Alisal district chief defends school name

Salinas Californian ^ | Dec 13, 2012 | T.S. Alvarez

[artichokegrower]

People who live outside the Alisal community should not make cultural decisions for the people who live within the Alisal community: That’s the opinion of Alisal Union School District Superintendent John Ramirez Jr.

Ramirez spoke passionately Thursday about the decision to name a new school in his district after Tiburcio Vasquez. Some call Vasquez a bandit, murderer and thug while others define him as a folk hero, a revolutionary and a product of the environment that existed at the time.

“There were more Chicanos lynched in the 1860s in California than blacks in the south,” Ramirez said. “Vasquez was a revolutionary of his time. He stood up for the Chicanos that were persecuted. It’s about perspective.”

Ramirez compared Vasquez’s treatment in the history books to how history defines Thomas Jefferson.

“You never hear that he owned slaves,” he said of the third president

[artichokegrower]

I don't think they were called Chicanos back then. I do like this concept of not forcing cultural decisions on to others. Does this mean we can get rid of all of this bilingual bi-cultural nonsense?

[yarddog]

People in Missouri could name their school “Jesse James High School”.

[ThisLittleLightofMine]

I wonder if this guy is the same one that changed my Elementary school from Sanborn Elementary to Jessee G. Sanchez, I couldn't believe they changed the name, it is offensive.

[Tainan]

“There were more Chicanos lynched in the 1860s in California than blacks in the south,” Ramirez said.

#1 - There was no such critter as a "Chicano" at that period of time.
#2 - You are admitting that Mescans were causing societal trouble back then just as today.

Mebbe you need to re-think your self-induced feelings of persecution and victim-hood Mr. Ramirez?