same ol' crap, different era

Depression Era, people lined up for bread

 

source: nps.gov

2009, people lined up for free health care in L.A.

source: latimes.com

And for those of you who think only undocumented immigrants need health care (not sure how you can tell from that photo that the brown-skinned people aren't citizens)...

2009, people lined up for free health care in rural Virginia

source: prwatch.org

how is it that i haven't blogged about this already?

Some food for thought...

More health care reform stuff tomorrow.

UPDATE: For the story of Deamonte, go here.

am I ethnic enough?

I know where I come from and I'm proud of my family and our history. But every once in a while, I wonder if I'm Latina enough.

It began when I was little at my Catholic elementary school. The first language I ever knew was Spanish. When I started Kindergarten, I was told that I wasn't allowed to speak Spanish any more (despite the fact that 90% of the class was Latino and spoke Spanish). Over the years, I lost my ability to speak Spanish. I could understand it well, but speaking, grammar, and writing became an issue.

Then I went to high school and took Spanish and it all came back to me--like riding a bike. Honestly, it all came back but one thing. My accent.

Some of you have probably heard me speak Spanish and have thought that I speak with the right accent, but I don't. I listen to Honduran, Mexican, Argentinian, Salvadorean, Columbian, Venezuelan accents all day long and my Spanish doesn't sound like that. Mine sounds different.

My accent isn't the only thing.. My appearance apparently makes me less Latina too. I'm pale skinned with green eyes and (dyed) red hair. A few weeks ago, I was doing a first interview with a potential client when he told me (in Spanish), "Your grammar is very good but you don't look Latina." When I asked him why he thought that, he replied, "Your coloring is off." What does that even mean?

Pondering this question over the weekend, I googled this topic and, time and time again, I came across the list. If anything made me feel even less like a Latina it was this:

10 Ways To Tell You're a Latina

You know you are Latina:

1. If you can't fight the urge to clap on a plane that has just landed!
2. If your boyfriend plucks, waxes or in any other way grooms his eyebrows even more than you do, then you are most likely a Latina...dating a Latino!
3. If even though you're fluent in English, you still refer to going grocery shopping as a compra.
4. If you have ever committed the cardinal sin and fashion faux pas of wearing socks with sandals!
5. If something immensely sad or something immensely adorable both elicit the exact same response of "Hay Bendito!".
6. If your grandmother's chancletas seemed to have some mystical boomerang powers, you know, she threw it at you and somehow it was magically back in her hand before you could even look up from your hiding place, then you are definitely Latina!
7. If Vick's VaporRub was pronounced Bibaporú and used by everyone in your family to cure anything from burns to acne to La Gripa to infertility.
8. If you have ever sat down on a couch and then immediately fallen off because of the slippery smooth surface created by the plastic covering the entire living room set...Latina all the way baby!
9. If you grew up with a mother and/or grandmother who made you eat a ton of their food to prove how much you loved them, and then called you gordita five minutes later while pinching your chichos!
10. If you are completely fed up with being called, fiery, spicy, caliente or any other adjective that could also describe a chili pepper, you are absolutely, positively, undeniably Latina.

In my whole life, I've only experienced #9 (and that's embarrassing to admit).

The fact is that Latinas come in all different colors, accents, sizes and experiences. Think of all the famous Latinas in Hollywood. Did you know that the following people are Latina?

Alexis Bledel (Rory of Gilmore Girls)
Jordana Brewster (love interest in the Fast and the Furious movies)
Camilla Belle (recently broke the heart of a Jonas Brother)
Cameron Diaz
Zoe Saldana (recently in the new Star Trek movie)
Kelis (hip hop artist of "Milkshake" fame)
Fergie (of the Black Eyed Peas)
LaLa (former MTV VJ)

And that's not counting the Latinos, like NFL QB Tony Romo and NBA star Carmelo Anthony.

There is no one single definition of being Latina. Within our own community there is so much diversity that homogeneity is impossible. And it's not just us. After all, what is Black? What is White? What does it all mean and why does it matter? It's as if society forces us to fit into these boxes that probably makes sense to the government (ie. US Census), but doesn't make any sense at all in the grand scheme of things.

So why tear each other down within the community? During the elections, I was surprised to hear people in the Black community claiming that Barack Obama just isn't Black enough. He was making history and this is what people were saying about him? What does 'being Black' mean? How is Obama not Black enough? As minorities, knowing what it is like to thought of as 'other', it's a shame that people within the same community chastise others for not being "(blank)" enough. As if being "(blank)" was some kind of universally accepted standard.

