California high school's Arab mascot draws ire

[The Straight Story]

THERMAL, Calif. — A high school here is being pressured to abandon its team name — the Arabs — and mascot because of accusations that is derogatory.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in Washington sent a letter last week to the Coachella Valley Unified School District, chastising education officials for allowing "gross stereotyping" at Coachella Valley High School in school murals, football halftime shows and the mascot in general.

"ADC is appalled at the use of a caricature depicted to be an 'Arab' as the official mascot of the high school," the letter states. "The image of the Coachella Valley High School mascot depicts a man with a large nose, heavy beard and wearing a kaffiay, (often spelled in English as keffiyeh) or traditional Arab head covering."

"The 'Arab' mascot image is a harmful form of ethnic stereotyping which should be eliminated," Abed Ayoub, director of legal and policy affairs for the anti-discrimination committee, wrote in the letter. "By allowing continued use of the term and imagery, you are commending and enforcing the negative stereotypes of an entire ethnic group, millions of whom are citizens of this nation."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/07/arab-team-mascot-ethnic-slur/3461059/

[Brickbat]

1. Seems like it's time to change that one.

According to the Coachella Valley High School Alumni Association, the mascot was chosen in the 1920s to acknowledge the importance of date farming, a traditionally Middle Eastern crop, in the east valley. The school with an enrollment of almost 3,000 was opened in 1910.

[The Straight Story]

2. I wonder if the mascot has any issues with the TSA when traveling

[FSogol]

3. DUzy!