AP Of the Arab imagery at the school, the mascot was the most offensive, so it makes sense that he was the first to go, Ayoub said. 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 … A belly-dancing genie that often appears with the mascot during football games was also retired, according to the report. All rights reserved. After the school made national news, students and alumni rallied behind the mascot, demanding that the district leave it unchanged. All rights reserved. ADC is appalled at the use of a caricature depicted to be an "Arab" as the official mascot of the Coachella Valley High School. Coachella Valley High School in Riverside County has retired its controversial Arab mascot following opposition from anti-discrimination groups. 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. A Southern California high school sports team called the "Arabs" is not scoring any points for its name. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Reporter Brett Kelman can be reached by phone at (760) 778-4642, by email at brett.kelman@desertsun.com, or on Twitter @TDSbrettkelman. While the school has had the same mascot for more than 80 years, it is now being focused on as Muslims gain wider acceptance in American society. 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. David Hinkle, who graduated from the school in 1961, defended the Arab mascot, which he called a matter of school … 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. A California high school has ditched a controversial mascot that critics have denounced as offensive. Arab mascot controversy. Although the Arab mascot is gone from the sidelines, his face is still everywhere at CV High. Hinkle doesn't see it that way. Coachella Valley High School's mascot, "Arab," dances to the band during a pep rally at the school in Thermal, Calif. Then, suddenly, objections came from everywhere. For decades, Coachella Valley High's mascot has been the Arab, a menacing-looking man with a hooked nose and a head wrap. The sports teams at California's Coachella Valley High School are known as "the Arabs." He often appeared with a bellydancing genie during halftime. (Images: CVHS Alumni Association) (CNSNews.com) – Hot on the heels of the Washington Redskins name controversy, an Arab-American advocacy group wants a California high school to … Coachella Valley High School’s controversial Arab mascot has been replaced by a less sinister-looking character, but the school’s Arab nickname remains and the old guy’s hostile visage can still be observed all over campus. 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 Coachella Valley Unified School District confirmed Friday that it has retired the school… Currently Celebrating 111 years. Last summer, she … SUBSCRIBE NOW As low as $3 for 3 months. Football may be back at Coachella Valley High School, but the mascot is gone. The sports teams at California's Coachella Valley High School are known as "the Arabs." It is unclear when the board will address the logo issue. 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. Until 2014, the mascot was a snarling, hook-nosed caricature of an Arab man wearing a … Coachella Valley High School has agreed to redesign its Arab mascot (pictured), and ditch his belly-dancing genie sidekick, after complaints from anti-discrimination campaigners Many pointed to the mascot's deep roots: The school introduced its "Arab" identity more than 90 years ago to celebrate how the east valley date industry created a spiritual link with the Middle East. "We passed it around to experts and community members," Ayoub said. Coachella Valley High School is a public high school for grades 9-12. (Marilyn Chung/AP) Coachella Valley High School has retired an Arab mascot the school has used since the 1920s, following complaints from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) in November that the mascot was stereotypical and offensive. 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. © 2021 www.desertsun.com. But the school district has promised that more changes are coming. THERMAL, Calif. (KABC) -- Coachella Valley High School in Riverside County has retired its controversial Arab mascot. They also agreed to change CVHS ’ Arab mascot to look less barbaric and more distinguished. Coachella Valley High School's mascot, "Arab," dances to the band during a pep rally at the school in Thermal, Calif. in 2005. www.scpr.org/.../coachella-valley-hs-new-mighty-arabs-mascot On Thursday, Abed Ayoub, a representative of the anti-discrimination committee, said the retirement of the mascot was a good first step. Coachella Valley High School has retired the school’s controversial Arab mascot that prompted objections from an anti-discrimination group. A final resolution is expected to be announced publicly in the near future. 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. 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. Although the Arab mascot is gone from the sidelines, his face is still everywhere at Coachella Valley High. Ramirez also cited the Middle East influence in community names such as Mecca, Oasis and Arabia. The school's logo — the mascot's snarling face, with a single tooth — is still featured on the school's welcome sign, the school website and a giant mural on the campus gym. Although this new design has the blessing of the anti-discrimination group, it still needs approval from the east valley school board. On Thursday, Abed Ayoub, of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, will discuss the mascot with Superintendent Darryl Adams of the Coachella Valley Unified School District. Local news from across Southern California. A Southern California high school has retired a controversial Arab mascot that prompted objections from an anti-discrimination group last year. The Coachella Valley Unified School District confirmed Friday that it has retired the school's controversial "Arab" mascot that prompted objections from an anti-discrimination group last year. