How the past plays a present role

Re “Assimilation plays no part in this history lesson,” Column, March 26

The honest examination and reconciliation of American history is vital not only to education in a pluralistic society but to achieving true democracy. The history I learned in public schools was predominantly Eurocentric in perspective and dishonest about the settlement of the Americas. My education did little to account for disparities in wealth, power and privilege along the lines of race.

The diverse people of America do not share the same historical experience. The vestiges of this nation’s past continue to stifle human development and impose second-class status on too many. Accounting for and reconciling our collective history is the only path to unleashing the power of this nation’s pluralism and realizing the higher tenets of democracy.

FRANK DE JESUS ACOSTA

Whittier

The writer, coauthor of “The History of Barrios Unidos: Healing Community Violence,” belongs to Barrios Unidos, dedicated to empowering Latino youth and families.

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The shame and anger that this native Californian often feels toward the modern mestizo movement are due to the selective account of history put forward, mainly the dismissal of the mestizos’ own Spanish descent. The movement then recommends turning toward any European to blame for the destruction of the Indian nations within New Spain post-1492. Few mestizos understand they share DNA with the murderers of the Aztec, Yaqui and Inca. They don’t understand that the Mayflower didn’t bring down Teotihuacan.

MATT MCLAUGHLIN

Santa Barbara

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How you see Aztec/Mexica history depends on who you are. I can still remember one of my students from Tlaxcala, Mexico, speaking with pride about a mural in a Tlaxcalan church that depicted Tlaxcalan soldiers defeating the Aztecs with the help of Hernando Cortes. Nelyollotl Toltecatl’s art depicts heritage, not history. California was never a part of Anahuac. Recent linguistic studies suggest strongly that Aztec origin was south, not north, of Anahuac. One must remember that the Mexica rewrote their history to justify their conquests.

THURBER D. PROFFITT

Orange

The writer teaches Mexican American history at Santa Ana College.