MAS Texas
Ph (713) 867-8943
Mexican American Studies Day Friday, May 1, 2015
Mexican American Studies Day
A New Tradition Preserving Traditions
Thanks for your interest in joining MAS Texas.
Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante (713) 867-8943 AztecMuse@aol.com
Houston, TX (March 13, 2015)- Cinco De Mayo is not celebrated in Mexico. And folks in the U.S. don't really know what it's about anyway.
The NACCS Tejas Foco is here to save the day with Mexican American Studies Day.
Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante, Chair of the 2015 NACCS Tejas Foco Mexican American Studies Conference, said, "Cinco de Mayo is almost a perfect metaphor for the Latino condition in the U.S. We are on everybody's mind. Folks like our food. Folks want to know more about us. But sometimes when folks try their hardest, even with good intentions, they get us all wrong. If everyone studied Mexican American Studies courses, people would understand the cultural context of Cinco de Mayo. That's what Mexican American Studies Day is all about."
In a further effort to raise awareness about MAS, the Tejas Foco will also participate in the lobby day in Austin to support "A Latina/o K-12 and Higher Education Policy Agenda in TX" put forward by the Senate Hispanic Caucus and Mexican American Legislative Caucus Latina/o Education Task Force.
At the 2015 NACCS Tejas Foco Business Meeting in Houston, a resolution was passed to send a letter to all Texas Public University Presidents in support of
the policy agenda, highlighting the policy's recommendation to fund Mexican American Studies Departments, Centers and Programs at Institutions of Higher Education. (Click for a link to the letter.)
NACCS Tejas Foco members will participate in the Higher Education Day Policy Agenda Lobby Day, Monday, March 16. (Click here for more information.)
They will also continue to work to support education on May 1, by commemorating Mexican American Studies day throughout Texas.
Who: Cities and towns across Texas.
What: Commemoration of Mexican American Studies Day
When: Friday, May 1, 2015.
Where: (Tentatively) Morning. Austin, Capitol Building.
(Tentatively) Afternoon: In cities and towns all over Texas, starting with Houston.
Why: Recent reports prove that students who enrolled in Mexican American Studies courses graduated at higher rates than those who did not. Cinco de Mayo is the perfect time to examine how culturally relevant instruction can improve educational opportunities for students.
