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Internal Video Exposes USDA Staffers Chanting ‘The Pilgrims Were Illegal Aliens’ During Taxpayer-Funded Cultural Sensitivity Training

Feb. 15, 2013 10:59am Billy Hallowell

Judicial Watch Releases Video of U.S. Department of Agriculture Cultural Sensitivity Training

Diversity trainer Samuel Betances (Photo Credit: YouTube)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is coming under fire for hosting a “compulsory”* ”Cultural Sensitivity Training” program that required some intriguing participation of those in attendance. In addition to being implored to bang on tables, everyone in the room was instructed to chant, in unison, “The pilgrims were illegal aliens.”

But that’s not the full extent of the curious elements surrounding the session, as the lead trainer also joked that he doesn’t like the word “minorities” and that he prefers to replace it with “emerging majorities.”

After nine months of waiting for the government to release the video content, clips of the three-hour session were published this week by Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group. It was on May 18, 2012, that the organization first made a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to secure the footage.

Judicial Watch was originally tipped off by a whistle-blower who offered information about the expensive diversity sessions (the USDA has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the program). Here’s how the organization describes the resulting controversy:

The sensitivity training sessions, described as “a huge expense” by diversity awareness trainer and self-described “citizen of the world” Samuel Betances, were held on USDA premises. The diversity event is apparently part of what USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack described in a memo sent to all agency employees as a “new era of Civil Rights” and “a broader effort towards cultural transformation at USDA.” In 2011 and 2012, the USDA paid Betances and his firm nearly $200,000 for their part in the “cultural transformation” program.

USDA Training Administrator, Vincent Loran, in an October 10, 2011, email previously revealed by Judicial Watch, asked Betances for a copy of a training video vowing to keep it secret. “It will not be used for or show [sic] in any way shape or form,” Loran promised. Nevertheless, Judicial Watch was able to obtain the video.

While it has taken quite some time to secure the footage, this story was first presented to the public in Oct. 2012. At the time, Judicial Watch didn’t yet have footage, but was relying upon documents surrounding the trainings to make determinations about the program.

The organization charged that at least one of the sessions (the one caught on video) reinforced political ideas and even seemed to validate illegal immigration, however a USDA official denied these claims. Additionally, the notion that participants were told to chant was also rebuffed.

“Participants did not chant during these workshops,” said an official at the time, according to Fox News. “In one portion of the session, the presenter had participants repeat provocative and potentially offensive phrases as part of an exercise to examine stereotypes. The statements were not reflective of USDA or its policy.”

However, in one of the clips released by Judicial Watch, it appears as though the audience is, indeed, asked to chant that the “pilgrims were illegal aliens” (and they comply).

“I want you to say that American was founded by outsiders – say that – who are today’s insiders, who are very nervous about today’s outsiders,” he said. “I want you to say, ‘The pilgrims were illegal aliens.’ Say, ‘The pilgrims never gave their passports to the Indians.’”

Watch this all unfold, below:

And at another point in the training, Betances jokes with the audience that he prefers to replace the word “minorities” with “emerging majorities.” Some outlets seem to allege that this was uttered in an effort to encourage others to adopt the rhetoric, but upon examining the video, it’s clear he was being humorous:

TheBlaze spoke with Jill Farrell, Judicial Watch’s director of public affairs, to learn more about the program. She said that it appears as though the agreement between Betances’ firm and the USDA may still be ongoing.

To see the controversial session in its entirety, watch below:

Certainly some would argue that there is inherent value in cultural sensitivity training, but critics would also point out — at least in this case — that the monumental cost as well as the controversial ideological constructs being presented raise eyebrows.

Editor’s Note: We’ve updated this story to note that “compulsory” is a term used by Judicial Watch.

(H/T: Fox Nation)

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Comments (260)

GuruMeditation
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:51pm
and the Indians could not read the passports if they did.

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DrFinch
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:48pm
Who’s John Galt?

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IMCHRISTIAN
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:42pm
What a bunch of troublemakers this President has brought forth.

We would have corn that we could give them as compensation if they were gotten rid of but then the corn is being used as part of fuel.

If everything is to be equal then why don’t the government employees have the same good healthcare policy as we have and no pension that a lot of us don’t have either when they retire. Also, no security used in their retirement. No guns for them either if taken from us.

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ghostsouls
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:39pm
Same old tired song….well it was done before, so it’s okay now……..okay like nothing has changed in 400 years? LOL Yet, when talking about history the Democrats do not want to discuss their Pro-Slavery stance in government during the days of slavery, and their opposition to any civil rights the Republicans voted for for African Americans. Yeah they just skip over that bit of history.

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Honeydog2012
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:36pm
I work for the USDA and had to sit through this workshop. We most certainly were told to repeat his key phases, and he didn’t want just saying it softly, he made you repeat it louder and louder. So yeah, that constitutes as a type of chant. This jerk also said that the white race would soon disappear from the US.

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kdshell1
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:34pm
And what New World immigration laws did they violate?

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smalldog
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:34pm
Iirc, the Pilgrims came before massive waves of immigrants. 500 years of history has a lot of insiders/outsiders. Many governments have been accused of genocide with regard to the Native Americans. Take their land, take their means of supporting their families, destroy their culture and language = genocide. What of today’s Obama admin? Take the homes, take the money/taxes, destroy the jobs and means of supporting families (over-regulation), destroy the culture and language. What qualifications did the Native Americans put on immigrants? Why didn’t they deport them?

