VII SUPPORTING LETTERS BY ACADEMICS AND SCHOLARS » Stereotypes, Errors In Calif. Textbooks
Stereotypes, Errors In Calif. Textbooks
Published in IndiaWest, 22nd December 2005
Dear Editor,
In reference to the article, “Controversy Erupts over Curriculum Changes in Calif. Textbooks” (I-W, Dec. 2), there were some errors in the report. In September, Jewish, Islamic, and Hindu groups met with the California Curriculum Commission. They pointed out stereotypes and errors in the textbooks. They were concerned that controversial and racist statements could create xenophobia in the minds of American students and also negatively impact the identity formation of Jewish, Hindu, and Muslim-American children.
The Commission reviewed the recommendations and issued a notice on Nov. 8 approving 499 of the 684 edits. Some of the edits were corrections of glaring mistakes, such as: “Hindi is written with the Arabic alphabet.” Jewish and Hindu analysts were both concerned by the lack of capitalization of the word “god.” ICS (Institute for Curriculum Services, representing Jewish perspectives) and the HEF (Hindu Education Foundation) objected to the word “story” in reference to their scriptures, because “it conveys the idea that the events described are fictitious.”
The ICS warned, “gratuitous material that paints Jews as wicked people who deserve to be punished is not suitable for a public school text book. It brings in a very negative perspective of Jews that can promote anti-Semitism in the classroom…” The Hindu scholars noted several passages that mocked and trivialized their faith: “The monkey king Hanuman loved Rama so much that it is said that he is present every time the Ramayana is told. So look around-see any monkeys?” Making fun of Hinduism does not lead American students towards a respectful understanding of religions in India.
The ICS suggested narratives about Judaism should include “ethical monotheism” as “Judaism’s key contribution to western thought and values.” Hindus carefully defined the word “Dharma”-central to their faith. Like the Jewish groups, the Hindu groups requested subtle changes such as the heading, “Hindu Beliefs About Multiple Gods,” should be replaced with the more accurate: “Hindu Beliefs About Various Forms of God.” The requests from all three groups were realistic.
On Nov. 8, a professor from Harvard University sent a hastily written letter to the State Board of Education. He vehemently objected to the input from a particular group of American citizens-revealing a contemptuousness of the democratic process. Out of the three groups, he singled out Hindus for condemnation. Since he had not read their editorial suggestions, his critique was based on preexisting bias, not data. He targeted his assault specifically against Hindu-Americans, not against Jewish and Islamic citizens of California. The anti-Hindu correspondence was a momentary surprise for the Curriculum Committee, who initially invited the professors into the process. Then, on closer examination, most of the anti-Hindu editorial “corrections” suggested by the professors were ultimately rejected by the Curriculum Committee and the majority of the editorial decisions, made before the professors intruded, were retained. The State of California did not allow biased professors with a political agenda to infringe on the rights of American citizens-just because they are Hindus.
Many members of the Curriculum Committee were astonished at the flippant attitude of the self-appointed critics of Hinduism. One textbook stated “The Ramayana [was] written later than the Mahabharata.” HEF corrected this error: “The Ramayana [was] written prior to the Mahabharata.” The professors commented, “Who in Sixth Grade cares which epic was ‘written’ first?” This shows a blatant disregard for fact. Luckily, after their initial shock at the hate-mail sent from such a high-sounding source, the Curriculum Committee saw through the bias and slander and granted most of the earlier editorial changes that put the textbook descriptions of Hinduism on the same objective level as Islam and Judaism.
Yvette C. Rosser, Ph.D.,
Curriculum and Instruction
MA & BA, South Asian Studies
Via E-mail