I was not aware of (but also not surprised by) a lot of the things in the videos that we watched for module 1.
I really loved Danielle Bainbridge's explanation of The Origin of Race in the USA -- it was presented in such a thoughtful way.
The segments about Native Americans and Mexican workers at the border were much darker... and far too close in the rearview mirror of history for comfort -- I had known about some of this history (e.g. Native American "adoptions"), but washing down border crossers with kerosene was something I hadn't heard of.
I can't believe that today's politicians who talk about "dirty" immigrants truly know this history. If they do know it then they are racist and disgusting... if they don't know it then they're just ignorant (though no less dangerous).
I'm also angry that this history was not taught to me when I was a child. If the schools won't teach it today I will tell my young children myself. I will do this not to make the hate America or to feel ashamed of their country, but to help them (and myself) understand what our privilege is built on.
And hopefully our country can take a chapter from the Germans and Australians: to deal with and make amends for our past rather than lie about it and use it to divide communities.