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Robert Hawk
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:33pm
My comment is why are believers in philosophia doctrine and its application of Metaphysics and Dialectics such as this named Samuel Betances, allowed to go to Federal Government facilities and teach their doctrine (Philosophia) while Christians are not? Why do Americans tolerate having the philosophia shove their doctrine forcefully down Americans throats?
And just for the record, America was not an established nation at the time Pilgrims arrived, so there is no way that Pilgrims could have been illegals. This philosophia believer Mr Betances is attempting to use dialectics in order to bring crisis concerning the rights of Indians vs the invaders (especially those known as Caucasians). This is an age old philosophia trick called “Applied Dialectics” its used to bring about hatred and eventually crisis so Communists can move in and take over.

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Lloyd Drako
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:30pm
Never mind the sentiment. The chanting is downright creepy.

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hamilton_jay
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:26pm
What a maroon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_Kh7nLplWo

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beckinista
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:15pm
Somebody hand this maroon a dictionary so he can look up “illegal”. Wait…let me do it for him: ILLEGAL = : not according to or authorized by law : UNLAWFUL, ILLICIT; My point is, No law, no crime. There were no laws in effect in the 1600′s prohibiting immigration to North America (that includes Canada). This guy SHOULD be fired but … nah, he’s probably got seniority or something.

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Warphead
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:12pm
Just how much anti-American rhetoric, active anti-American participation & indoctrination designed for no other purpose than to overthrow the nation, abolish it’s constitution, destroy it’s sovereignty and displace it’s government with peoples from other countries does someone have to do before it is called and treated as treason? When did the right to free speech become a license to overthrow your country? Just exactly when did the word and meaning of treason cease to exist in this Country? the actions of Americans toward this threat are on par with the governments assertion that if being robbed by an armed assailant it is best to just let them have your property and do not fight as it is not worth it. When did our country become a thing no longer worth protecting? More importantly, when did the American people quit caring? I miss America.

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DebateMe
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:09pm
It’s government employees like this guy getting paid by my tax dollars that puts me into such a fit each year when I pay taxes. Using our own tax dollars to spread values and engage in attitudes and behaviors which are in steep contradiction to traditional American values and the Constitution is so routine at this point that it amazes me that an orgainzed nation-wide tax revolt hasn’t happened.

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mrunner
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:08pm
I think I am going to throw up… My tax dollars paid for THIS!!!!!?????

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zenjak
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:07pm
Funny how all of this mandated senstivity training to make us all aware and sympathetic to the plight of the exploited minority never addresses American taxpayers as a said exploited minority.

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Mutiny
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:04pm
Very interesting comparison considering how it turned out for the none illegals.

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ElDeVerde
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:03pm
I am sick and tired of hearing how saintly and innocent the naked americans were before the evil, european “white man” came and mistreated him. Naked americans were raping, stealing, murdering and canabalizing each other long before the advent of europeans coming along. As a side note the notable ingress by europeans was the Spaniards, the fathers of the Méjicanos, who also refer to others of european descent not of Spanish as “white”. Ergo, it wasn’t the gingo who first “mistreated” los indios. Obviously the indians didn’t have any better control of their borders than we do. Los cabrónes me puede besar el culo.

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dublinthewagons
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 11:58am
Samuel Betanaches speak with buffalo crap breath.

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smalldog
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 11:54am
Did the Native Americans advertise massive welfare programs to encourage European immigrants? I recall that Obama’s admin/cultural Thanksgiving message was one of socialism, the Indians welcoming the newcomers and sharing their wealth…in reality, the first whites lived a communal lifestyle that failed. Where is the reservation for yesterday’s outsiders? The welfare payments?

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NDPINDNT
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 11:53am
I retired from the USDA and am so glad I don’t have to be subjected to this kind of crap anymore!

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CEM
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 11:49am
I’m getting so sick of these fools. A few points:
1. Indians migrated here from Asia; they did not originate in North America.
2. The Indians did not ”own” this land, by their own philosphy/mindset.
3. The Indians should have rightfully defended their homes, but in the end failed to do so.
4. The US rightfully should defend this land from illegal aliens.
5. Failing to protect the US is eventually going to result in this country becoming a third world wastehole, just like the countries many of the illegals are coming from.
(I’m glad I won’t be around to see the final collapse and decay of this great nation.)

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lizaz
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 11:45am
Unbelievable waste of taxpayer money…more marxist teachings to undermine American traditions and morals, embraced by most citizens. This probably comes from the UNs Agenda 21 being perpetrated on the United States, in order to rob us of our wealth and redistribute it globally. People had better wake up!!!

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caleejr
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 11:44am
pilgrims were illegal? weren’t they sanctioned by their respective country to GO there?
That being said – and there is a parallel…what’s being said is the Mexican Gov’t is advocating and sponsoring people to enter the United States to settle the land in the name of the country they represent?

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Cavallo
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 11:40am
This is why I don’t buy very many government conspiracies. They’re too stupid and incompetent to actually pull anything off. If anything gets done it’s the monkey typewriter philosophy of dumb luck. This doesn’t mean they won’t happily murder you. A uneducated gang banger is still dangerous, albeit more ethical than a government employee.

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- DougHuffman
  Posted on February 15, 2013 at 11:48am
  Monkeys on typewriters are the conspiracy of ignorance that masquerades as common sense. Two virtual internet monkeys randomly typing or saying the same thing is validation of nothing. Two journalists agreeing is monkey chatter – noise.
  
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dustbunnieskill
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 11:37am
What A Farking Moron

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- GuruMeditation
  Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:52pm
  Yeah. Something like that ;-)
  
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