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee say the image of the Arab mascot on a carpet with … In 1931, Coachella Valley High School started using the name “Arab” for their mascot. Hinkle is not alone. The district submitted five options to the group last spring, Ayoub said. Coachella Valley High School’s Arab mascot logo has changed over the decades, from the original one on horseback, to one wielding a scimitar and wearing a fez, to the one used today, bottom right. 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. On Thursday, Abed Ayoub, of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, will discuss the mascot with Superintendent Darryl Adams of the Coachella Valley Unified School District. This logo was used for decades before anyone objected. "We hope that those witnessing our collaboration will follow our lead and keep their eyes, ears and hearts open to the feelings of others.". School pep teams even lead belly dances during halftime shows. Originally, the school's mascot was the "Arabs" with a mascot appearing at sporting events playing on stereotypical tropes, including: a thick … AP When the CV High football team takes the field against Rancho Mirage High for its season opener on Friday night, the mascot will be absent. First, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee sent its letter objecting to the mascot. 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 Coachella Valley High School Arabs will now be known as the Mighty Arabs, after the school district’s board of trustees voted 5-0 on Tuesday to amend the school’s team name. The school took the position that the name was a "gift" to the Arab peoples for their contribution to the economy of the … The anti-discrimination group has also approved one of the new designs for a school logo — a major milestone for choosing the new face of CV 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 Arab mascot costume was a cartoonish, headscarf-wearing man with a hooked nose, a thick beard and a devilish mustache. The group favored a new design: A stoic, strong-jawed man with a neatly trimmed beard, a white headscarf and his face half-covered in shadow. Until 2014, the mascot was a snarling, hook-nosed caricature of an Arab man wearing a … After the story went viral, both the Huffington Post and Cracked.com said the mascot was among the most tasteless and embarrassing in the country. ADC is appalled at the use of a caricature depicted to be an "Arab" as the official mascot of the Coachella Valley High School. 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. Coachella Valley Arabs ... UPDATE: This article has been updated to remove the Robstown High School mascot, the Cottonpickers. 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. (Photo courtesy CVUSD) It's kind of amazing that it took this long, but as of last week, the beloved Coachella Valley High School's mascot, "Arab," dances to the band during a pep rally at the school in Thermal, Calif. in 2005. 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. School pep teams … 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 … As a compromise, Coachella Valley Unified announced plans to keep the "Arab" name, but redesign the "Arab" face. Welcome to Coachella Valley High School, Home of the Mighty Arabs. The school mascot, "Arabs", was named in the 1930s to honor the once large Arab colony involved in the date palm growing industry. The costumed mascot has been retired from the field. This committee first proposed the redesigned logo that the anti-discrimination group has now approved. Coachella Valley High School's mascot, "Arab," dances to the band during a pep rally at the school in Thermal, Calif. Their mascot: Rajah, a bearded man wearing a Sikh-like turban. In a statement released Friday, Coachella Valley Unified said it would soon call a joint news conference with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee to discuss a final resolution to the mascot controversy. A view of Coachella Valley High School in Thermal. A California high school's decades-old use of an Arab mascot to promote its sports teams has drawn the ire of an Arab-American rights group that says the mascot is an offensive caricature,portraying Arabs with a large nose, beard and head-covering. The removal of these mascots is the first major change at CV High since the school came under fire last year. Inland schools rethink mascots as pressure mounts against … 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. School officials said the old mascot will be replaced by a stoic, neatly groomed man. However, as criticism mounted online, support grew at home. The costumed mascot has been retired from the field. "The District and the ADC are close to resolving this matter in a very positive manner," the district statement said. Not all Coachella Valley High alumni think a change is necessary. Football may be back at Coachella Valley High School, but the mascot is gone. 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. A physical education uniform available for $15 through Coachella Valley High School's web store shows "The Arab" mascot, which has become the center of … 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 well as a belly-dancing genie, according to the Desert Sun. "We took our time to get the opinion of that logo, and it was overwhelmingly positive.". California High School Under Fire Over 'Arab' Mascot . Ayoub wrote a letter to the district on Nov. 1 saying that cartoons, mugs and T-shirts of the mascot around the campus were examples of stereotyping, and should not be tolerated. For decades, Coachella Valley High's mascot has been the Arab, a menacing-looking man with a hooked nose and a head wrap. In the '80s, the angry face swapped the fez for a headscarf, becoming the school logo that exists today. Coachella Valley's new "Mighty Arab" mascot was a compromise with a Civil Rights group based in Washington D.C. He is proud to have played in the first football game between Coachella Valley High School's Arabs and Indio High School. These images — the mascot, the logo and murals — drew the attention of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, a civil rights group in Washington, D.C. 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