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Lawmaker Wants Education on Mexican Repatriation
A lot of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans were treated unfairly during the Great Depression, and a state lawmaker wants to make sure it never happens again.

State Sen. William Delgado (D-Chicago) is sponsoring legislation that would force public elementary and high schools in Illinois to teach its students about Mexican Repatriation. This was a time during the Great Depression (the late 1920s to the mid 1940s) when Mexican immigrants were deported to Mexico, and Mexican-Americans (those of Mexican descent born in the U.S.) were sent there as well. The U.S. government's aim was to reserve already scarce jobs for "real Americans."

Delgado's bill is making its way through the Illinois Senate and, if passed, would take effect Jan. 1, 2010. But with the state's budget crisis, Delgado says he'd be willing to start the program incrementally until there's enough money to start it fully. Under his plan, the state superintendent would provide instructional materials to give to individual school boards across the state. The boards would then take the material and decide how much time to spend on it.

Delgado says this legislation is important, especially during tough economic times similar to the Great Depression, because people must learn about history so they don't repeat it.

(Illinois Radio Network)
03 15 09 by Newsroom
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