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Education

Blaze Exclusive: TX High School Students Made to Recite Mexican National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance

Oct. 17, 2011 8:56am Madeleine Morgenstern

Students in a Texas public high school were made to stand up and recite the Mexican national anthem and Mexican pledge of allegiance as part of a Spanish class assignment, but the school district maintains there was nothing wrong with the lesson.

It happened last month in an intermediate Spanish class at Achieve Early College High School in McAllen, Texas — a city located about 10 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.

Wearing red, white and green, students had to memorize the Mexican anthem and pledge and stand up and recite them in individually in front of the class.

That didn’t go over well with sophomore Brenda Brinsdon. The 15-year-old sat down and refused to participate. She also caught it all on video:

“I just thought it was out of hand, I didn’t think it was right,” she told The Blaze. “Reciting pledges to Mexico and being loyal to it has nothing to do with learning Spanish.”

She said she was particularly offended because the presentations in teacher Reyna Santos’s class took place during “Freedom Week,” the week after the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, and on U.S. Constitution Day — the same day as Mexico’s Independence Day.

“Why are we doing their independence when it’s Freedom Week and it’s also Constitution Day?” Brinsdon said.

Brinsdon said she complained to the school principal, Yvette Cavazo, who told her it was part of the curriculum and that she should participate. Her father, William, also got involved, calling the school district superintendent to complain.

When Brenda made clear she would not stand up and recite the pledge, she was given an alternative assignment: an essay on the history of the Mexican revolution.

Meanwhile, other students continued with their presentations, which took place over the course of several days.

When Brinsdon talked to Santos — a first-year teacher at Achieve — about her new assignment, the teacher told her she grew up in Mexico.

“She told me that she loved Mexico,” Brinsdon said.

School district spokesman Mark May defended the presentations, saying it’s a state requirement for upper-level language classes to teach about foreign culture.

According to the state’s Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards, students are expected to gain “knowledge and understanding” of other cultures and use the language to demonstrate understanding of different practices and perspectives. There are no specific requirements about learning to recite pledges or anthems.

May said it’s up to the teacher how to interpret and teach the standards.

“It wasn’t required to pledge loyalty and renounce the U.S., they were simply spreading the culture of another country,” May told The Blaze. “In my mind it’s no different from memorizing a poem or memorizing a passage from Shakespeare.”

William Brinsdon took issue with that notion, saying if that’s the case it cheapens the pledge.

“You’re taking their allegiance and their oath from Mexico and cheapening it just as a grade or words don’t mean anything,” he said.

May reiterated that the lesson was all done within the context of meeting the state requirements, and that the school did its duty providing Brenda with an alternative assignment when she objected.

“The students came away with a better understanding of the culture, heritage and customs of a neighboring country where Spanish is the primary language,” he said.

May added that the lesson was “well received” by other students and parents.

“There’s always going to be people that always feel a little bit differently,” May said.

William Brinsdon is still having a hard time fathoming the idea of reciting foreign pledges and anthems in a U.S. public school in the first place.

“Our kids don’t even know the [American] national anthem and here we are…teaching them to memorize and perform the national anthem for Mexico,” he said. “I just think it’s so backwards.”

The Blaze’s Jonathon M. Seidl contributed to this report.

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Comments (1154)

mamabearCali
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:50am
I don’t mind them learning the pledge, learning the national anthem of Mexico, what I mind is the requirement that they stand and recite. I mind them being required to take the pledge. Not ok, not ok at all.

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Charbet
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:50am
Gov. Perry wants my vote? NO WAY!

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Gonzo
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:49am
Rick Perry supports it. In fact, he says we’re “cold hearted” if we don’t. LOL

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Your Name Here
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:49am
Oy frijoleros, regresa a Mexico ahora mismo!
What is wrong with people? Why are they saying the pledge for a foreign counrty in our schools?
If you want to say the pledge to a Mexican flag or sing their national anthem do it in Mexico.
“For English press 1, for Spanish move to Mexico and press 2.”

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Emanuel Goldstein
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:49am
What is with the frickin NAZI Salute during the pledge???

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isnrblog
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:47am
This is beyond ridiculous. I am not sure we can take our country back now. Sorry, Glenn, I share you patriotic feeling and love for the United States, but not your faith that we can take it back. I’m not a quitter, I won’t quit and neither will you and a lot of Americans. I’m just saying we may die trying….or end up in an Obama re-education camp. It’s that serious. Let me clarify: I won’t end up in a camp, if you get my drift. Lock and load.

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4truth2all
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:47am
You love Mexico…. fine
you left it and came to America
When in America do as the Americans do,
when in Mexico or Canada or Sudan do as they do.
You want to sing the anthem of your heritage in your own home, fine again.

Little disappointed more did not say no.
Another little step of the enemy efforts to destroy this nation.
Ten little steps equal one big one!

