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Mexicans Dangerous To Our Civilization, Schools and Moral Tone Says Head. 'FACTS ARE PRESENTED. Fifty Per Cent of Insane and Feeble Minded In County Are of Mexican Race. “Give us a chance to make proper American citizens out of the Mexicans by not flooding this country with them’, was the plea made by Mrs. Blanche T. Reynolds, Ventura county superintendent of schools, in conclud ing her talk on Mexicans and educa tion, at the Rotary club luncheon held this noon at Hotel Oxnard. Wesley Krauser was program chairman of the day. Two points, what it costs in dollars and morale to the citizens of Ventura county to have the Mexicans in our county under the present immigration agreement, were presented by Mrs. Reynolds to the Rotarians. In the school census which was made on the behalf of the state dur ing last year showed in Ventura county 14,887 children under 18 years of age. Of this number, 4,886 or 33 per cent were Mexicans. Even all of the Mexi cans could not be counted for they scattered like quail when the officer came to see them, said Mrs. Reynolds. Money spent for school children dur ing the period ending June 30, 1927 amounted to $517,000. Taking one third of that amount, or $172,000 were spend for the education of Mexicans which the public at large spent as part of their school expense. Mexicans have a stumbling block in their advancement for higher educa tion. First they have the handicap of language, said Mrs. Reynolds. This is a very serious one as they have to learn the language from the ground up. Another inconvenience is the ir regular attendance of the average, Mexican child, necessitating truant of ficers. And then the average time for the Mexican child to go through one of the grades is two years which drags down the average for the American child. This is due again to the migra tory actions of the Mexicans who do not stay in one community very long at one time. Mrs. Reynolds then approached the situation from a different standpoint. Seventy-three percent of the juven ile court cases are Mexican children, Mrs. Reynolds said, and out of the total of 369 persons in our jails last year, 165 were Mexicans, showing the large crime cost of the Mexican that costs money to the American tax payers. Again quoting other figures, Mrs. Reynolds pointed out that 50 per cent of the feeble minded of the population of Ventura county are Mexicans and that 50 per cent of our hospital cases at the Ventura County General hos pital were Mexicans. It cost the county $238,000 to hospitalize these people during 1927, Mrs. Reynolds showed. Again quoting figures, Mrs. Rey nolds pointed out that seven out of every 12 persons in San Quentin pri son from Ventura county were Mexi cans. Which shows the high convict price that American citizens pay for giving justice to Mexican law-break ers. The lowering by the Mexicans of the moral and health tone of our chil dren, and of the general community, which was more important than money and schools, was the second point stressed by Mrs. Reynolds. The Mexicans are not immoral, she said as they are merely immoral. They don't know any better. With their present standards they will lower and undermine our lives and standards eventually if floeds of them are let in in the future as at present,”’ concluded Mrs. Reynolds. Following Mrs. Reynolds’ talk, a lively discussion took place on the floor, which was postponed by Presi den “Dick” Haydock till a future meet ing can take care of the question. As another part of the program, Russell Havens gave two banjo numbers responding with an encore. Paul Lehmann lead the singing,
Newspaper Details
Oxnard Daily Courier
Oxnard, California, US
Tue, Jan 31, 1928
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Jane S.
