Mexicans Stand by Zacarias in a Fight for Respect

In folklore, in literature, in history and in song, Mexicans have a long and proud tradition of not backing down in the face of adversity. They don’t always win, but they’re expected to go down fighting.

Just ask Nativo Lopez, member and former president of the Santa Ana Unified School District board. A few years ago, you’ll recall, he fought for his political survival against unfounded charges that he had helped defeat former Congressman Bob Dornan through voter fraud.

The allegations were never proved and Lopez triumphed, partly because the Latino community, including some of his former critics, rallied around him.

Now, a new conflict is swirling around another education leader with deep roots in the Mexican American community. This time, we’re witnessing the Public Emasculation of Ruben Zacarias, L.A.’s beloved and besieged school superintendent. Zacarias is older and more conservative than Lopez, and he’s not being accused of any crime. But the furor around his symbolic demotion has once again stirred community passions and divisions.

Latinos have reacted with particular agony and outrage at the spectacle of a leader of Zacarias’ stature being ignominiously stripped of power by the new school board majority. In their zeal to appear so darn decisive in confronting entrenched district problems, the split board transferred most authority to a new chief executive, Howard Miller. But instead of firing Zacarias, in some sort of misguided mercy they allowed the veteran Mexican American educator to keep his title and little else, turning him into a foolish figurehead.

Now, some people express surprise that the issue--which started with finger-pointing over environmentally toxic school sites--has become the latest ethnic crisis for Southern California.

Critics say they’re astounded Zacarias would consult a lawyer and try to fight back. Pundits mock Latino parents who have rallied behind the former principal, accusing them of blindly playing “ethnic politics.” Even The Times, in an editorial that rang a little aloof, recommended that Zacarias should just be a good boy and roll over, advising the man to pack up his 30 years worth of plaques and community commendations and crawl home.

Doesn’t anybody in this town understand Mexicans?

A popular mariachi song captures the essence of this part of the Mexican psyche: “Ay, Jalisco, no te rajes.” It’s a rousing call to the state and the people of Jalisco to stand tall. Literally, the saying (from the verb rajar) means don’t crack or split.

In other words, stay whole. Preserve your integrity.

You can hear that same exhortation in scores of situations, from schoolyard scraps to daring on the battlefield. It applies most aptly in the face of some injustice or abuse. No te rajes: Don’t let them push you--and by extension, us--around.

So it’s not machismo, exactly. It’s a matter of respect. And few civic leaders have been tarnished with such gross disrespect for their office and their person. Ethnicity aside, it should offend our human sensibilities to witness the political neutering of a dignified and decent man.

Is Zacarias doing a bad job? Don’t ask me. The district hasn’t even given him the benefit of a formal job evaluation. Without that, I wouldn’t presume to judge the man’s performance from my distance.

But performance is not the point. Some Latino leaders privately agree that it might be best for Zacarias to step aside. Now, however, they’ve been forced to rally around him because of the underhanded and arrogant manner in which he was, well, castrated.

By deciding Zacarias’ fate in secret, the trustees ignored the long struggle of Latinos to have a say in civic institutions.

Nowadays, it’s fashionable to think that ethnic groups don’t need to elect one of their own to be well represented. Los Angeles school trustee David Tokofsky, for example, used that very argument to win his seat in a heavily Latino district. On the Zacarias issue, he voted with the board’s only Mexican American member, Victoria Castro, against defrocking the superintendent without public debate.

Believe it or not, Tokofsky and I used to go dancing together, when Tara, now his wife, was in my salsa class. He’s not the greatest rumbero, even he admits it. And some Latino critics say he hasn’t been their favorite school official. But perhaps the salsa experience gave this Jewish gentleman a feel for the rhythm of the street. At least he appears to have anticipated the backlash the board’s movida (dirty move) would unleash.

By contrast, the board majority seems way out of step with Latino culture and values. So instead of solving the district’s problems, they inflamed ethnic divisions and created an even bigger mess.

Am I saying the board needs to tiptoe around every group’s silly pride? No, Mexicans also know how to face consequences gracefully.

So fire Zacarias, if you must. Just give the man back his dignity.

Beyond culture, there’s also a practical reason for the board to rescind its rash action. It sends the wrong message to Latino students: For what good does it do them to get an education if they’re going to grow up and be treated like this?

There’s a lesson for Zacarias in the fact that by standing his ground, Lopez defeated his enemies in Orange County. On Friday, the silver-haired activist attended a banquet in Irvine for a scholarship program, the Hispanic Education Endowment Fund. The program honored outstanding teachers and recognized recent scholarship winners.

Not long ago, some considered Lopez a certain political casualty. When I left the banquet Friday, he was dancing in a conga line.

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Agustin Gurza’s column appears Tuesday and Saturday. Readers can reach Gurza at (714) 966-7712 or agustin.gurza@latimes.com.