November 2, 2007

American Indians and Racism Today

To the Editor:

Michael Nelson's "Stereotype, Then and Now" (The Chronicle Review, October 5) gave a great background on the stereotypes used to malign American Indians at the Carlisle Indian School about a century ago. He used the term "redskin" in quoting past slurs.

Unfortunately, this word, like the N-word, has not disappeared, as he seems to assume. Instead, it has been given to a high-profile team, with people sporting it on caps, bumpers, and shirts. Although disgustingly