Hispanic/Latino perspectives

danski

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This in the last few days:

In a news report, many Hispanics in this country resent the emphasis on Cinco de Mayo; they get tired of "the Mexicans this" and "the Mexicans that." They want the U.S. to recognize many, many
types of Hispanics exist and don't adhere to the Mexican mania.

On Hannity Wednesday, the actress Maria Conchita Alonzo, born in Cuba and raised in Venezuela, said or "pointed out" that when Latin Americans say "socialism," they're more often think "Communism," as opposed to how Europeans view socialism. She is no fan of Hugo Chavez and gave Hannity a copy of the book Chavez gave to Obama so Hannity might know better what that ego-centric socialist character believes.
 
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Originally posted by danski:
This in the last few days:

In a news report, many Hispanics in this country resent the emphasis on Cinco de Mayo; they get tired of "the Mexicans this" and "the Mexicans that." They want the U.S. to recognize many, many
types of Hispanics exist and don't adhere to the Mexican mania.
What a country of whiners we have become. "I want the U.S. to recognize my uniqueness" blah blah freaking blah. "I'm special, my ancestors are special, my dog is special, you should recognize my specialness".

I've had enough of this Oprah whimpy, dr. phil feel good, it's all about me society. People need to shut the heck up and get back to work, get back to living their lives and not worrying about how special they are. Here's a hint, nobody cares how special you are...
 
Wayne02,

Can't be sure if you are agreeing with the other Hispanics or not. Their point was that the Mexicans in this country aren't all that special.
 
Originally posted by danski:
Wayne02,

Can't be sure if you are agreeing with the other Hispanics or not. Their point was that the Mexicans in this country aren't all that special.
They want the U.S. to recognize many, many types of Hispanics exist and don't adhere to the Mexican mania.
I agree that the Mexicans are not all that special, but the above quote looks to me like the 'hispanics' who are pointing this out are they themselves whining just like every other group.
 
Originally posted by danski:
Wayne02,

Can't be sure if you are agreeing with the other Hispanics or not. Their point was that the Mexicans in this country aren't all that special.

That may be. Doesn't matter...I still like what he said.
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I don't think it's whining so much as resentment and anger expressed at the usual mainstream media tendency to create stereotypes, then lump as many as possible into the same stereotype.

After all, everybody knows that gun owners and the shooting fraternity generally are a bunch of homicidal, bible-clinging, knuckledragging, sloped-forehead inbreds who, if they ever manage to learn to read, nevertheless have to point with their fingers and move their lips...right?

Now let's fast-forward to some of my son's in-laws who, as it happens, are immigrants from Colombia. They did it the legal way; they worked hard, their kids learned English by immersion, they've done well, they are very proud of their US citizenship, and they are socially and politically conservative. Yes, they too are Hispanic; you ought to hear what they have to say about illegals flooding north from Mexico.

No, they don't like the illegal alien situation any better than you or I do. And they get damned tired of being lumped into the general "Hispanic" bag with millions of Mexican nationals who are here illegally.

(An aside: for one perspective on the problem, consider that Los Angeles, as I sit and post this, is the city with the second-largest population of Mexican nationals on the planet.)

Bill
 
I think Mexicans do get too much attention, and many need to be deported. I had one brag to me, "We're taking over." That didn't sit too well with this British-American! And Texan!!

In my experience, Argentines are much more conservative on average than the Mexicans, who tend to lean pretty far left.

My only Spanish acquaintance is a girl living near Barcelona. She's very Socialist, and a bigtime Greenie. Dislikes the USA.

Many Cubans here fled Castro, so tend to be reatively conservative.

I don't use cocaine, and it isn't safe to hunt doves there now, so most of what I know about Columbia involves coffee.
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By the way, I believe the actress in the OP's post spells her last name as, "Alonso", not "Alonzo." But, what do I know? If I was smart, I'd be rich.
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T-Star
P.S. We now have Cinco de Mayo as well as St. Patrick's Day for the Irish and Kwanzaa or whatever for blacks. Which other groups get to celebrate foreign national/ethnic days? I haven't seen CBS, NBC, et al reporting on massive Queen's Birthday celebrations. I feel left out. I thought I was happy with the Fourth of July, seeing as my family has been American for several generations. Now, I feel deprived without an ethnic holiday. I think I should get time off from work on it, too!
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While I'm wasting time venting, which group of "new Americans", other than Mexicans,expects to be able to function in their former language, Spanish, and not learn good English?! Gad, even the Ethiopians usually try to learn functional English!

But many Mexicans seem not to care. (Yes, some do, and even assimilate fairly well, although they hardly ever enter mainstream US society.)

I have a German neighbor. But if he gets citizenship here, his kids (if he ever has any) will speak English with a US accent, and be largely indistinguishable from my family.

Actually, my own children are 50% German ethnicity, thanks to my ex-wife's family origin.
But I gave them good English names (Leslie and Geoffrey), so I think we should get the Queen's Birthday off, with pay. Maybe they should get off whatever holidays Germans celebrate, too. They might even go shopping then, thereby stimulating the sluggish economy.
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T-Star
 
Talking about "Hispanics" is like talking about English speakers-it covers so many different peoples and countries with different histories-I just read a history of India BY an Indian professor who said that in India they originally intended to use English as a transitional language for 15-20 years after Independence,the goal being to make Hindi the official language, but objections by speakers of other languages (they recognize 14)led to the "phase out" date constantly being put off
repeatedly, now the use of English in India is GROWING. I note that two world wars made German culture and heritage unfashionable in this country, a book I read recently entitled "Mussolini and Fascism:The View from America" said the number of Italian language newspapers declined steadily up to 1940 due to assimilation. And those pushing "Cinco de Mayo"
the hardest are the beer companies. I have a
feeling that "this too shall pass." Hint:don't push a big "drinking" holiday that falls on a weekday.
 