While I don't think the potential client I mentioned above was intentionally trying to make me feel like 'the other' within my own community, that was the end result of his comments.  I may have assimilated very well into this country, but I should not give anyone the power to make feel less like a part of my community.  

The next time someone makes me feel like I'm not Latina enough, I know exactly how to respond. I may not be Latina enough for them, but I am certainly Latina enough for me.

michael bay, stop ruining transformers!

I try not to think about race and racism, despite the fact that I'm a woman of color and I work with a lot of people of color and my program serves only people of color. I figure that I deal with enough of racism and associated crap at least 40 hours a week. Sometimes, on the weekend, I try not to think period. I prefer to just sit down and be entertained.

Like seeing a movie.

This past weekend, Jesse and I watched The Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Like with the first movie, I lowered my expectations as low as they could go so I wouldn't be disappointed afterward (this totally worked for the first one). Even with my low expectations, I would've never anticipated this.

*spoilers ahead*

Imagine my horror when I saw the Autobot twins, Skid and Mudflap.

Let's just analyze their appearance, shall we?

Right now, you're probably thinking, those are some pretty ugly autobots. Well, they are. While all the other autobots, look strong and majestic, the twins are goofy looking and small. Notice the small heads in proportion to their body. Note that Optimus Prime (the leader of the Autobots) carries himself with strength and power.

The twins' heads? Don't they remind you of something? I don't know about you, but they look like monkey heads. It's the small size in comparison with the body, the large ears sticking out at the sides. They also have mouths that protrude slightly. Speaking of mouths, both twins have bad teeth and one of them has a gold buck tooth. None of the other autobots look like animals, not even Bumblebee whose name comes from his colors--yellow and black (in the original cartoons, Bumblebee was a VW bug so the name made more sense).

By now, you're thinking...so the twins are ugly. What's offensive about that?

Well, the twins are black. You know this by the way they talk. They jive talk and are the only autobots that speak in slang. Moreover, the twins are constantly fighting with each other (I guess blacks are belligerent). Of all the autobots, they are the most immature. Even during one of the most serious scenes of the film, they fight for no reason, which then annoys Bumblebee and he has to pull them apart. Their behavior and antics are at a Jar Jar Binks level of annoying.

Oh, and did I mention the twins can't read? In the first movie, Optimus Prime tells Sam that they learned English through the Internet. I'm assuming that the twins didn't care to learn the language or maybe they've never seen the Internet. Which would be OK, except the language they are asked to read is an autobot language. Some bit-character decepticon is able to look at the text and determine that the text is in this autobot language although he can't read it, but the twins can't even identify it as such. That's just ridiculous.

According to an article I read, the twins are voiced by a white guy. While I'm not saying that a white person shouldn't provide the voice for a black animated character, it pisses me off that this is the voiceover person's impression of what young black men are like.

Michael Bay himself has dismissed the controversy saying that the twins are supposed to appeal to young people. He wanted characters that would reflect the younger generation of today. Well, perhaps Mr. Bay ought to spend more time in urban settings where young people hang out because young people are nothing like the twins.

First off, most young people can read. Young people don't look like apes. AND young people are not always breaking into fights. As far as using these characters appealing to a young audience, Mr. Bay has failed. Badly.

one man's tale of sexual orientation modification

In my experience, one of the most difficult populations to work with (in my field of work) are closeted Latino gay men.  Oftentimes, there is a self-hatred so ingrained within themselves that they lack the motivation to change their health behaviors because change would be pointless.  The depression is so deep they don't see a way out of it.  Rather than deal with the depression, they get high, they get drunk, they have sex without protection with prostitutes or women they randomly meet (in order to feel manly). 

There are two forces at work here:  Machismo and religion.  I understand that Machismo is a multifaceted problem but it comes down to this--Real Men/Manly Men are not attracted to other men.  So, if a man is attracted to other men despite his ability to change, he is both not a Real Man and weak because he is not strong enough to change.  When you come from a country with a very patriarchal social structure, there is much weight placed on one's manliness, basically from birth.  And the burden of not conforming to what is expected of you can damage one's psyche. 

As far as religion goes, Latinos tend to be very religious.  Often, religion and culture is so intertwined that it is impossible to distinguish the two.  Just go to Mexico City on December 12 and you'll know what I mean.  For the most part, most Christian faiths do not accept homosexuality, even condemn homosexuality and profess that homosexuality is an impediment to heaven.  And because every good Christian strives to lead a pious life and to make God happy, the closeted Latino gay man has no option but to change.

Except homosexuality is not a choice so how can one change that part of themselves?

