I am of mexican decent, but was born in the U.S.A. However, it seems people always want to label me as?
Answer:
Well, in answer to your first question, I think it's as simple as the over-done "politically correct" world in which we live. We've been "corrected" so many times, being told that simply calling you an 'American' is somehow offensive to you and disrespectful of your Mexican heritage.
I think that other people have misunderstood the point your sociology teacher was trying to make. The way I understand his statement, he's just trying to point out that slapping politcally correct labels on people as a way of 'respecting and including' them in our society is really doing nothing more than maintaining and even raising a level of separation within American society.
Americans are generalized as being white.
They are not comfortable in an impersonal, technological northern European culture that values performance, competition, efficiency and punctuality. It isn't their way.
Their envy, their sense of inferiority and of failure, breeds hostility in the southwestern barrios. This is far less true of Mexicans in Mexico.
Mexicans, very often, do not want to be Americans, and the mother country is right across the border. The phrase "trans-border de facto semi-sovereignty" is not Milton. It merits thought.
Partially because of a certain phobia against those of Hispanic descent, particularly due to illegal immigration and the current state of Hispanic integration.
Once upon a time, the Irish immigrants weren't considered "white", and they were labelled pretty badly for a while too. It's just the current political climate.
If you're born in America and consider yourself American, that's good enough. Anyone who wants to argue that can stuff it.
It's hard to answer. I'd have to know your sociology teacher to know what his/her major malfunction is. He/she sounds like a run of the mill blame America first type. You might want to point out how badly accepted and mistreated the Asian population in Latin America is to show that nobody has a lock on xenophobia.
What kind of a crazy teacher do you have, she is wrong.
Granted Middle Eastern people are not very loved in US, but only because of the war and how they don't defend America.
as fare as I'm concerned your American.I'm Irish German god bless America.
Because too many are making an extended effort to not be a part of this country and seem to be more interested in controling pockets of states and communities. They seem more concerned about being "special" than being American. Too many are trying to keep all their "culture" and language and not making any attempt to adapt to this culture. It's not all.......but this country isn't in an uproar over nothing. I have many friends who are American of Mexican decent. I don't see them as Mexican or Mexican-American......they're American just like me.
It is because your brothers from the south who have entered this country illegally have made you all look bad.
This is not right,but it is the way things are perceived.
Because America was built and is still maintained by Whites,and those same Whites see you as a foreigner. It may not be right but its easy to understand.
1. Please speak english at least in public. At home not to is alright. Otherwise you will be labelled.
2. People in this country always refers to themselves as "-----"-American, such as African American. Unless you were born in that other country and emigrated here, shut up about it. Now you are American - and that's it.
3. If you wear something like a shirt with the Mexican flag on it, people are often irratated. Pride in where you came from is great, but think of where you are now.
4. You need to show pride of being American, more than other native Americans. Like showing disdain for Americans who complain about this country. You let it be know what you are (American, no other name).
5. One of my best friends is first generation American. He often wears an American flag lapel pin. It's the little things that count.
Last, you can paint yourself red, white and blue, sing the National Anthem and say the pledge of Allegiance daily. You can refuse to speak spanish and do more to distance yourself and still some people won't except you. Forget them, they are no better than KKK trash and if they don't like you it would be a compliment.
If you make a differece in the world,that is not even a ligitimate question,because in America we have all races that people admire.If someone said you couldnt make a difference,prove them wrong? America is the melting pot and that is what makes us strong.
May i suggest a thicker skin. Things will blow over(or up) soon enough. It could possibly go either way right now.
I apologize for my sisters and brothers. Unfortunately we are all wimps! Whether we admit it or not. WE are NOT PERFECT!!!!! We get scared, we feel insecure, we feel threatened, we feel inadiquate, we feel week, so to pump ouselves up, we lable, segregate, caticorize, discriminate, ridicule, hurt, offend, and so on. And I'm sorry to say, I don't think Government mandate will change us. It is a one on one issue, that requires a change at the basic level of what we are. It requires sensitivity, understanding, and concern. But we are slow to open up such changes because we must allow ourselves to become vulnerable to others to reach this end. The most rediculous part of it all is, none of us are native if you trust science. They say we all came from some place else!!!!!! Go figure!!!!
because that's what you ARE.
in my book you are an American, if you are born here your American. i hope you defend the American system and not the illegals. tell people to kiss off.
When Mexican-Americans start calling themselves Americans and start acting like Americans and not Mexicans, the rest of us will do the same.
i know what you mean just because i am against illegal immigration i am labeled as a racist
I know a lot of co-workers of Mexican heritage, but they all seem to have an American accent and attitude so brown skin and long black hair doesn't label them as illegal aliens any more than red hair and freckles marks me as a stowaway from County Cork. However, I also have co-workers who speak Spanish on the production floor at work, snub their white counterparts and want nothing to do with American culture or even accepting us as peers. I do sincerely resent having to pay for bi-lingual ballots, signage and radio stations because none of these courtesies were done for me when I lived in Mexico and just why the Hell am I being forced to pay for baby machines' productivity? Stereotyping? Dambetcha, Mexicans from Los Angeles California, a country as foreign as Iraq, yet those "immigrants" have learned to bilk the system and are as interested in becoming American citizens as I am in using a Jalapeno suppository to cure a headache.
