebolledo & E. S. Rivero
...y no se lo trago la tierra/And the Earth Did Not Devour Him (1995) by T. Rivera
Always Running - La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A. (2005) by L. Rodriguez
Justice: A Question of Race (1997) by R. Rodríguez
The X in La Raza II (1996) by R. Rodríguez
Crisis in American Institutions (2006) by S. H. Skolnick & E. Currie
Los Tucsonenses: The Mexican Community in Tucson, 1854-1941 (1986) by T. Sheridan
Curandera (1993) by Carmen Tafolla
Mexican American Literature (1990) by C. M. Tatum
New Chicana/Chicano Writing (1993) by C. M. Tatum
Civil Disobedience (1993) by H. D. Thoreau
By the Lake of Sleeping Children (1996) by L. A. Urrea
Nobody's Son: Notes from an American Life (2002) by L. A. Urrea
Zoot Suit and Other Plays (1992) by L. Valdez
Ocean Power: Poems from the Desert (1995) by O. Zepeda



UPDATE, Monday, January 16, 2012

The list above is not complete. As I learn of other titles that have been boxed, I will add them to the list.

Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
Yo Soy Joaquin/I Am Joaquin by Rodolfo Gonzales
Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea
The Devil's Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea

Inspirational video: Tucson's Los Niños Heroes & Banned Books petition

First they suspended MAS. Then they came after the books. Students walked out. And now they've suspended the students.

If you missed Thursday's teach-in at the U of A by suspended Wakefield Middle High School students, and one Pueblo H.S. student, watch the highlights here: http://tucsoncitizen.com/three-sonorans/2012/01/27/twisted-pedicone-logic-punishing-middle-school-students-that-walked-out-by-kicking-them-out-of-school/comment-page-2/#comments

Here are highlights of high school student, Juan, from Pueblo High School, that was suspended. He is third from right at photo above: http://tucsoncitizen.com/three-sonorans/

Here's a link to story in the Arizona Daily Star: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/education/precollegiate/students-in-walkout-suspended/article_e63dcb6f-9954-5cd9-936a-0577e8ba7044.html

The students were suspended for walking out in protest of TUSD's decision to suspend the district's Mexican American Studies department. Because they were not permitted to return to their schools, they were at the UA, attending MAS classes there, plus conducting the teach in. After the last class they attended, they were notified that their suspensions were lifted. The classes they attended were: The History of the Chicano Movement and Indigenous Thinkers/Indigenous Philosophers. There is no word if their suspensions were rescinded or if there may be other suspensions of the other participating high school students from Tucson and Cholla High Schools.

Inspired by the teach-in, UA student officials are planning a much larger teach-in at the end of February where everyone will be invited, including TUSD and state officials.

Aside from dismantling the MAS program and thrashing the discipline, and despite denials from the district, as a result of HB 2281, books have also been banned/confiscated from the classrooms. While the media has reported that seven books were boxed and confiscated, the number is actually some 50 book titles. The teachers were actually instructed to remove all books, art, posters, etc from their classrooms. The list of books can be accessed at: http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2012/01/mexican-american-studies-department.html

*** If you have not signed the petition re the TUSD book banning, you are welcomed to do so. Go to: https://www.change.org/petitions/tucson-school-board-dont-lock-up-knowledge-return-books-to-students-now

*** Also, reminder: On Feb 1, there will be a national Chicano/a Studies teach-in. This will actually trigger other teach-ins thereafter every Saturday in Arizona, but also, nationwide. Stay tuned.

Thanks & Sincerely

Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez
PO BOX 3812
Tucson, AZ 85722
520-626-0824

For other background stories on this topic, go to:
http://drcintli.blogspot.com/

For up-to-the minute stories, including videos, etc. go to: http://tucsoncitizen.com/three-sonorans/

La Defensa de la Gran Tlamanalca has begun!

La Defensa de la Gran Tlamanalca or the defense of La Gran Tlamanalca (Tucson) has begun. Make no mistake, while the media tells a story about a program and a curriculum being in violation of the "law," the reality is that the school district and the state have managed to wage war, 1500s style in Arizona against Indigenous peoples.

The attack is against the Indigenous knowledge -- the foundation of the MAS-TUSD program -- and thus this defense is an Indigenous revolt that will wind up at the United Nations this May. We will be asserting our rights to Culture, History, Identity, Language and Education -- all of which are protected by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples... and nearly a dozen other human rights treaties and conventions.

For day to day updates on the situation in Tucson, go to: http://tucsoncitizen.com/three-sonorans/

For info regarding the march to the United Nations, stay tuned here. There will be a regional hearing in Tucson in March or April before going to the UN. It will be our youths primarily making these presentations.

Dr. Cintli
XColumn@gmail.com

Some people say that the defensa of La Gran Tenochtitlan did not succeed. The defensa of La Gran Talmanalca will not suffer the same fate.