In a news report, many Hispanics in this country resent the emphasis on Cinco de Mayo; they get tired of "the Mexicans this" and "the Mexicans that."
Isn't cinco de mayo a "Mexican" holiday, kind of like our independance day? I don't think it concerns other hispanic groups. I guess the Scottish and Dutch Americans will be complaining about St. Patrick's day.
 
What a country of whiners we have become.
No problem with that comment. However, it does not apply to all those who don't like getting grouped as "Hispanics" due to their name or heritage.

I have very good friends who fled Cuba right after Castro took over. These are folks who had to leave everything and start over here. They are successful business professionals as are their kids.

They share the same perspectives as 95% of the forum members here and love America. However, due to their last name... they're lumped in and get a bunch of... "Hey, I bet you're gonna drink a bunch of margaritas for Cinqo de Mayo?"

After having seen what happened to the country that they had to leave, they are scared to death for America based on what they've seen in the last 100 days.
 
I think all of these cry babies should take a look at all the legal immigrants that came here before them and learn from them.They were not asking for anything other than a chance to become an American citizen through hard work and educating themselves and asimilating into the ways of Americans.Immigrate legally and you are welcome.No anchor babies,send all illegals back where they escaped from.
 
Why would a Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, etc., want to be referred to as a "Hispanic" anyway? Carib Indians met Columbus in Jamaica, no? These people where in their respective homelands for thousands of years before being conquered and enslaved by the Spanish. Do the countries colonized by England (India,The Americas, Ireland, parts of Africa,etc.) proudly proclaim themselves to be "Anglos" simply because the English demanded the subjects speak English while occupied?
 
"Cinco de Mayo" commemorates the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 when the Mexicans defeated the French who were advancing on the capitol. A year later the French took Mexico
City anyway. A rough analogy might be with the Battle of Bunker Hill where a ragtag force of militia
inflicted such heavy casualties on the attacking British force that even though the British seized the field they achieved a Pyrrhic victory.
 
The only group that I don't hear much whining from is the Asians. We have a large population of Asians and Mexicans in my area with a few British thrown in for good measure.

The Asians seem to be able to assimilate into our culture while still maintaining their Asian ties. They seem to be very patriotic in an American way and seem to genuinely appreciate the opportunity that America provides them.

They spend most of their time head-down and tail up working and taking care of their families. There is very little drama. They take care of their own parents until death, they are respectful of their elders, and their children and young adults are respectful. They put a very high value on education and have clear expectations for their children.

Many of them own their own businesses and are a pleasure to do business with. In any business dealings with them you can always expect that they will have done their homework and they will drive a hard bargain during negotiations. But you can also count on them to keep their word. When they tell you they are going to do something, they do it, each and every time. I trust my Asian business associates completely in this regard.

The British? They occasionally will get on their high horse and talk smack about America, but for the most part they like to drink beer and will look for any opportunity to do so. They are fun to party with and seem to have quite the fetish for fireworks for some reason.
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Around here Asians always get the best grades in our schools. They are hard workers. I agree with all you say, Wayne.
 
Originally posted by Texas Star:
...I don't use cocaine, and it isn't safe to hunt doves there now, so most of what I know about Columbia involves coffee.
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...
Ahem, Colombia, T-Star! Colombia with an "o"! (Sorry, but I spent some ten years in the other place... Not safe to hunt doves there either tho, come to think of it.
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)

I met a coupla immigrants, taxi drivers, on a biz trip to DC a month or so ago. Ran me from and to Dulles Airport, respectively. One guy was from Sierra Leone, I think it was, and the other was from Ethiopia. Both seemed hardworking, family men, and the guy from Sierra Leone was a very serious Christian. Both seemed very happy to be in the US, were doing their utmost to take advantage of the opportunities our country offers, and had especially high hopes for the futures of their children.
 
Originally posted by Smithfan:

Now let's fast-forward to some of my son's in-laws who, as it happens, are immigrants from Colombia. They did it the legal way; they worked hard, their kids learned English by immersion, they've done well, they are very proud of their US citizenship, and they are socially and politically conservative. Yes, they too are Hispanic; you ought to hear what they have to say about illegals flooding north from Mexico.

No, they don't like the illegal alien situation any better than you or I do. And they get damned tired of being lumped into the general "Hispanic" bag with millions of Mexican nationals who are here illegally.

(An aside: for one perspective on the problem, consider that Los Angeles, as I sit and post this, is the city with the second-largest population of Mexican nationals on the planet.)

Bill

+1
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Originally posted by red14:
Around here Asians always get the best grades in our schools. They are hard workers. I agree with all you say, Wayne.

The sad thing is that in these P.C days that would be considered racist even though it's true.
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Originally posted by gregintenn:
In a news report, many Hispanics in this country resent the emphasis on Cinco de Mayo; they get tired of "the Mexicans this" and "the Mexicans that."
Isn't cinco de mayo a "Mexican" holiday, kind of like our independance day? I don't think it concerns other hispanic groups. I guess the Scottish and Dutch Americans will be complaining about St. Patrick's day.

Actually, it celebrates the defeat of a French army back in the 1860's, if I remember correctly. Doesn't sound like all that big of an accomplishment.


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