According to one particular man we treated, his church thought they had the answer.  M had been going to this particular church for many years and was struggling with coming out.  He wanted to please God by changing who he is but felt that wasn't possible.  That is until M confessed to a minister during a counseling session how he thought he was gay and the minister told him that he had a cure. 

The cure?  Well, M had to lock himself in a room for 4 days.  He had to fast the whole time and only drink water.  And he had to pray to God every minute of the day.  According to the minister, if that didn't work, he was destined to go to hell.   

M did the cure exactly as it was described to him.  It turns out he was destined to be hospitalized.  For exhaustion (apparently it doesn't just happen to Lindsay Lohan).

Moreover, M wasn't 'cured.'

Through a lot of help from my staff, M left the church and came out of the closet.  Not only is M no longer depressed, but he has found the strength within himself to tell his story to others who find themselves in the same situation. 

M is still very religious.  He attends a different church now.  He now believes that God made him just as he is and will love him no matter what.  M still needs to battle against the Machismo of our culture, but at least he has reconciled with his God.

post-race era my ass

Wow. Just wow.

Some people concluded that the election of a black man for president would be the beginning of a post-race era in this country. I think the criticism of Sonia Sotomayor has proven that is not the case.

FYI: I'm a woman and Latina and I cried tears of joy when Obama announced Sotomayor as his SCOTUS nominee.

Maybe I did buy into the post-race hype because I still can't believe how far the GOP has gone to discredit her simply because she is female and Latina. I don't remember race being an issue when Clarence Thomas was nominated (his sexism and incompetence were).

Let's discuss the cartoon. First off, it's from the Oklahoman (I like to source...this is not an implied judgment of Oklahoma). Second, it appears that Sotomayor is supposed to be a piñata. However, she looks like she's being lynched. Moreover, piñatas are Mexican and Sotomayor is Puerto Rican. Not the same country.

This cartoon is NOTHING compared to what the GOP/conservatives are saying. Here's a small sample:

Mike Huckabee: "The appointment of Maria Sotomayor for the Supreme Court is the clearest indication yet that President Obama's campaign promises to be a centrist and think in a bipartisan way were mere rhetoric." Obviously all Latinas are named Maria. Also, Maria and Sonia totally sound the same.

Newt Gingrich: "Imagine a judicial nominee said 'my experience as a white man makes me better than a Latina woman.' Wouldn't they have to withdraw? New racism is no better than old racism." Context is everything. Here's the quote, spoken within the context of the issue of diversity on the bench, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life." I hate that Obama excused this statement by saying that she misspoke. Also in the same speech: "I am reminded each day that I render decisions that affect people concretely and that I owe them constant and complete vigilance in checking my assumptions, presumptions and perspectives and ensuring that to the extent that my limited abilities and capabilities permit me, that I reevaluate them and change as circumstances and cases before me requires."  Yup, totally hating on White males.  Regardless, I completely agree with her 'controversial' statement. Women judge differently than men.  The best example I can provide is the SCOTUS decision on "partial-birth" abortion. In the opinion, Justice Kennedy said that the State should make the final decisions about pregnant women’s healthcare, because the State knows better than the woman herself that her “ultimate” role is as a mother. You think a woman would've agreed with that? Heaven forbid that there is one more woman on the SCOTUS that believes women are more than incubators.

Rush: "Here you have a racist — you might want to soften that, and you might want to say a reverse racist. The libs, of course, say that minorities cannot be racists because they don’t have the power to implement their racism. Well, those days are gone, because reverse racists certainly do have the power. … Obama is the greatest living example of a reverse racist, and now he’s appointed one." Ummm...Rush? WTF is a 'reverse racist'? Are rich, White males so oppressed these days? Also, your White male privilege is showing.

Tom Tancredo: "If you belong to an organization called La Raza, in this case, which is, from my point of view anyway, nothing more than a Latino -- it's a counterpart -- a Latino KKK without the hoods or the nooses." FYI, Tancredo, Raza doesn't just mean Race, it means family or community. Also, NCLR works to improve opportunity for Latinos so that they can achieve the American Dream but not at the expense of other, non-Latino types. You know, that whole bootstrap pulling sh*t you Republicans like.

G. Gordon Liddy: 'Let's Hope That The Key Conferences Aren't When She's Menstruating." Yes, women are irrational creatures that go insane once a month.  First off, Sotomayor is probably old enough to be menopausal. Secondly, ummm, seriously? Liddy, your misogyny is showing.

Fred Barnes: "I think you can make the case that she’s one of those who has benefited from affirmative action over the years tremendously." Right. So, that whole getting the top academic prize while in Princeton and being the editor of the Yale Law Review have nothing to do with her abilities/intelligence. Next thing you'll tell me is that George Bush Sr had nothing to do with W getting into Ivy League schools. Because W is a Mensa member.

