Thread: Badillo Lashes Latinos

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12192006/ne ... panile.htm

By CARL CAMPANILE
HERMAN BADILLO

Pushes education.December 19, 2006 -- Herman Badillo has dropped a bombshell on his fellow Hispanics - charging that too many are mired in poverty because they don't value education.

"Education is not a high priority in the Hispanic community . . . Hispanics have simply failed to recognize the overriding importance of education," the first native-born Puerto Rican elected to Congress writes in his new book, "One Nation, One Standard."

"Hispanics have failed to assume responsibility for their children's welfare . . . Hispanic parents rarely get involved with their children's schools. They seldom attend parent-teacher conferences, ensure that children do their homework or inspire their children to dream of attending college," he adds.

Badillo writes that many Spanish-speaking immigrants are hard workers, but that to get their children to move up the economic ladder would require a cultural shakeup of sacrifice and "self-improvement" by putting education first - as Asian and other U.S. immigrant groups have.

Hispanics can no longer rely on schools and the government to do it for them, he writes.

He further blames "self-segregation" - not discrimination - as a major impediment to progress for many Hispanics. Instead of focusing on assimilating into the American fabric, he writes, too many view themselves as aggrieved minorities.

"Many Hispanic parents seem to accept the characterization of their community as a minority group, something they would find incomprehensible in the Latin and Caribbean countries from which they come," he writes. "They accept labels such as 'brown people' or 'people of color.'

"Having gone along with such characterizations, some Hispanics behave as if they actually were a persecuted ethnic group, with a permanently diminished capacity for success," the controversial autobiography says.

Hispanic immigrants would be better served by embracing the American ideal of "one nation, one standard," Badillo adds.

Badillo, 77, says his own rags-to-riches story proves that the poor - including Hispanics - can become successful. Orphaned in Puerto Rico, he came to the mainland as a boy knowing no English and went on to become the city's first Puerto Rican borough president, in The Bronx, as well as a congressman, top adviser to three mayors, and CUNY chancellor.

Bronx Democratic leader José Rivera blasted Badillo's comments as a "total insult" to Latino parent-advocates who fought for decades to get the city to better educate their kids.

"This is unfair. You cannot write a book blaming the victim," said Rivera.

Instead, Rivera blamed Badillo for educational shortcomings of Latinos - because Badillo held city leadership positions overseeing education under Mayors Rudy Giuliani and Ed Koch.

"He was part of the system that miseducated our children for many years. We are constantly being shortchanged," Rivera said.

carl.campanile@nypost.com

I for one have about had it with the victim mentality that is being encouraged by so many of our leaders and liberal bleeding heart groups. If you cannot do well here in America, you have nothing and no one to blame except yourself! This new Congrssman is right, I give him a thumbs up for being a stand up guy and telling it just like it is. One of the major things that has been lost in the last 10 to 20 yrs is integrity, character, and self-responsibility, now if one fails there is always someone else to blame it on, and I am sick and tired of this bull crap. People of all races are falling into that "I am the victim" mentality, yes there are victims that is true, victims in their own minds! Seems like this Congressman Badillo is getting a little sick of this political correctness ruining our country. I am going to watch this man closely and write him a letter of gratitude for having the courage to tell it like it is!

Amen, nittygritty. Clearly Rivera has no clue. Badillo is all about the Hispanic parents taking a part in the education of their youth. Rivera wants to make sure the government has full responsibility. As I have said on other posts: Socialism does not work! We are being invaded by socialists, and they are only encouraging many of the socialists we already have representing us in Congress. That is a bad thing.

Why should hispanics push education? If they don't measure up they can just use affirmative action to get into a school.

Haveing worked around schools for 22 years I would stand up for this guy on the failure of lationo families legal and illegal to get active in their school. Did I say everybody? No. But, a heavy amount. I have a mexican buddy now a citizen who used to work with me in the schools. He is involved in his kids education. He has two of the most beautiful brightest kids you can meet.

He knows what the future holds for the ignorant. The same thing the past did .. subtigation.

I am glad the ultra conservative congress has left town and we can begin to focus and support education. They did'nt do diddly

Hell if the Rhino could spell he'd be the president

These are the kind of comments I can agree with. It is good to see a fellow Puerto Rican tell it like it is! This is a good post!

Originally Posted by nittygritty

This new Congrssman is right...

Not a new congressman.

An old (former) congressman from The Bronx, Borough President, CUNY Board member, Deputy Mayor and thrice-candidate for NYC's highest office.

It's a shame that he never did become the mayor.

He would have been one of the better ones this city has had.

We are constantly being shortchanged," Rivera said.

This sums up the going mentallity of the many people who are Latino here.

He further blames "self-segregation" - not discrimination - as a major impediment to progress for many Hispanics. Instead of focusing on assimilating into the American fabric, he writes, too many view themselves as aggrieved minorities.

Thank goodness for this fine American, who regardless of his racial background, will be honest, so that his words will shake up the people who live like he has described.

You will be a vicitm, so long as you want to be one. People stop being vicimts only when they start taking personal responsibility for their lives. At 77, this man grew up in a generation who knew this, and practised it.

Badillo is very brave. Too bad he is 77. If he were 32 or so, he could be a sensible voice for generations to come. Hopefully he will be around for a while and will train some to be his heirs to carry the message he has to deliver.

Badillo hit the nail on the head!! I have friends who work at a school that was about 50% hispanic and the administration/teachers held several parent nights to get parents involved with everything from academics to college possibilities, and guess what? The teachers outnumbered the parents almost 4-1!! Let them have a freakin' soccer game and you'll have them crawling out of the woodwork with all their other kids and relatives. Yet, these are the same kids who will fail assignments (if they even bother to do them...), not follow rules, get into all types of trouble in schools, etc., etc.... You try calling their phones and they will not answer or not speak English. These parents will not show up if there's a conference scheduled, yet they're suprised when studies reveal they lag so far behind other kids in school, or they fail a grade. I would say let those idiots sit and fail, but then we'll have even more ignorant, illiterate individuals draining our public services.