erase history? change Cabrillo College name?

Erase history  or deal with it and move on?  Some seek to wipe out the name of Juan Rodriquez  Cabrillo from the Cabrillo College (Aptos, CA) name.

Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo was a Spanish explorer  of the CA coastline back in 1542. That’s 400 years ago.

Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo, who   claimed San Diego Bay for Spain, may be  permanently  scrubbed from Cabrillo College.  That depends on what the sub-committee  brings back to the full Board of Trustees and on  how the full  Board votes.

Madison Reach, who now attends U.C. Berkeley, took anthropology 6  at Cabrillo College.  This class is offered in the Spring every other year.   Reach says Cabrillo is a ‘documented serial rapist’ and that his name is ‘offensive’ to her.

So who taught  Anthropology  6 at Cabrillo?   What evidence was presented to students  that Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo,  was  a ‘serial rapist’  400 years ago  in 1542?  Google his name and one finds that   Juan Cabrillo, was Spanish, wealthy,  married  to a  Beatrice and that he  had two sons. Cabrillo missed discovering San Francisco Bay, got as far north as Point Reyes and  died due to an infection in his ankle while protecting his men under attack from natives. Oh dear — fighting with the natives caused his death.  How can we find out more?

How to find out more about Anthropology 6 which is offered at Cabrillo College?     Kristin Wilson is head of the department (831 477 3253).  She  probably knows who teaches the course on native CA cultures.  Whether  there’s ‘documented’ evidence that Cabrillo was a ‘serial rapist’ is ….  that seems unlikely.

Want to let the Board of Trustees know what you think?   Do you support an change in name or not?  How much will it cost for a name change?  Are there better purposes e.g.,  improve accessibility  to the college?

There are 7 Districts, Santa Cruz is in District 4, Aptos is in District 6 and the City of Watsonville has it’s own District, District 5.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is August 3, 2020 in Watsonville Center. The following Sept. 14 there’s a meeting in Aptos at the Sesnon House at 6 pm.

Madison Reach was the guest of the Saturday Special on AM 1080 on 7/25/2020. The Saturday Special, intended as a forum for expression of ideas, is hosted every Saturday morning from 10-12 noon by Michael Zwerling.

written by Cameron Jackson   drcameronjackson@gmail.com