Serious question about the Aztecs ...

[cto]

The Aztecs were strong proud Native Americans who were essentially "vanquished" by Cortez and the Spaniards in 1521. However, in this era of removing Native American names from sports teams... how is San Diego State allowed to continue as the Aztecs, apparently with little public discontent?

 

[orangefog]

The Aztecs were strong proud Native Americans who were essentially "vanquished" by Cortez and the Spaniards in 1521. However, in this era of removing Native American names from sports teams... how is San Diego State allowed to continue as the Aztecs, apparently with little public discontent?

Like you said, they were wiped out, who is left to complain?

 

[HOFCeluck]

 

[Scooch]

Like you said, they were wiped out, who is left to complain?

This is actually it. Read up about it on SDSU’s Wikipedia page.

 

[CU44SE]

The Aztecs were strong proud Native Americans who were essentially "vanquished" by Cortez and the Spaniards in 1521. However, in this era of removing Native American names from sports teams... how is San Diego State allowed to continue as the Aztecs, apparently with little public discontent?

Isn’t it derogatory names that are being removed? Indians, redman, redskins were all hurtful names. Aztecs were the name of the civilization. It doesn’t mean anything negative or negative connotation.

Another example are the seminoles. People are more against the mascot than the name. But the seminoles in Tallahassee approve. Chiefs are viewed as fine, but the chant is not. The same thing with the braves.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I just looked a thing up on Reddit and I don't know if this is true but it says that the Aztecs were more of a political entity than an ethnic group.

Are there still any Aztecs alive today? If so, are they full blooded or mixed race?

Answer (1 of 6): The Aztecs were never an ethnic group. They were a political entity which lacked any ethnic identity or cohesion, like Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union, or the United Arab Republic. The Aztec triple alliance was formed in 1428. It was destroyed by the Spanish and their allies in 1521...

www.quora.com

 

[miamicuse]

I think it's only an issue if color is in the name like "orangemen", "redman", "redskins"...Aztecs not a problem just like Florida State Seminoles not a problem.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

The term is proudly used in Mexico for all types of things not just to refer to their indigenous people the national soccer stadium is Estadio Azteca. Don't see why it should be stopped in San Diego as its pretty ridiculous that San Diego isn't still Mexico when you think of it. Not to someone living in the country with the most per capita billionaires on the planet can't go a couple miles north to go shopping, out to dinner, or to a San Diego State basketball game. A Canadian has no problem driving through Buffalo to the Dome to watch us whenever they feel like it.

If a high school in upstate NY were the Aztecs it might get changed.

 

[orangefog]

When one thinks of Aztecs, they think of an advanced civilization. Nothing derogator at all. Same thing with Seminoles, the name conjures up images of proud warriors. But, the tomahawk chop? That is cartoon BS.

 

[ForCuseSake]

Only white people with no relationships with Native/First Nations folk give a flying Eph U See Kay about this.

I speak from familial experience in Onondaga County.

 

[Oakland]

Isn’t it derogatory names that are being removed? Indians, redman, redskins were all hurtful names. Aztecs were the name of the civilization. It doesn’t mean anything negative or negative connotation.

Another example are the seminoles. People are more against the mascot than the name. But the seminoles in Tallahassee approve. Chiefs are viewed as fine, but the chant is not. The same thing with the braves.

It is horrendous that white people use the Seminole name, and an Indian image, for their own gratification after they murdered as many of the Indians as they could and then drove the rest to death in the trail of tears - a black mark on the US government and the American people that can never be removed.

 

[HoustonCuse]

 

[ForCuseSake]

On a side note there are a whole lot of Mexicans who are Aztec descendants that would disagree with “vanquished.”

 

[pfister1]

Oh crap …… UConn must be up big if this is the topic du jour…,.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

The Aztecs were strong proud Native Americans who were essentially "vanquished" by Cortez and the Spaniards in 1521. However, in this era of removing Native American names from sports teams... how is San Diego State allowed to continue as the Aztecs, apparently with little public discontent?

So apparently Oswego has a Native American Department and the head of the department has decided that all the dorms named after Indian tribes( Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida) do not honor those tribes and they should be renamed. So now the school is going to waste time and energy to study this. Maybe they should change the name of the town, since Oswego is an Indian name also.

Discussion begins on removing Native American names from campus locations

The SUNY Oswego Faculty Assembly has approved the creation of a task force to consider renaming some or all campus buildings, roads and fields with Native American-related names. Michael Chan…

www.oswegonian.com

 

[sufandu]

Could it be that the Aztecs didn't exist anywhere in the United States, so the people that would typically complain aren't here to do it? It seems that most of the controversy comes from native americans that were negatively affected specifically by U.S. policies, right?

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Aren’t we all, genetically, derived from Africa. Didn’t the Native Americans travel through Asia across the bearing straight, into the Americas. BTW, the Fighting Irish is also stereotypical and demeaning

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Aren’t we all, genetically, derived from Africa. Didn’t the Native Americans travel through Asia across the bearing straight, into the Americas. BTW, the Fighting Irish is also stereotypical and demeaning

We descended from the 12 Colonies of Kobol who settled in Africa about 150,000 years ago.

 

[adk(roc)CUSE]

Couldn't you argue it pays homage to an ancient civilization? Why does it have to be considered an insult or in bad taste?

 

[ar inj]

Why hasn’t Notre Dame been forced to drop the derogatory use of “Fighting Irish”?

 

[orangefog]

Why hasn’t Notre Dame been forced to drop the derogatory use of “Fighting Irish”?

I'm surprised that the mighty citrus industry hasn't come after us yet.

 

[sufandu]

Couldn't you argue it pays homage to an ancient civilization? Why does it have to be considered an insult or in bad taste?

Yeah, I never understood why, as long as it wasn't a racial slur, it couldn't be considered a compliment. Are we insulting Bears, Lions, Tigers, Bulldogs, Trojans, etc? Sooner was initially an insult to Oklahoma settlers that jumped the gun when claiming a plot of land. Is Oklahoma University insulting itself with their nickname? Sometimes this stuff is being overthought.

 

[Cheriehoop]

So apparently Oswego has a Native American Department and the head of the department has decided that all the dorms named after Indian tribes( Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida) do not honor those tribes and they should be renamed. So now the school is going to waste time and energy to study this. Maybe they should change the name of the town, since Oswego is an Indian name also.

Discussion begins on removing Native American names from campus locations

The SUNY Oswego Faculty Assembly has approved the creation of a task force to consider renaming some or all campus buildings, roads and fields with Native American-related names. Michael Chan…

www.oswegonian.com

That is absolutely nuts. I thought of it as a tribute, why totally erase their legacy?
I lived in Hart Hall by the way.

 

[OrangeDW]

Yeah, I never understood why, as long as it wasn't a racial slur, it couldn't be considered a compliment. Are we insulting Bears, Lions, Tigers, Bulldogs, Trojans, etc? Sooner was initially an insult to Oklahoma settlers that jumped the gun when claiming a plot of land. Is Oklahoma University insulting itself with their nickname? Sometimes this stuff is being overthought.

Man, stop it. Talking about some animals, thinking you’re making a point. Cmon.

 

[Dr of Rec]

The use of the name is cultural appropriation.

That’s the issue.