Controversial Mascots Research Paper

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It is 2016; many view this as a time nearly free of discrimination. Sure, we have come a long way, but not far enough. Americans love to go home and watch the big game and cheer on their favorite team. Fans go all out to show their support for their favorite players: Team logos are plastered nearly everywhere. It is time to step back and think about what the name of the team, which fans have been shouting at the top of their lungs, really means. Many names are insensitive to the group they are supposed to be representing, using stereotypes to show team spirit. There are people behind that name; their complexity cannot be properly presented in a halftime show. There is no excuse to dehumanize population. Controversial mascots need to be banned, with enough support. Native Americans are often stereotyped to be used as mascots. The team who’s name has been most prevalent in the news lately is the NFL’s Washington Redskins; redskins is categorized as a racial slur. Many Atlanta Braves fans are pushing to put an end to their mascot controversy. “A grass-roots movement inspired by Brown gained momentum on social media over the weekend as thousands using the hashtag #DeChief called on the Cleveland team to retire Chief Wahoo — and on Nike to stop producing merchandise with that logo.” (Brady). The University of North Dakota, formerly know as the fighting Sioux dropped their mascot to be more politically correct. They are now only referred to by their school name. “The University of Iowa Hawkeyes, the University of Wisconsin Badgers and the University of Minnesota Gophers will not play nonconference games against teams using Indians as mascots or symbols.” (Simon) Native Americans are not the only ones that have been targeted; mascots are modeled after other races as well. …show more content…
The Coachella Valley Arabs changed their mascot to the mighty arabs and reduced the stereotypical features in their costume mascot, as if that changed the fact that they are using an ethnicity to represent a high school. Pekin High School Chinks, whose school is named after the Chinese city of Peking, changed their mascot to the dragons in 1980. (Simon) Non-Native American ethnic mascots are much less prevalent today, since there has been a stronger push to get rid of them. It is strange that certain ethnic groups are paramount to others. It has not been until somewhat recently that there has been outrage over indian mascots. Controversial mascots are not limited to ethnic groups. Freeburg High School’s mascot the midgets is just outright shocking. It all comes back to a short basketball player that played centuries ago. (The Associated Press) The Centralia Orphans are a high school who came up with their mascot in the 1940s. “They came out, they didn’t have the right uniforms, there was bad weather. They looked ragged in their torn uniforms,” said Reid Shipley. “A reporter made the comment that they look like a bunch of orphans, but they sure can play basketball.”("Centralia Orphans Win Unique Mascot Contest") These could be very offensive to people who have dwarfism or are orphans. Mascots like this do not celebrate their namesake in any way; they only mock them. When a school works hard to ensure that the mascot is honoring instead of mocking a tribe, beautiful things happen. “In April 2014, the Ute Indian Tribe recommitted its support for the use of the Ute name. In turn, the U has committed to increase recognition of the rich human history of our state and recognizing the many ways Native American tribes in Utah continue to strengthen our communities.” (“Ute History”) Florida State offers an elective entitled “History of the Seminoles and Southeastern Tribes, Pre-Contact to Present” (Culpepper). “The course — born in 2006, hatched right after the NCAA clamored about changing Native American mascots, conceived with input from the Seminole Tribe of Florida — doubles as epitome. It demonstrates the unusual bond between a 41,000-strong university way up in the Florida Panhandle and a 4,000-strong tribe that history shoved into the Everglades and below Lake Okeechobee and way down almost to Miami, some 400 miles from Room 208 of the HCB Classroom Building. It helps explain why, if Native American mascots keep ebbing in the United States through the 21st

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