In an age in which the Super Bowl comes draped in red, white, and blue bunting, there are seemingly very few sporting events at which it's not OK to express your patriotism. And yet, high school students at Alamo Heights in San Antonio, Texas, were recently reprimanded for chanting "USA! USA!" after their basketball team won against rival Edison. Why? Edison is predominantly Hispanic. Alamo Heights officials quickly apologized for what many viewed as a racist dig, but some in the community say the school overreacted. Was the chant racist?
Yes. The sentiment couldn't have been clearer: The Alamo students implied that Edison's kids "are not American," Leslie Price, a spokesperson for San Antonio's school district, tells Fox News. The cheer was racially motivated, not patriotic, and was "chanted selectively at a school that is predominantly Hispanic." There's a place for "competitiveness and rivalry, but you need to choose your words and think about the meaning behind them."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
5 sleeper hit cartoons about Trump's struggles to stay awake in courtCartoons Artists take on courtroom tranquility, war on wokeness, and more
-
The true story of Feud: Capote vs. The SwansIn depth The writer's fall from grace with his high-flying socialite friends in 1960s Manhattan is captured in a new Disney+ series
-
Scottie Scheffler: victory for the 'pre-eminent golfer of this era'Why Everyone's Talking About Masters victory is Scheffler's second in three years