THE "UNDOCUMENTED" MAS BOOKS

by Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez

The following list is what TUSD claims are the MAS books that "have not been banned." The list is taken from the 2010 Cambium report that gave MAS-TUSD two thumbs up and recommended expanding the program.

Regarding the list below, the context is that the list is not the biggest story; the story is that this discipline has been viciously attacked by state officials and MAS-TUSD has now been dismantled. It's is not an overnight story. The attack on the culture, history, identity, language and education -- of the people of Tucson, primarily the Mexican American community, has been ongoing since 2006. This act violates every international human rights treaty and convention.

When I asked my colleague Norma Gonzales, one of the MAS teachers at TUSD, what had been banned, she replied: "It's not just the books. It's everything we've ever created." This includes slide shows, art, posters, etc. The books total not seven, but more than 50.

In fact, to clarify, she noted today that she was told that she cannot teach the Aztec Calendar to her students. "Nothing related to Mexican history or culture."

"

It matters little if the district minces or redefines the meaning of "banned," "outlawed," "confiscated" or "stored." By dismantling the highly successful program that graduates nearly 100% of its students and that sends over 70% of its students to college, they in effect have banished all these books and the accompanying teaching materials.
This is but the tip of the story.

Rodriguez Dr. Cintli can be reached at XColumn@gmail.com
For related stories, go to: http://drcintli.blogspot.com/

Arizona's 'banned' Mexican American books

Arizona's 'banned' Mexican American books
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/jan/18/arizona-banned-mexican-american-books

First, the Tucson school district came for the Mexican American studies program. Now, it's come for its books

Roberto Cintli Rodriguez
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 18 January 2012 13.07 EST
Article history

A book 'banned' by the Tucson school district in Arizona
Cover detail from one of the books on the Mexican American studies program 'banned' by TUSD. Photograph: guardiannews.com

In the aftermath of the suspension of the Tucson Unified School District's Mexican American studies department, TUSD has confiscated and continues to confiscate MAS teaching materials. Besides artwork and posters etc, that includes books. This move came in response to an unconstitutional measure, HB 2281, which was specifically created to dismantle the highly successful MAS-TUSD department.

Amid a massive backlash, TUSD officials have backpedaled, claiming that the confiscation of the books that took place after the 10 January MAS suspension does not constitute a banned books list. While TUSD claims that only seven book titles were ordered boxed and carried off, the fact is that the confiscation – in some cases, in front of the students – involved more than the seven titles. But the seven books that are "not banned" (but merely "confiscated") are:

Critical Race Theory, by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic
500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures, edited by Elizabeth Martinez
Message to Aztlán, by Rodolfo Corky Gonzales
Chicano! The History of the Mexican Civil Rights Movement, by F Arturo Rosales
Occupied America: A History of Chicanos, by Rodolfo Acuña
Pedagogy of the Oppressed, by Paulo Freire
Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years, by Bill Bigelow

The MAS-TUSD curriculum comprises some 50 books. All have been or are being removed or confiscated from every classroom; teachers are being told to turn in the books that have not been "confiscated". This might strike the average person as odd: it's as if the presence of these books inside classrooms constitutes a distraction or bad influence. Apparently, students should not be able to even see those books in the classrooms.

Officially, the 50 books (listed at the end of the independent Cambium report (http://www.scribd.com/doc/58025928/TUSD-ethnic-studies-audit) which actually gave the MAS-TUSD program a big thumbs up and recommended that it be expanded) are not banned. But it could be said that their apparent status is now that of "undocumented books".

As a result of the banning of the MAS program, there has been much unrest. One action involved a walkout and march from Cholla High School to the TUSD headquarters, a distance of five miles. When the marchers reached TUSD headquarters, they were met by several bureaucrats, including administrator, Lupita Garcia, an opponent of the MAS program who oversees the district's ethnic studies programs. She unabashedly told the students that racism has nothing to do with color and that Mexico is where Mexican studies is taught, not America!

This was, of course, inaccurate: what was suspended by HB 2281 was Mexican American studies, not Mexican studies. When students asked why European studies has not been banned, nor any other area studies discipline, the administrators had no response. And regarding the issue of this being America, apparently this administrator believes that Mexican Americans don't belong in America (as she presumably meant the United States).

In a development typical of Arizona, the students who walked out on Thursday, protesting the elimination of the district's Mexican American studies program, have – without a hearing – been directed to perform janitorial duties this Saturday: an amazing message, right out of Newt Gingrich's playbook (he has been campaigning in the GOP presidential nomination race, proposing the idea that students should be hired as janitors to teach them a work ethic). Apparently, TUSD administrators are paying attention.

The further message of this punishment, then, appears to be that the state and the district do not want students to study Mexican American studies, but they do want them to clean toilets. Perhaps, Gingrich should consider relocating to Arizona, where his message is being fully embraced.

