[KHOU.com] Lamar Student Beaten because she couldn't speak Spanish

When I graduated I actually know lots of people who went to the Ivy's. Quite a few from the IB program actually did well. But I can imagine that these numbers are probably falling since the school's condition is very poor.

I saw a website about how schools are doing in tests academically in HISD. It says that HSPVA is #1 with nearly perfect scores across the board. Bellaire came in number 2 and Lamar came with a close 3. This was from 2-3 years ago tho. I don't know how they are now. I don't really wanna know. So Lamar was a pretty decent school, but nothing top-notch like what it was in the 80's... at least not when I graduated.

In my last year at Lamar, there were LOTS of teachers who left that school. I guess the teachers saw this coming and made the right decision and got the hell out before it was too late. We lost some REALLY good teachers too.. it was a shame. My orchestra teacher left for Stratford High this year because.. well.. obvious. He said he wanted to better his situation and it's a better opportunity for him. Lamar's music program has gown down dramatically... Their orchestra and band are a dismal. They get practically no funds. I can imagine all the other programs.

And for that comment about the principal's son at Lamar. That is VERY true. He's one F*cked up kid, he graduated with my class and I actually had a couple classes with him.. he got away with so many things since he's the principal's kid. He even tried to sell me drugs outside of the bathroom before English class. Weird. Then there were these kids who always are trying to sell me drinks and p*rn.

But just wanna clear things out, Principal McSwain adopted his kid (to be unnamed).. he basically adopted him and a couple of his brothers from a rough upbringing. They were ALREADY f*cked up when he got them, so I don't view it as his fault. He's trying to help. Too bad he spent all of the school's money on non-education related crap. If you guys ever take a glimpse into his office... DAYM, he really spent some dough on that.

One more thing, I think who's to blame is HISD and the Gov't. They aren't funding us our schools enough. I saw in the news that several school was stripped of their examplary status because of poor performance and 'cheating'. This I think is pure bullpoop. They're using these schools as a scapegoat. The schools are doing this because they are underfunded already and they cannot afford to lose more funds. If Texas would give them more money, at least sufficient ammount of money, we wouldn't hear any of this.

 

it is not the majority, but there is definately an undercurrent of "reconquistas" or "aztlan" types that would like for the southwest to be returned to mexico, who they feel are the rightful owners. i hear it all the time. you can read writings from professors from u.t. calling for it.

i was at a party a couple months ago and there was a group of hispanic guys and i overheard them in english talking about how white people this and white people that. how they were here first, ect. heard them making deragatory comments about "pinche gueros".

one guy comes and asks for a cigarette in spanish and than starts asking me out of the blue "de donde?". i told him texas and he gets mad and in my face saying "TEJAS - TEJAS". he asked "de donde, los estados o mexico?" i wasnt playing along and kept telling him "texas". he was just trying to start crap with me for no reason. the whole conversation was in spanish, but as he walks away he says in good english, "thanks for the smoke wey".

again, most hispanics in america arent like this, but enough are.

EDIT - just to clairfy so i dont get accussed of anything, my grandfather is a first generation hispanic-american. i have alot of family who is hispanic and i do consider it one part of my own culture. (no im not pulling a new yorker )

 

Cultural pride in non-white minorities is an historical, trained response to a society that excluded and disempowered them for centuries. Just like driven, ambitious, intelligent and creative black children only focusing on music and sports, because historically they weren't allowed to do anything else. It's counterintuitive as Hell, but understandable, symbolic and ultimately harmless, considering that non-white minorities lack the political or economic power to exert these feelings in any substantive manner, especially outside of big cities.

 

That explains the whole Judo thing

Seriously though, that happens within all ethnic minorities. Some American born Indians (from the subcontinent, that is, not the Natives) refer to those with a trademark Indian accent or recent migrants as "fobs", while the recent migrants make fun of them for trying too hard to be 'Americanized' and 'selling out' their heritage/losing their cultural uniqueness, i.e. forgetting that they're Indians and trying to 'act White'. There are similar attitudes within many ethnic minority groups.

So yes, it's not uncommon or somehow 'unique' to Hispanics...

 

I went to Lamar from 82-86. Were you there during those years?

 

i'm screwed!!!

 

Yep. 1983- 1987.

 

I'll have to look you up in a year book, see if you look familiar.

 

^ Good luck. I wasn't very popular and was kind of geeky so outside of debate and industrial arts I wasn't very well known.