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New book examines educating children of Nazi scientists in El Paso schools

Educating the Enemy book cover
Jonna Perrillo

The new book by Jonna Perrillo, Educating the Enemy: teaching Nazis and Mexicans in the Cold War Borderlands examines a little-known period of history. It was just after World War II and Nazi scientists, at the invitation of the U.S. government, relocated to El Paso with their families.  The book compares the privileged educational experience of the German children of Nazi scientists to that of disadvantaged local Mexican-American students. Perrillo, an education historian and associate professor of English at the University of Texas at El Paso talked to KTEP ‘s Angela Kocherga about her research and the book.

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