Posted on April 1, 2005

Uproar Over Alhambra Student’s Newspaper Column on Hispanics

AP, Mar. 31

ALHAMBRA, Calif. — A student’s column in the Alhambra High School newspaper saying Hispanics lag behind Asians academically because they lack parent support has divided the campus and led to threats against the writer.

“He wrote an article saying that Mexicans are laggards,” sophomore Janine Rubalcaba said Wednesday. “He can have his own opinion, but the school shouldn’t let him write it. He should have kept it to himself if he thinks that about us.”

Columnist Robin Zhou has been threatened with physical harm by other students, school authorities said. Teachers have discussed the column in class and one teacher, according to the Star-News, reportedly scrawled “Racist’ on the article and pinned it on the chalkboard.

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Zhou’s “Nerd Rants” column in the March 22 issue of The Moor student newspaper said cultural factors such as “Hispanic parents who are well-meaning but less active” help explain the gap in academic performance between Asians and Hispanics.

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