Middle school students create 'border crossing' game called 'Deportation Time'
OCEANSIDE, Calif. -- A board game is sparking outrage after a group of Southern California middle school students created a "border crossing" game called "Deportation Time" for a school project, KGTV reports.
When the group got their project back, one of the students told his mom he was uncomfortable with it the whole time, especially because it was only targeting Mexicans.
Oceanside's Cesar Chavez Middle School prides itself on a safe, positive learning environment that promotes respect. But a parent there said that wasn't the case in recent works.
"I literally screamed a lot of expletive words and felt like I wanted to throw up. It was so disheartening," said Danielle, a parent who didn't want to give her last name.
That was this mother's reaction when her son showed her the board game "Deportation Time."
"It's themed as the desert, Mexican flag, and it's called Deportation Time, along with this bomb area where you have to bomb the wall to get in," Danielle said. "It just made my stomach churn."
Danielle shared the game rules: the objective is to be the first player crossing the border into the United States while trying to avoid border patrol checkpoints. Blowing up the border wall to cross is mandatory.
"I really feel the teacher should be held accountable for this. One, she missed a wonderful opportunity to teaching kids this isn't the correct way to think about the subject," she said.
Danielle said the board game theme was approved by the teacher, and that she provided no comments when handing it back.
Danielle said her son had tried to push the group in a different direction.
"I was really, really proud that he stuck his neck out to show it to me and show exactly why he felt uncomfortable," she said.
And she's talking about it now to try and set an example for her kids.
"I want my children to grow up in a place where they feel if something is going wrong it will be handled in respectful and effective manner," she said.
