Tucson School Board Removes Ban On Latino Studies Books

One could make the argument that Arizona is Ground Zero in the American immigration saga. An ugly episode in this drama is reactionary attempts to muffle the Grand Canyon State's Latinos' political and social voices. To that end, the Tucson Unified School District had banned a number of books offered in "ethnic studies" programs. The resulting uproar principally served to tarnish the district's reputation.

Recently, the district voted to rescind the censorship decision. According to Los Angeles Times article, seven titles were reinstated. Meanwhile, the district has claimed the books were never really banned. They were available in school libraries or "stored in district warehouses." How storage equalled access was not discussed.

Russell Pearce, Author of Arizona's Controversial Immigration Law, Faces Recall Election

Arizona State Senate president Russell Pearce (photo), who authored controversial legislation aimed at the state's immigrant population, is facing a recall election this November. An Arizona court recently ruled against a legal objection to the recall by Pearce's attorney. Pearce, a Republican from Mesa, a Phoenix suburb, will face two GOP contestants in the election.

According to a story in the Arizona Republic, one of the hopefuls is alleged to be a "stealth" candidate sympathetic to Pearce. The candidate's goal is purportedly to drain votes from the non-Pearce competition.

Pearce made his national name aggressively and very publicly sponsoring SB 1070, a state law that targets those people whom law enforcement has reason to suspect are illegal immigrants. Here's a brief summary of the statute, taken from an Arizona Republic story:

The text of SB 1070 permits, but does not require, a law-enforcement officer to transport a person who does not have proof of legal status to a federal facility. It requires officers to inquire about a person's status when practicable, and it requires them to determine an arrested individual's status before releasing that person.

Pearce became a Tea Party darling for his immigration position. He's also garnered the attention of other right-wing organizations, such as the Club for Growth. If this support scenario sounds familiar, you've heard it earlier this year in connection with the Wisconsin recall elections.

In keeping with the initial political proxy struggles in Wisconsin, the right-wing is using "stealth" candidates in the Arizona contest on behalf of its favored candidates. Curiously, the stealth candidate is running against a fellow Republican. This situation suggests a split in the GOP, at least locally, between the party's ideologically charged wing and just about anyone else claiming the party of Lincoln and Bush as their own.

Pearce's political history, and his association with corrupt ventures such as big-time college football's Fiesta Bowl, is well worth reading. The Arizona Republic articles are a good place to start.