Story Time For the Fourth of July”

My latest column in Civitas Outlook is a bit personal, and reflects a recent trip to a Houston-area library. It is titled, “Immigration Indoctrination: Story Time For the Fourth of July”

Here is the opening:

I recently took my young children to the public library for an early celebration of America’s 250th Birthday. Perhaps naively, I expected a patriotic gathering that would help my kids feel proud of America. No such luck. During story time, the librarian could have selected any children’s book about American history, independence, or what made America exceptional. Instead, she chose a book that spent every page talking about immigrants coming to America. The second page depicted Africans in chains being transported against their will on boats to the United States. Then every subsequent page repeated that maxim that people were allowed to come to America without regard to their race, gender, or religion. One page showed political refugees from the war-torn Middle East. Another page showed migrant workers from Mexico. And so on. I doubt any of the young children had the slightest clue what the book was trying to convey. But the kindly librarian thought this book was not only appropriate for an America 250 celebration but was important for toddlers to learn from.

The library also featured a shelf highlighting books with immigration themes. I randomly pulled a book that was in both English and Spanish. It relays the experience of being a migrant child. The book depicts a family in Mexico living on a farm. There are two children, and the mother is visibly pregnant. The father says, “Pack your bags. We’re going to the States to have a better life.” For the children, the only thing needed to enter the United States was a desire for a better life. The next page depicts the children riding in a car without their mother and father. The caption reads, “We traveled north by bus and car. Some people had to help us cross the international bridge.” I presume this was a way to teach young children about coyotes and smugglers. The following page shows the family reunited in Los Angeles, with the mother having now given birth. Birthright citizenship in action. The imagery and messaging were very deliberate.

The upshot of both books was clear: America is a sinful nation for slavery, but what makes America great is admitting aliens from the poorest and most dangerous countries in the world. Mind you, this event was intended for children as young as three years old. There are many salacious reports about “Drag Queen Story Time,” while “Immigration Indoctrination Story Time” flies under the radar. This sort of thing happens in every library and school across the country. Were parents really expected to explain slavery in chains to toddlers who are tethered by backpack-leashes? Should parents discuss what it means to exclude people on the basis of race, gender, and religion? Did the librarian anticipate that one of the dads in the room was a law professor who could recount how our immigration laws were entirely based on race for much of American history?

And the conclusion:

Liberal asymmetries are difficult to break. They are so deeply embedded in every facet of our institutions that those in the conservative legal movement refused to acknowledge their existence. Story time at the library is an early opportunity for indoctrination. The first step to equalize asymmetries is to address them candidly and move past arguments that shut down the debate. Next time I’ll do more than quietly leave Story Time. Other parents should do so as well.