Rant on illegal immigration.

[pinkpaladin]

I have a gal named Tara in a couple of my classes whom I talk with some, who is a very smart gal and is also going for a career in elementary education. She resembles me in her academic excellence, but our personalities couldn't be more different. She's very blunt with making judgments and opinions, while I try to avoid just that. I sometimes

Comments

[parallax_view]

I don't really think you sound racist, per say. I don't believe there are many who (openly?) support illegal immigration, and so those who are more staunch about it are at times taken the wrong way by others. While I agree with your view on corporations and their spanish language policies to make money(because corporations will do anything for money, they just see what works and do it, regardless of long term impact...which is why we're in this recession), do remember in your future travels that a spanish language saturation isn't because of illegal immigration everywhere. Texas is the best example. While it does have its share of border hopping, the state has a historic mexican-american culture you might be aware of. This is due to the fact that mexicans owned this piece of land before the big war involving, among other things, the Alamo. So, there is a native mexican element here that is different from say, some other states

[parallax_view]

Hmm. In hindsight, I guess part of me was a bit bothered, but still not offended. It's not pride in my heritage at all(I don't take pride nor do I disdain it, I'm just me, I don't care...besides, I have too many countries of origin in my blood to get fanatical about anyways, too lazy), more that I don't ever like being grouped in with a bunch that are hurting things because the word hispanic can be used to describe some of my blood. I remember your dad once tried to tell you I'd end up killing you or something because I have latin blood, and while I was temperamental back then, I've never physically hurt you or anyone I've dated, nor anyone at all outside of when people picked fights with me at school. Any temper I had or have is due to my stupid ass emotional issues, shortcomings and possibly upbringing - me, in other words. That was probably the first and so far only time I've ever been racially stereotyped to such an extreme and so unfairly, and it bothered me more than I admitted(I tried to cover it up with silly joking about

[parallax_view]

Oh, it occurs to me that I can no longer count the number of friends I have who are learning Japanese in one hand. You guys need to give me a lesson sometime in the distant future. =P

[pinkpaladin]

"Granted, the word Hispanic does cover Mexico and South America

[parallax_view]

Even though I was academic and not angry in my replies, I still feel bad for such a long rant. I know you weren't grouping me in with anyone, and I know you were speaking specifically about illegal immigration. I really shouldn't have posted such a long thesis. I feel ridiculous. I'm sorry.

So in my own way, I'm creating my own ethnicity and culture. It's human nature.This is pretty much how I am, too. I'm kind of the opposite of prideful any ethnicity. As you know, I never felt like I belonged anywhere or with anyone, until I met you, Autumn, Brooke and others at YSRMB. I have never thought of myself specifically as hispanic, italian, native american, english, or even american outside of the fact I live here. So when I'm brought up in an ethnic context, I'm never quite certain how to react, even if it has no negativity to it like with what you said. I'm not really sensitive to it, moreso to being seen in an inaccurate way or something, as you can recount from experience

[pinkpaladin]

You were very respectful, so no worries. I just hope I was respectful too. ^_^

My strongest bloodline is Czech...my dad mentioned something about our ethnicity that may have raped some Asian people, or married them, so thus we have Asian in our bloodline. It randomly shows up in the kids, too. So somewhere I may have a super evil ancestor I'd like to smack. But, this further proves my point that we need not be imprisoned by our heritage.

My black friend is the only one that I can say has referred to me as "white" recently. It feels awkward to be stereotyped like he sometimes does, but a lot of blacks talk this way. He has felt the racial prejudice and seen the cultural differences, so it affects him a lot more. Whereas I grew up loving all ethnicities, and getting pissed whenever my parents seemed to act otherwise. (My mom said something negative about having too many blacks in a certain neighborhood once).

So yeah. It's a different experience for everybody.