Go ahead and attempt your filibuster. It won't do a damn thing. Sotomayor is going to be a Supreme Court Justice, much to your chagrin. So just take it like a man and deal with it.

post-election blues: to de-friend or not to de-friend

If you're my friend on facebook, then you know that I'm the slightest bit obsessed with it, particularly with the status updates. And with its recent changes, I practically peed my pants with excitement when I saw that you can comment on people's statuses (and it's a feature I'm certainly taking advantage of). What can I say? I'm nosy. I need to know what's going on with my friends at any particular moment. Facebook status updates feed my curiosity.

During the election, I updated my status quite a bit and saw that others did the same. On election night, with my ears glued to CNN's reporting, I was online facebook-ing and twittering my thoughts and reactions. I was not alone. Many of my friends did the same. It was therapeutic to share my feelings of anxiety and anticipation with my friends, regardless of who they were backing. Either way, no matter how it turned out, this election was going to make history. Either we would have our first African American president or we would have our first female vice president.

As results were coming in and McCain faced a huge electoral vote deficit, what I had hoped for was starting to become a reality. And that's when the hate starting coming in. Some of my friends updated their statuses with hateful messages.

• "Do white Americans want a standardless country?"
• "What of all the unborn babies?" (aside: ok, talk of unborn babies is pretty hypocritical. If you're so 'pro-life' why don't you support--politically--improved social services for single mothers in order to make it easier for a woman to choose to carry her baby to term rather than choose to abort? When anti-choicers begin to care as much for a child after his/her birth as when he/she is still in the womb, then maybe I'll care to listen to their arguments against abortion)
• "There's going to be a special place in hell for Obama when it's all said and done."
• "I hope people get what they voted for." (aside: I voted for change. I think I got it.)
• "I don't get it. Is he like the second-coming or something?" (aside: if you don't get that having a black president is history in the making, if you can't appreciate it, then I feel sorry for you. Go find some older black folks and ask them about segregation and how horrible a time that was. Now ask yourself that "second-coming" question again. No, Obama's not the second coming. But if you can't see his election as something special especially to people who experience racism every day then I can't help you.)

Also, almost immediately following Obama's election, Facebook groups counting down to his last day in office or calling for Obama's impeachment starting turning up like crazy. Seriously? He's not even in office yet and you think his presidency is going to be so bad that you already can't wait for him to leave or you're calling for his impeachment. What has Obama done to you? What has he done compared to the last 8 years of crap we've had? Warrantless wiretapping? Conscious clauses so doctors and pharmacists don't have to give women birth control? Redefining 'executive privilege'? Firing lawyers who didn't agree with Bush's policies? A needless war that has cost far too many American lives and far too much money? At least liberals waited until Bush had effed up this country so bad before calling for his impeachment or counting down to 1-20-09. Perhaps the people in these anti-Obama Facebook groups are among the 20% that still approve of Bush as our president.

And while I like to think of myself as a liberal who is willing to listen to the other side, I have no patience for conservatives who repeat baseless rhetoric to make a point. It's no fun to associate yourself with people who agree with you 100% of the time. But if you disagree with me politically, I'll respect you enough for you to make an intelligent argument to state your point. If you can't, then maybe we shouldn't ever talk about politics.

With emotions running high after the election, I'm confronted with a little dilemma. Should I de-friend all those that have offended me with their ignorant status messages? Part of me wants to and would have no regrets doing so. I have no need for ignorance and prejudice in my life. And since I am not close friends with them, it wouldn't necessarily be a big loss to me. I'd rather have a small group of good friends than a large group of friends I barely know.

In the end, I'll probably do nothing. It's just Facebook, after all. And all this negativity makes me see the reality of what an Obama administration is up against. Getting people to work together to get things done in this country is going to be an uphill battle.

UPDATE: comments have been turned off on this post because I prefer not to have the crazy anti-choicers leave their hateful rhetoric on the blog (just to clarify, there are plenty of sane anti-choicers who are welcome to drop me an email).  it is not because I do not want to have a healthy dialogue with dissenting opinions. 

i'm so over this sh*t. can we please just vote already?

In case you haven't heard, a non-profit group whose mission is to educate Americans on national security issues has been distributing a DVD about radical Islam and the connection to terrorism. However, the video is not very clear on the distinction between radical Islam and regular Islam and pretty much describes all Muslims as terrorists. The video is set to be distributed in the swing states, despite the fact that the non-profit group is claiming that it is not doing so in order to sway the election one way or another. And seeing as that this non-profit group had endorsed McCain on their website (since the media found it, the endorsement has been removed), yeah, I totally believe their claim that they're not trying to get anyone's vote.

