Group mad at school team named 'Arabs'

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The school has a mascot that "depicts a man with a large nose, heavy beard, and wearing" a traditional head covering, the group said.

During halftime, "a female dressed as belly dancer entertains the mascot by dancing for him," it added.

But for the school, the mascot and cheerleaders shouting "Let's go, Arabs, let's go" are nothing new. The mascot dates back to the 1930s.

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Middle Eastern influences are also reflected in community names of Mecca, Oasis and Arabia. The city of Coachella has street names of Damascus and Baghdad, and the valley's largest city, Indio, has a street named Deglet Noor, a date variety, Ramirez said.

By 1931, the high school adopted the mascot name of Arabs, replacing the informal names of "date pickers" or "farmers" inspired by the area's industry. It was a common way of nicknaming communities then, much like the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers, Ramirez said.

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