Your sociology teacher was as full of caca and vinegar as a Pollo Loco as vice-president Benito Juarez of the Mexican cultural surname is a part of our American heritage and am pretty sure he was never asked to show a passport. Believe he was listed as "Native American" by history, but his native side sounds kinda Aztec, Mayan, Toltec to me and I've found no mention of "Juarez" in Scots-Irish, British or other Euro (white) lines and never had a problem with that as he was an educated AMERICAN by birth and action. Probably more Obregons listed as Native Californians than there are in the Mexico D.F. libro del telefono and you might look up this family and show their history to your deluded instructor. Self-check here as far as "Middle-Eastern" is concerned. Believe my Greek-Yank, Hebrew-Yank and Iranian-Yank pals have an ME heritage, but everyone of them speaks English and have contributed powerful words and phrases to my international vocabulary. Indeed I may upchuck the insecure bigotry present in all of us due to 9/11 being an unhealed cicatrix bisecting the "lower 48" but am in control enough of my logic circuits to continue to take people as they come, no matter where "they come frum, y'all." Of course I have to deal with possibilities of reactiing rather than interacting, and if this is not also a question with you, I must question your motives as well. People do not always want to label you, princess.
Probably the most convincing "Mexican-American" I ever met was this "dude" from Delano, California whom you may know as a very admirable man just as I do. I had the privilege of actually working for him and meeting him during the Grape Boycott or years of La Heulga in Pittsburgh, PA. I lived and worked with real Mexican-Americans from Delano as a member of the Rojas family and we did win our points with labor history. His name was Cesar Chavez; a Pancho Villa his fellow Americans could understand in plain English.
as long as you are a LEGAL citizen who cares? Just as long as you dont sneak over the border, and dont pay taxes like so many do from south of the border.
Most Latino/Hispanic U.S Citizens have Mexican decent or ancestors. And the reason is obvious: More than half of Mexican territory became part of the USA in 1848.
I don't know. I wondered that too. My boyfriend was black. Everyone called him African American. That really irritated him. He felt that African American wasn't the correct term because he had no ties to Africa. He wanted to be called American or black not African American. My family is from Italy. I was born in the USA. Everyone calls me American. I've never heard anyone call me Italian American. I don't know.....
I like to be labeled Mexican-American, Latino, Hispano, Mexicano, or Xicano.
Even if I was born in Mexico.
Mexico is a Nation, a Nation within the USA. Me explico?
Wrongo.
The whole 'Latino' 'Hispanic' 'Chicano' labeling came after the civil rights era when blacks were being given opportunity benefits (enrollment, businesses, etc.) and Hispanics wanted it too. Therefor they became a box checked on the forms. Get rid of the preference, get rid of the separation.
It isn't US saying you are different.
Sorry to say this to you, and obviusly you will not give me the 10 points but.....
WHAT'S THE PROBLEM of being mexican-american or hispanic????????????????
It's sometnig to feel proud about it. (Even if some stupid and racist people can't see it)
My advise to you: Learn about Mexico's history, Art and Culture. Not only where your father was from, but from Mexico in general.
That will help you to understand that being hispanic or mexican american is just... GREAT.
This migth be happening for the times we are living in, all of the situation with the USA the last years have created a fears and hate environment against whatever is diferent.
And we, mexican, latins, are phisically diferent to the standard american people.
But i guess there are lots of voices telling you something important. What's important is how you feel, what is your legal status, and that you have the same oportunities as any other USA citizen, and that's all.
I guess that you have to start thinking of your self as segregated, as long as you stand all the people who thinks diferent, but doesn't really makes you any bad. Then you will be better adapted.
There will always exists people who is extremist, as well as people who doesn't care of such as insignificant thing. The labels are used, and have been used for the humanity all of our story, so don't worry so much.
And not only that, i guess there are people living in the USA from Asia, Africa, or the Irish wich are people that have been categorized as well, and they don't care, they are even proud of their origins, and they are ok with the diferences that they know they have with others.
You can be proud of your origins, and maybe even know more about it, Mexico is full of history, traditions, great food, historic places, so, i don't think you should feel bad, but proud of it.
I invite you to understand and respect other ideas, and start being proud of your self, and don't think that makes you so diferent with others.
Girl you should be proud! You are part of two wonderful cultures. I think it makes us more interesting than being just plain Americans. Both my parents were born in Mexico but I was born in the U.S. Whenever somebody asks me if I'm spanish, eventhough I don't look the least bit spanish, I say no I am Mexican. So yes we are Americans but we are also Mexicans.
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