One man's take on his culture's stereotypes

Aztlán: The mythical birthplace of the Aztecs. Chicanos use this term to describe the Southwest United States.

One man's take on his culture's stereotypes

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Dear Mexican: I can’t tell you how disappointed I’ve been these past few days, as a U.S. citizen and ciudadano mexicano, how I’ve been seeing more and more stories about los narcos and how the Mexican government keeps getting screwed over. You should dedicate a whole article in your column telling gringo readers what their pot and crack consuming has done to our country and the history of drug cartels such as Los Zetas. Gabachos are sick and tired of more of our people coming into the U.S. when they have no one else but themselves to blame. Like the song by Molotov, “Aunque nos hagan la fama/de que somos vendedores/de la droga que sembramos/ustedes son consumidores.” --Soy de Sangre Azul

Dear Blueblood: Great way to cite a Mexican band to make a salient point! Gabachos: Molotov is a rap/rock group from Mexico City. Their translated lyrics, from the bilingual song “Frijolero” off Dance and Dense Denso: “Even though you make us infamous/That we’re sellers/Of the drugs we grow/Y’all are consumers.” All the American media and governmental doom-and-gloom over the drug wars in Mexico – where a crackdown by President Felipe Calderón has created conditions in some cities that mimic the worst of Capone’s Chicago and Osama bin Laden’s wet dream and have thus led many normal Mexicans to flee to America despite our Great Recession – never seem to bring up that cartels wouldn’t have billions if Americans didn’t love their dope. If Know Nothings really wanted to stop Mexicans from entering this country, they’d start advocating legalization.

This gringa wishes to give my chica a quinceañera. Is there a good CD you could recommend for our MP3 playlist? If I were going to have music, I would like it to pad the pocket of a legit performer(s). --Irish wannabe in San Antonio

Dear Gabacho: Hop into the wayback machine and let your girl dance to the beat of that wild Johann Strauss! The race music of Verdi’s “Triumphal March” from Aida! The swaying theme from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty! Any proper quinceañera should play the waltzes of Europe’s imperial courts, since this most-honored of Mexican female initiation rites is little more than a Hapsburg ball and about as authentically Mexican as an enchurito.