Governor Jerry Brown

c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173

Sacramento, CA 95814

To Governor Jerry Brown:

We are Juniors at Global Youth Charter School and are currently taking United States
History. We are a small school, and have been investigating Junipero Serra and his role in
Californian History. We took advantage of our small class size and took a field trip to downtown
Sacramento. We observed the Junipero Serra statue and conducted research at the Central
Library. With the Pope coming to canonize Father Junipero Serra during his upcoming visit in
September, much controversy has surrounded the monuments to Junipero Serra in the U.S.
Capitol and in downtown Sacramento.
The role Serra played in California will always be controversial because of the treatment
of the actual natives. Although he genuinely felt that he was helping the natives and saving their
souls, his actions cannot be ignored. These included forcing the natives into work and beating the
natives when they sinned. In addition, he inadvertently introduced diseases that had devastating
effects on the Native American population. Furthermore, the current dedication plaque is
offensive because of the reference to Serra civilizing California. The Natives of California
already had a thriving civilization thousands of years before Serra even arrived. For us to ignore
this is simply irresponsible and reaffirms traditional European narratives used against other races
throughout history. Similar paternalistic tones were used not just in America but also during the
conquering of Africa and other societies around the world.
In our opinion the statute itself should remain standing but the dedication plaque should
be changed. We decided to create a new plaque that will be less offensive but still give Serra
credit for his work. We have attached our recommendation below which is similar to the current
plaque in length to make the change easier. In so doing we think we have found a way to appease
people by minimizing the controversy surrounding such a statute.We give you our utmost thanks
and appreciation for taking your own time to read our letter regarding this subject. Thank you for
your consideration, Global Youth Class of 2017.
Sincerely,

Dedicated to the memory of

Father Junipero Serra
1713-1784
The first Franciscan monk who was instrumental in constructing missions from San
Diego to San Rafael. Through his work he brought Catholic religion to the Natives and
helped Europeans settle California. He introduced domestic animals and brought
agriculture to this land, making it a livable settlement for others to come. For his work he
shall be remembered in California history.