Professor Fights Latino Stereotypes in Textbook

Props to Dr. Nancy Rudner Lugo, a former professor of the University of Central Florida, for taking the school to task over negative Latino stereotyping, and losing her job in the process.

Dr. Rudner Lugo complained, in 2008, about a textbook that states that Mexicans binge drink. And as if that wasn’t enough, the book also says that Cubans like being overweight. So Dr. Rudner Lugo refused to use the text and her contract with the university was not renewed.

Now, she’s filed a suit in federal court against the university.

The school defends the use of the textbook, a “Guide to Culturally Competent Health Care,” and its contents which claim, according to Fox News Latino, that some “Mexicans use alcohol to make them emotionally and socially extroverted and more likely to engage in binge drinking than other groups.” And about Cubans: “In their culture, being overweight is seen as positive, healthy, and sexually attractive.”

The author of the book, Larry Purnell, of the University of Delaware, defended his work by saying “This is aggregate data. It’s true for the group, but not the individual.” The UCF says that the law suit has no merit and that the textbook in question is one of the best selling in its field.

That’s more the reason to call it out, no?
[Image courtesy Google products]