Oxnard School District Bans Racially Charged Word To Combat Bullying Against Mexican Indigenous People

Oxnard School District Bans Racially Charged Word To Combat Bullying Against Mexican Indigenous People: Last week the Oxnard School District, located in Oxnard city in Southern California, banned the use of the term ‘Oaxaquita’, the LA Times reported. ‘Oaxaquita’ is a derogatory term used to refer to indigenous people from Mexico’s Oaxaca state.

Oxnard, located 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles, is the most populous city in Ventura County and it is home to a large community of Mexican farm workers.

73.5 percent of the population in Oxnard is of Hispanic or Latino origin and estimates suggest 30 percent of all farm workers in California are indigenous Mexicans, according to the LA Times. Many of them are Mixtec--indigenous people from the Mexican state of Oaxaca.