Professor Pete Simi experiences censorship as his book was banned and funding revoked

Photo Collage by Emily Paris, Photo Editor

On April 6, the Naval Academy banned 381 books from their library, including a book by Pete Simi, one of Chapman’s very own faculty members. 

Simi, a professor of sociology at Chapman University, has studied extremist groups and violence for more than 25 years, conducting multiple research projects specifically dedicated to further exploring terrorism in the United States. However, his book “American Swastika: Inside the White Power Movement’s Hidden Spaces of Hate,” was banned this month. 

Also among the list of banned books is Maya Angelou’s critically acclaimed “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” along with many other books regarding racism, white supremacy, trauma and other social justice issues. 

Along with his book being placed on the banned list, Simi’s entire funding for his research has been revoked, ultimately leaving his projects and subsequent student positions at a permanent standstill. 

“Quite frankly, I found out about the book (being banned) by accident from a list published online,” Simi said. 

Simi emphasized that there was a common denominator among the list of books banned. 

“The list included books that shared common themes such as racism, my case in particular about domestic terrorism; themes that (the Trump) administration believes are part of a woke agenda,” Simi said. 

According to Simi, the decision to ban this list of books was one directed by the Department of Defense, who has actively opposed the discussion of certain social justice issues, labeling it as a “liberal propaganda machine, further encouraging sectors of the military to oppose the discussion of such issues. 

“Interestingly enough, ‘Mein Kampf’ by Adolf Hitler was not among the list of books being banned,” Simi stated. 

Another book that was not placed on the list is “The Camp of the Saints” by Jean Raspail. This book is known for its controversial portrayal of white supremacy and “third world immigration.” 

Simi goes on to discuss the efforts against his funding, reflecting on how they are direct actions to limit knowledge and rewrite history. 

“Banning of books is a piece of a broader effort to rewrite history, and you rewrite history by erasing elements that tell a different story,” said Simi. 

Simi goes on to explain that the banning of books has increased exponentially over the years. The Trump administration initially focused on local and state levels bans, but during this second term, censorship has reached national lengths. 

He went on to say that efforts to rewrite American history have been occurring for a very long time. Efforts include trying to create a different narrative about the U.S. Civil War, emphasizing that these efforts will only grow to be more successful over time. 

Simi said, “Research is the antidote to alternate facts.”

“You can have your own personal opinion, but there are facts backed by evidence; alternate facts attempt to discredit this and create different narratives,” Simi said. 

He added that confusing factual evidence affects all sectors of society, enabling different issues such as false news about how diseases spread or how vaccines function, thus arming people with disinformation and placing them in a dangerous situation. 

Simi explained that there is currently an epidemic of denialism about real, harsh and pressing social justice issues that exist and affect the people of this country. 

“Institutionalized denialism at the highest level in government is very dangerous,” said Simi. 

Simi currently stands at a halt because with his funding being revoked, all of his projects are curtailed, leaving him forcibly stuck and with little to no possibilities as of now. 

“If we can continue with any of our research, remains to be seen,” Simi said. 

The Naval Academy’s list of banned books can be found here.