One man's take on his culture's stereotypes

por casualidad en lnea en el supermercado: : Al mal paso, darle prisa.

One man's take on his culture's stereotypes

Staff

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Dear Mexican: I am a retired gringa living in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. Most of us foreigners here are liberal and sympathetic to the immigration problem, which the U.S. Congress refuses to address in a meaningful way. Unfortunately, I get lots of e-mails from acquaintances “apprising” me of the horrible situation in el Norte, and how all their tax dollars are being spent to educate and provide medical and Social Security benefits (Yes! They say that!) to these “criminals.” I used to laboriously write letters and show statistics and all that. IT DOESN’T DO ANY GOOD. Now, I ignore the messages but feel guilty about not trying to correct the bullshit. Can you give me a good short response? Something in Spanish telling them they are stupid would be nice, but some of them are actually friends! I will be forever grateful. --Gringa Near the Agua

Dear Gabacha Cerca de la Water: No, you should always respond with facts and stats, preferably disseminated by your humble Mexican scribe. Here’s a new one: did you know that fully 100 percent of supporters of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Arizona governor Jan Brewer are fools? In reality, por favor never stop spreading the truth. The truth is like a Mexican: it can be ignored, spat upon, ridiculed, even deported, but it wins out. It perseveres.

I’m an old school veterano wondering why young 20 – and 30-something Hispanic professionals are so afraid of the Chicano Movement. Is it because of those mean-looking Brown Berets? The women Brown Berets wore mini-skirts and go-go boots, but I admit even they looked angry. Or is it because of those Chicano high school students who busted out of school to protest racism when they should have been going to private SAT prep classes (oh wait: we couldn’t afford those)? Or because some Movement leaders like Reies Tijerina spoke Spanish really fast? I know there are no more problems for young Raza with the educational system and foreign wars, but maybe ya’ll should cut the poor old movimiento some slack. --En Pie de Lucha

Dear In Struggle: It’s the American way, profe: when people get their slice of the pastel, they forget the radicalism and activism that created the path that allows them to exist and be successful pendejos.