Thread: Latinos are stuck in racial limbo

Latinos are stuck in racial limbo

By Ruben Navarrette
2:00 a.m. March 11, 2009

Laura Gomez has a funny, and yet terribly perceptive, term to describe the sort of racial holding pattern in which America's largest minority finds itself.

“Latinos have been in this limbo between white and nonwhite – or what I call 'off-white' – for more than 165 years,â€

Hey!!!! Latino IS NOT A RACE. Quit playing the victim.

[b][i]There's this almost hyper-visibility of Latinos,â€

Originally Posted by ReggieMay

Hey!!!! Latino IS NOT A RACE. Quit playing the victim.

It says in the article "There is no Latino race" and it refers to them as "an etnic group".

Here in CA you can usually tell the "illegal aliens" from Mexico from miles away! They are "under educated", don't speak English, or very little, and they don't want to "assimulate". They love their country and culture and have no interest in the American culture, language, history, and really no respect for it, as they think nothing of breaking laws that if they did the same thing in their own country they could be shot (Mexico has some of the strictest immigration policies in the world).

Here in CA, there are "illegals" who have been here for 50 years and yet still don't speak English.

Yes there are some illegals who learn English, but it is usually just enough to get a job. Even now in the fast food restaurants in certain neighborhoods, all of the employees will speak Spanish and they will have one "bi-lingual" person at the counter who can speak English. When they get your order they will call out all of the details in Spanish and only speak English when speaking to you.

Also there is the "Spanish against Mexican" discrimination that goes on in Mexico that no one here talks about. In Mexico there is the "middle class or higher class" who mostly comes from Spanish descent. They are usually taller, and fairer skinned and some even have blonde hair or blue eyes.

Then there is the "Mexican" who is usually a mix between Aztec or other Indian tribes and perhaps some Spanish. They are usually much shorter and I mean much, shorter, with some of the men and women at under 5 feet tall. They have a much darker / redder skin and in many instances the top half of the body is longer than the legs which are shorter.

In Mexico the "Mexican citizens" don't like the "poor, uneducated, part Indian" citizens. Those are the ones they push over the border. In fact if the could "clean" the country of the "non-Spanish" I think they would. It is a very popular idea in certain areas of Mexico. BUT it is something that they keep hidden, or at least try to.

An example of this "heritage" division was evident at an award show a few years ago. The actress Penelope Cruz (from SPAIN) was announced as an "hispanic". She immediately went to the podium and announced she was Spanish, from Spain.

She did not want to be confused or it seemed associated with the "Mexican" spanish speaking community.

Funny how the La Raza and Maldef crowd don't want to talk about the in your face discrimination that goes on between the "classes" in Mexico.

More racist rants from Ruben Navarrette! Why does anyone allow this racist a platform for his constant racism and race baiting? How many thousands of ways is Ruben Navarrette going to explain that America and Americans are all racists while he projects that to deflect attention from his own flagrant racism?

W

Mexicans in Mexico laugh at these types of columns.. in Mexico and in most of Latin America...racial/ethnic divides are VERY CLEAR. The National Council of "LA RAZA", LULAC, MALDEF and the rest of the mostly Mexican/American ethno-supremacist organizations have really done no favors for the image of "Latino-Americans" in this country. They have painted themselves into the culture of victimhood, entitlement, and separatism when its convenient to demand, accept, and extort special favors, special considerations, grant money, jobs, etc. based on ethnicity.

Hint to LA RAZA: we are living in post-racial America. Get over it. All Americans regardless of ethnicity...need to learn to be judged on their merits, character and not expect special consideration and privileges because they belong to some "under-represented minority". Enough is enough.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Originally Posted by ReggieMay

Hey!!!! Latino IS NOT A RACE. Quit playing the victim.

It says in the article "There is no Latino race" and it refers to them as "an etnic group".

You're right but there are multiple references to race in the article.

I swear, they can't get off the race biting. Latino is an ethnic group, not a race. I don't understand where they say they haven't been given credit in history, have a place in politics, the media, music, sports or anything else. There isn't a place they aren't present. Is it not fair unless that's ALL you see or hear? If they want a place in black history month, then lets show how latinos are and were just as racist as they accuse whites of being. Let's point out the first slave traders were Spanish and get off the white bashing for once. Lets get a little history in the picture and show Spain invaded Mexico, not the European, blonde haired-blue eyed Europeans they want to bash.

They act like they were the ONLY ethnic group who had a hard time here. How about "Irish need not apply". They act like they are the only ethnic group who had to learn a new language and give up parts of their culture to live in this country. Not to mention...brown isn't just Latino. There's "brown" people of other ethnic backgrounds. Even when they talk their bull here about "cultural diversity" it's Latino's. Blacks and whites. No Asian, no mention of any other ethnic group. Have you seen a movie starring the Dutch ethnic group? How about Norweigan? Outside of "The Gangs of New York" does anyone think of the Irish beyond drinking, St. Patricks Day and police officers? When's the last time you heard a Korean band? Anyone hear about the Hungarian immigrants who came here and never saw their families ever again.....some aren't sure who's possible relatives and who's not because they changed their names to blend in here.

Heck fine, talk about Latino, and how about Germans and Irish and Polish and Russian and Greek and Italian and Japanese and Chinese and the list is endless.....all with a different view and experience here. You can't even really glob the entire Latino group into one package, because they are different as well. Even in thier whole quest for racial equality and all, it still boils down to just the Mexicans and the rest of the Latinos are temporarily added on into the mix. White Latinos and Black Latinos don't have the same experience as whoever is the considered the prime example of whatever Latino is. Even in a race, there are tensions between ethnic groups of the same race. The Indians didn't experience war for the first time when the whites came. Not all the indians hated the white people. Blacks weren't the only human beings used for slaves throughout history. Blacks weren't the only people targeted and hung during those times. Being white doesn't guarentee you a free ride and lots of money. White people are denied things.......heck, I'm doomed to the dumpsters because I smoke and someone decided that was worse than sitting at the lunch table with the "regular people" which might have a druggie who takes a quick trip to the john for his fix, or the person who really doesn't have coffee in that thermous, or the diabetic who can't stick to the diet on down the line. I wanted to be a stewardess at one time....I was too short. I wanted to take shop and drafting, but girls weren't allowed to at that time. I had a very odd maiden name and was tormented horribly because of it. Got a doozie now, no-one can pronounce either, with all the connotations of that ethnic group.....and I'm not one.

They seem intent on being oh so different and special than any other group. Sorry, been there done that. Latinos are in the lime light and getting the attention because they demanded it....because they are the majority, minority and never let an issue go by where they aren't demanding something "special" just for their group.....and really, just the Mexican portion of that group when push comes to shove.

I agree 100% with what cjbl2929 said. There is a class war within their group. They don't want to be included in the same group as them any more than all white people want to be associated with Hitlers crew. It's the same thing in the Asian community. They have their high end people and low end and would prefere not being confused with each other. I've heard there's even some tension in the Black community between American Blacks and the newer blacks from other parts of the world.

I guess if they don't like to be perceived as they are then they need to shut down their rabid spokes people that are fueling this divide among groups and the constant protection of the worst of the worst of thier group as if they are all of one mind......because I know they aren't. There are ones who obey the law and ones who don't. Ones who fit in to this country and ones who refuse to. Ones who love this country and ones who hate it. Those here legally and those who aren't. Just so much easier to blame everyone else than to look at themselves and face their responsibility in the situation. Some aren't liked simply because they aren't very likeable people and color has nothing to do with it.