McAllen ISD: Nothing wrong with Spanish class that riled parent

McAllen Monitor ^ | October 18, 2011 | Martha L. Hernandez

[SoonerStorm09]

McALLEN, Texas — An assignment for a high school Spanish class that made students recite the Mexican pledge of allegiance and national anthem upset a parent.

“I don’t see a connection between all this Mexican history, and the allegiance and the national anthem … and learning Spanish,” William E. Brinsdon said in an interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck on Monday.

“I just find it appalling, the indoctrination (that) is going on down here,” said the 47-year-old truck driver, who had instructed his 15-year-old daughter to take a video recording of the exercise at McAllen’s Achieve Early College High School.

The school district maintains there was nothing wrong with the lesson.

“This was a single lesson, not an indoctrination,” according to a statement sent after a Monitor inquiry.

“It is important to note that every year, a teacher’s lesson plans are reviewed and modified for their appropriateness. This class will fall under the same protocol,” according to the statement.

[HIDEK6]

Back in the 60s when I was in high school, our French teacher said we could take the final or sing La Marseilles in French.

If we sang La Mareseilles in French we got an A.

Guess what everyone did?

I remember it to this day.

[Chode]

the question is... why was it done at all???

[RonF]

Teaching the kids what those are and what they mean would make sense. Having them actually stand up, render a salute and recite them as if they were giving the American Pledge of Allegiance? Not such a good idea.

[rockrr]

My kids wouldn’t mind because they would know that they weren’t actually pledging allegiance to a foreign power. But they would have my permission to refuse to participate if it did bother them.

Personally, If I had been in that position myself I would have recited the pledge but inserted the words “refuse to” into recitation just to mess with them.

[Oatka]

From a poster on Yahoo Answers. The pledge in Spanish and translated English:

Bandera de México,
Legado de Nuestros Héroes,
Símbolo de la Unidad
de nuestros Padres
y de nuestros Hermanos.

Te prometemos:

Ser siempre fieles
a los principios de
la libertad y la justicia,
que hacen de Nuestra
Patria la Nación
Independiente, humana
y generosa a la que
entregamos nuestra
existencia.

I´ve never seen a translation of it, but I´ll do my best.

Mexican flag
legacy from our heroes
symbol of the unity of our parents **
and our brothers **

We promise you:

To be always loyal
to the principles of freedom and justice
that makes this an independent,
human and generous nation ,
to which we dedicate our existence.

I hope it helps.

**In Spanish the word “padres” and “Hermanos” mean parents and brothers but in this case, parents might be translated to “our ancestors” and brothers might refer to the fact of considering all country men as brothers and sisters so you can edit it if you want.

[Made In The USA]

I’m OK with someone refusing to say a pledge of allegiance to foreign flag out of respect/love/dedication to our great country.

I’m not convinced this was some sort of indoctrination, but the choice of language excercise was poorly chosen. I took 2 years of Italian in HS (got credit for 3) and an intriguing part of the class was learning a bit about the history and culture of Italy.

[aruanan]

Shouldn’t “humana” be translated as “humane” rather than “human”? Humane is “humano” but when used as an adjective of “nacion” would be “humana.”

[muawiyah]

My objection to this particular lesson is that it was ethnocentric ~ a much more inclusive lesson would be to recite a prayer or two said by Pizarro, or maybe Philippe I/II ~ now that’d be anything but ethnocentric.

[JimRed]

In HS Spanish I in the late 50’s we learned the Pledge of Allegiance- to the American flag, in Spanish. I remember it to this day.

Juro fidelidad a la bandera...

[PDGearhead]

Since the Spanish language originated in Spain, one would think the class would be instructed to learn something about Spain.

[dfwgator]

Since the Spanish language originated in Spain, one would think the class would be instructed to learn something about Spain.

First thing I would teach them is how Generalissimo Franco saved Spain from godless Communism.

[SuziQ]

Heh, in my Spanish class, 40 years ago, we were required to recite "The Lord's Prayer". Of course, this was South Mississippi.

I'm curious as to why they have to recite the MEXICAN pledge of allegiance. It isn't a Mexican language class, it's a SPANISH language class. Why not recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the country of SPAIN, from which the language comes?

[SunTzuWu]

My kids wouldn’t mind because they would know that they weren’t actually pledging allegiance to a foreign power.

Yet that is exactly what they would be doing. That's why it's called a pledge and not a "poem" or an "interesting factoid about wonderful mexico". Words have meaning.

[neverbluffer]

You nailed it. That is where the proof that this was actually “indoctrination”

This was Spanish class, so why recite the Pledge of Allegiance to Mexico?

[Hacklehead]

“It is important to note that every year, a teacher’s lesson plans are reviewed and modified for their appropriateness” (by a similarly indoctrinated anti-American leftist).

[Verginius Rufus]

Yes, the best thing would have been to learn the Spanish-language version of the pledge of allegiance to the US flag.

Next to that would be to treat all the Spanish-speaking countries equally, or perhaps give Spain preference and treat all the former colonies equally--Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica, Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Paraguay, Chile, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, etc.