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rchapman1941
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:47am
My sense of this type of nonsense in our public school systems will only hasten the demise of that system in favor of something else that is less intrusive into the lives of its users or creates another system outside of the public domain. I can’t imagine our citizens continuing to put up with people whose primary focus is controlling the agenda and everybody’s lives. My greatest fear is for the life of my poor grandson who is going to have live in whatever evolves from the madness we are now experiencing. God help us!!!

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mcFirst
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:46am
and here we have the reason schools are failing. look at how dumbed down this task is, notwithstanding how inappropriate it is to have a US taxpayer funded school supporting allegiance to another country.

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Secessionista
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:45am
I am sure that reciting the US pledge of allegiance was outlawed long ago.

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ROMANS 10-9
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:45am
Unless the teacher
is more than 20 miles
beyond our border,
it is very possible
she is illegal
and no one knows it.
I “request”
that the school board
check her papers
to verify citizenship and
taxpayer status!

Call the Texas Attourney Generals office!

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louise
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:43am
And the governor of Texas wants to be my President? I don’t think so.
Call me crazy, but if I was a teacher, there would be no recitation of any pledge of allegiance except America’s.

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TomFerrari
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:42am
UNACCEPTABLE !

There is PLENTY Spanish material in the world, without singing praises to ONE Spanish speaking country, and reciting its pledge.

This is SPANISH CLASS…
NOT “MEXICO CLASS”

Spanish is a language spoken in several countries, not just mexico!!!

Aligning with ANY country other than the U.S. is INAPPROPRIATE in schools.
AND ANY FOREIGN FLAGS FLYING IN OUR SCHOOLS!!!
I have no problem showing pictures of foreign flags. But FLYING THEM? Displaying them?
NO! Spanish does NOT equal MEXICO!
This woman had a CLEAR AGENDA – PROMOTE MEXICO.

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eramthgin
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:42am
Disgusting and just plain stupid.

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orion1958
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:42am
this is wrong ,wrong and wrong! The teacher, the school district superintendent and anyone else that let’s this is take place should be fired.

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Secessionista
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:42am
Q: Why are there no skinny Mexican women?
A:The fat Mexican women ate them.

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themongoose
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:40am
But I’m sure that the English classes that are taught include the memorization and recital of the American constitution and pledge of allegiance —- YEA RIGHT

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qzak491
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:39am
If I’m not wrong pledging alegiance to a foreign government while a citizen of the US is treason. Arrest them, and the whole school district, for allowing it to be done, they are accomplices to treason.

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- Secessionista
  Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:44am
  I do believe that you are correct. This appears to be an act of sedition. And if I am not mistaken, the teacher could be punished with the death penalty. But under this administration, Obama will probably summon her to the whitehouse to congratulate her and have her at his next state of the union speech.
  
  Report this comment
Tickdog
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:38am
I would feel sorry for that idiot if she tried to make my son recite that BS…

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GREENART
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:38am
If they love Mexico so much, they should send back ALL OF THEM.

Governor Perry are these the students that you want to give cheap college?

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Secessionista
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:37am
They could have recited the United States Pledge of Allegiance IN SPANISH! They could have learned about the culture of the people affected in NYC on 911!

It’s always easy to see through the agenda of the extreme left. The teacher thinks this is Azatlan.

Spanish is not Mexican. Illegal aliens are not a race. Liberals lie and deceive to further their agenda, which is abhorrent to civilization. They do not do this accidentally. They are indeed evil.

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Bob X from Texas
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:36am
What is the big deal. Doesn’t everybody recite Heil Hitler!! and sing Deutchland Uber Alles when they learn German. When we study Arabic shouldn’t we recite Death to America in Arabic.

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rcampb10
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:36am
If outsiders, dont like it here,,,,GO HOME,,to what ever freaking country your from,,,,GO HOME.. But dont try to change my country. There is a reason you immagrants came here…Because where you came frmo sucked !! So dont try to change what we have,,,,,,,,,,Just go home !!

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flagbearer
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:35am
Kudos to Brenda for standing for principles and allegiance to America. Shame on every student who participated. Shame on the teacher, the principal, and staff members at this school. Shame on the school board for not taking action against this assignment. Let us remember that American colonists feared the Spanish. We need to rekindle this same sentiment and demand that these LaRaza move back to Mexico. They want to take over the Southwest and this is their foot in the door. STOP IT NOW!

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Viking64
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 9:35am
Don’t worry folks, Obama will bring his keen honest transparency policies to all our great nation, we can soon learn not only Mexico’s national anthem but we can many other fine national tunes also( Iran, , Kenya, China, Russia, etc.,etc., ) This president and his lunatic radical progressive supporters have to leave before we have not even a decent US state left to save?
I’m read to do what ever necessary to get these clowns out?, I hope Obama, senile Pelosi and Reid all go the very first

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