Coachella Valley Arabs ... UPDATE: This article has been updated to remove the Robstown High School mascot, the Cottonpickers. In the '50s, the school traded the horseman for two new drawings: a standing figure with a scimitar and the angry face of an older man wearing a fez. The Coachella Valley High School Arabs The Arabs, whose former mascot was a deeply offensive stereotype of a bearded Middle Eastern man, changed their name in … Ramirez also cited the Middle East influence in community names such as Mecca, Oasis and Arabia. Coachella Valley High School's mascot, "Arab," dances to the band during a pep rally at the school in Thermal, Calif. in 2005. Although this new design has the blessing of the anti-discrimination group, it still needs approval from the east valley school board. "We took our time to get the opinion of that logo, and it was overwhelmingly positive.". Coachella Valley's new "Mighty Arab" mascot was a compromise with a Civil Rights group based in Washington D.C. Coachella Valley High School's mascot, which appears as a sneering man with a scraggly beard, hooked nose and a headscarf, has been retired, the … Coachella Valley High School's mascot, which appears as a sneering man with a scraggly beard, hooked nose and a headscarf, has been retired, the Desert Sun reported. On Thursday, Abed Ayoub, a representative of the anti-discrimination committee, said the retirement of the mascot was a good first step. Last summer, she … A California school district will work with a civil rights group and a committee to change the appearance of the controversial “Arab” mascot at Coachella Valley High School, school administrators said Tuesday. A Southern California high school sports team called the "Arabs" is not scoring any points for its name. Coachella Valley High School in Riverside County has retired its controversial Arab mascot following opposition from anti-discrimination groups. School pep teams even lead belly dances during halftime shows. "We hope that those witnessing our collaboration will follow our lead and keep their eyes, ears and hearts open to the feelings of others.". Their mascot: Rajah, a bearded man wearing a Sikh-like turban. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. However, as criticism mounted online, support grew at home. Arab-American rights group says Coachella Valley High School's mascot is an offensive caricature, portraying Arabs with a large nose, beard and head-covering. For decades, Coachella Valley High's mascot has been the Arab, a menacing-looking man with a hooked nose and a head wrap. The committee said it approves of the new design, the Desert Sun reported. A view of Coachella Valley High School in Thermal. (Marilyn Chung/AP) Although the Arab mascot is gone from the sidelines, his face is still everywhere at Coachella Valley High. Tuskegee Airman From LA Dies of COVID-19 Days Before 101st Birthday, Glendale Man Arrested for Allegedly Spitting on People While Jogging, Copyright © 2021 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The letter prompted a story by Al Jazeera America, the U.S. branch of the leading Arab news network, and quickly spread to USA Today and other national news organizations, sparking a slew of online criticism against the school. Coachella Valley High School has retired the "Arab," a bearded mascot used at school football games that wears a headscarf and sports an oversized hooked nose, as … The latest developments in the debate over Coachella Valley High School’s mascot, the Arab, will be announced Tuesday at a news conference with the district and a civil-rights group. Coachella Valley High has used an Arab mascot since the 1920s, when the school unveiled a drawing of a lance-wielding horseman with a striped headscarf. Other school buildings are covered in murals that have been called stereotypical, including a lamp and a book that looks like a flying carpet. Coachella Valley High School's mascot, "Arab," dances to the band during a pep rally at the school in Thermal, Calif. in 2005. ADC is appalled at the use of a caricature depicted to be an "Arab" as the official mascot of the Coachella Valley High School. Washington, D.C. | www.adc.org | September 11, 2014 – The Board of Trustees of the Coachella Valley Unified School District and Superintendent Dr. Darryl Adams announced a 5-0 vote to accept a new iteration of the Coachella Valley High School mascot and logo, as well as an additional word added to the team name. AP Coachella Valley High School's mascot, "Arab," dances to the band during a pep rally at the school in Thermal, Calif. Arab mascot controversy. The costumed mascot has been retired from the field. Coachella Valley High School Announces Mascot Change To 'Mighty Arabs' By Staff Reporter Sep 11, 2014 11:03 AM EDT After a D.C. civil rights group accused Coachella Valley High School in California of "oriental stereotyping" with its mascot, the school honchos agreed to change its mascot name from "The Arabs" to the "Mighty Arabs," the school announced Tuesday according to The Desert … Coachella Valley High School Announces New Mascot. After gathering opinions from the Arab-American community, many felt the mascot was demeaning and the group decided to act, said Abed A. Ayoub, the group's director of legal and policy affairs. Coachella Valley High School has long used the “Arab” mascot with traditional Arab head covering, but recently changed its website to reflect an updated mascot. The school mascot, "Arabs", was named in the 1930s to honor the once large Arab colony involved in the date palm growing industry. In 1931, Coachella Valley High School started using the name “Arab” for their mascot. After 2009, when former student Colleen Murphy graduated high school, she started taking an issue with her school’s mascot, the Indian. The controversy began last November when a community member of Coachella Valley High School in Coachella, Calif., located just east of Palm Springs, brought the mascot to the attention of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. Coachella Valley High School in Riverside County is catching heat for using an "Arab" for its mascot and is fielding complaints that the school should change the mascot due to its offensive nature. First, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee sent its letter objecting to the mascot. For 83 years, Coachella Valley High School has rallied behind a mascot with a snarling face, a hooked nose, a heavy beard and wearing a headscarf — the campus’ beloved Arab. 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