While the issue of which books are banned, or "not banned" but confiscated, continues to be sorted out, more unrest can be expected. Widespread condemnation has been swift – to the point that TUSD officials are not only claiming that they do not have a banned books list but even that they have not eliminated MAS; they are simply in the process of "improving" it.

Rodriguez, Dr. Cintli, can be reached at: XColumn@gmail.com

TUSD REMANDS BOOKS TO UNDOCUMENTED STATUS

TUSD REMANDS BOOKS TO UNDOCUMENTED STATUS
By Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez

In the aftermath of the suspension of Tucson Unified School District ‘s Mexican American Studies department, TUSD has confiscated and continues to confiscate MAS teaching materials, which includes books, artwork and posters, etc.

This came in response to an unconstitutional measure, HB 2281, which was specifically created to dismantle the highly successful MAS-TUSD department.

Amid a massive backlash, TUSD officials have backpedaled, claiming that the confiscation of the books that took place after the Jan. 10 suspension, does not constitute a banned books list.

While TUSD claims that only 7 book titles were ordered boxed and carried off, the fact is that the confiscation, in some cases, in front of the students, involved more than the 7 titles.

The seven books that are "not banned" are:

Critical Race Theory by Richard Delgado
500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures edited by Elizabeth Martinez
Message to AZTLAN by Rodolfo Corky Gonzales
Chicano! The History of the Mexican Civil Rights Movement by Arturo Rosales
Occupied America: A History of Chicanos by Rodolfo Acuna
Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years by Bill Bigelow

But the removal has included not just books, but also, other teaching materials, including artwork and posters. In a further irony, some teachers are still being told to turn in the books that have not been banned.

The MAS-TUSD curriculum comprises some 50 books. All have been or are being removed or confiscated from every MAS classroom... which would strike the average person as odd. It’s as if the presence of these books inside classrooms constitute a distraction or bad influence. Apparently, students should not be able to even see those books in the classrooms.

Officially, the 50 books (listed at the end of the independent Cambium report (http://www.scribd.com/doc/58025928/TUSD-ethnic-studies-audit) which actually gave the MAS-TUSD program two thumbs up and recommended that it be expanded) are not banned. But their apparent status is now that of UNDOCUMENTED BOOKS.

As a result of the banning of the MAS program, there has been much unrest. One action involved a walkout and march from Cholla High School to the TUSD headquarters, a distance of five miles.

When the marchers reached TUSD headquarters, they were met by several bureaucrats, including anti-MAS administrator, Lupita Garcia, who oversees the districts Ethnic Studies programs. She unabashedly told the students that racism has nothing to do with color and that Mexico is where Mexican Studies is taught, not AMERICA!

The demeaning manner in which the students were addressed was also filled with inaccuracies. What was suspended was Mexican-American Studies, not Mexican Studies. When students asked why European Studies has not been banned, nor any other area studies discipline, the administrators had no response. And regarding the issue of this being AMERICA, apparently this administrator believes that Mexican Americans don't belong in America (she probably meant the United States).

In a development typical of Arizona, the students who walked out on Thursday, protesting the elimination of the district's Mexican American Studies program, without a hearing, have been directed to perform janitorial duties this Saturday. An amazing message, right out of Newt Gingrich’s playbook. He has been campaigning throughout the country, proposing the idea that students of color in poor communities should be hired as janitors to teach them a work ethic. Apparently, TUSD administrators are paying attention.

The further message of this punishment: The state and the district do not want students to study Mexican American Studies... but they do want them to clean toilets... Perhaps Gingrich should consider relocating to Arizona where his message is being fully embraced.

The suspension of MAS-TUSD has caused further unrest with more to come. Students at Tucson’s Wakefield middle school occupied the administration of their school this past week. Much more unrest can be expected.

While the issue of which books are banned or confiscated continues to be sorted out, the reaction worldwide has been swift to the point that TUSD officials are also claiming that they do not have a banned books list and that they haven’t eliminated MAS-TUSD; they are simply in the process of improving it.

* Here's a printable version of the books banned as a result of the banned curriculm, books that were not necessarily boxed, but books that can no longer be taught or that can no longer be in the former MAS classrooms http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2012/01/mexican-american-studies-department.html

Rodriguez, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona and a member of the MAS-TUSD Community Advisory Board has several books as part of the MAS curriculum. He can be reached at 520-626-0824 or XColumn@gmail.com

Chomsky in Tucson & Forbidden Curricula

If I were on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board, I'd be quaking in my boots. The world's leading intellectual, Noam Chomsky, will be in Tucson on Feb 7-8 and he has something to say about the recent banning of Mexican American Studies and also the banning of the MAS books.

Seem like its time for another national conference on Hate, Censorship and Forbidden Curricula.

Stay tuned.