Since El Camino Real High School opened in 1969, we have been known as the "Conquistadors," after the Spanish conquerers who settled in California and established the El Camino Real Highway to connect their Christian missionaries. For years, however, students and teachers have opposed the use of the Conquistador mascot, which reminds us of their terrorization, slavery, and ruthlessness against Native peoples of the Americas. In our current time of calling for social and racial justice, now is the moment to change our mascot to one that doesn't represent the years of torture and violence that the original conquistadors performed on those who settled before them. 

Our school, El Camino Real, is indeed based upon the roots that the Spanish laid down in our state, but that also includes the oppression they forced on the native populations in order to establish their trade, settlements, and religion. Conquistadors such as Hernán Cortés would torture and murder native people to convert them to Christianity, confess locations of abundant gold, or to force them into labor into the new Spanish missionaries that were built. The conquistadors should not be models that we look up to, much less name ourselves after. Some methods that these men used to torture innocent native people included training dogs to eat them, hanging and burning them alive, using them to test the qualities of their swords by decapitating them, and even murdering newborn babies. 

Although I love our school, I find it hard to take pride in a symbol that represents such tyrannical brutality and injustice. I also doubt that any Mexican or Native students at our diverse school would disagree with me. Because the majority of our students is non-white, I find it even more astounding that such a racist and oppressive mascot has been allowed and tolerated for so long. 

I have emailed our principal, Mr. Hussey, about this issue, and he agrees that now is the time to make a change to our school. He has brought up our mascot in board meetings, but he still needs students' help to endorse this cause. Sign this petition to support the changing of our mascot to one that is less biased and violent. If you have any suggestions for a new mascot for El Camino, please write them in the comments. We may continue forward with a Google Survey for further mascot suggestions.