I'm almost positive non-profits aren't allowed to endorse a candidate (yeah, evangelical churches, I'm looking at you).

Seeing as that Virginia is suddenly a swing state, I was wondering if I would be receiving my copy any time soon. My question was answered yesterday when it came in the mail.

I plan on writing "RTS! Do NOT send me more of your garbage. Obama already has my vote!" on it and sticking it in a mailbox.

The negative tone of the campaign has really been depressing me lately. At first, I was angry. Knowing that there's nothing I can do about it has made me sad. I mean, seriously, being liberal means that I'm anti-America? Living in Arlington means that I don't live in the Real Virginia and I'm a communist? Depicting Obama as a terrorist, a Muslim, as 'That One,' as a socialist or as Osama Bin Laden is standard fare in this election?

I'm over this sh*t. Seriously.

I have Muslim friends. They are the some of the nicest people I know. They are from Iran and Pakistan and Bangladesh. They are sons and daughters of people who came to this country seeking a better life. They're Doctors and soon-to-be-PhDs and Nurses and Business Owners. Their only crimes are maybe getting a speeding or parking ticket every now and then. How is it that they are any less American than you and me? Why are they being lumped in with extremists who have attacked America?

WTF is wrong with this country?

I was watching Meet the Press on Sunday when Colin Powell endorsed Obama. And he said something that I had been waiting all election season for someone to say. Powell told of how some in the GOP have said that Obama is a Muslim. And Powell asked, "No, he's not, but so what if he is?" Can a Muslim not be president of this country? What is it about Islam that automatically makes you less of a patriot than any one else? There are Muslims who have bleed for this country in the Iraq conflict and are buried with other American heroes in Arlington Cemetery. They are more patriotic, more heroic than Joe the Plumber can ever be. Still, does their faith tarnish their heroism? Should it?

If anything, this election has shown me that racism is alive and well in this country and some people are happy to exploit it for their own gain. If thi

This kind of crap makes me ill. I can't wait for November 4th.

ignorance and racism in the WaPo article on Latinos and AIDS

The Washington Post yesterday ran an article on the AIDS epidemic and how it has affected the Latino population in the United States. I read it with much interest despite knowing just how bad things are and seeing this first hand every single day.

The article revealed nothing new to me. However, the comments following the article shocked me to the core. Here is just a sample of the ignorance of WaPo readers (bold emphasis mine).

• What is it about "always use a condom" that these people do not understand? Seems as if the real victims are the American taxpayers.
  

• I don't owe these lawbreakers a darn thing. Mexico won't save you? Tough.

• Latinos are one thing, illegal aliens are another. Ads targeted at Latinos (including illegal aliens) to inform them about how HIV is contracted are one thing. Providing medical services to illegal aliens is quite another. (Though I wouldn't mind providing birth control pills to illegal alien women. (honey, this government doesn't even order insurance companies to cover birth control for its citizens. what makes you think they'll just give to to undocumented immigrants?--OCgirl)) If someone is here illegally and is sick, he/she should be sent back to their homeland for treatment.

• Just another thing to add to what their culture brings to us, along with T.B., Clamidia {can't spell], bed bugs, and let's not forget the e-coli, that comes with every summer (WTF. let's blame all diseases on the undocumented--OC girl). I wonder how many teenage girls have HIV since their is no age limit for them and they are always after the young girls? We have enough of our own problems, just get rid of them.

• I'm I supposed to feel sorry for these people? They come into the country illegally. They engage in high risk behavior. Claiming ignorance or being culturally naive is not an excuse. They contract HIV and they expect to get the expensive and long-term treatment (who said that? they don't seek treatment until it's too late--OCgirl)? Many US citizens don't get necessary medical care so why should tax payers pick up paying for these illegals. They should go back to Mexico and die.

• Taking a look at the "facts" presented

- immigration criminals
- drug users
- homosexuals who practices unprotected sex

The implications of these behavior characteristics are that the individuals are of low intellect with a low survival factor. As far as I have been able to determine more than 99% of AIDS patients have the disease because of poor judgment in behavior or partner selection (please cite the study you got this '99%' figure from--OCgirl).

Darwinism in action...

I'm deeply disturbed by the hate and vitriol in these comments. I see the face of this epidemic every day and I can tell you one thing. I don't give a damn if these people are illegal or not. If they need help, I will be there.

Do the ignorant commenters on WaPo understand AIDS? Do they know the disease doesn't discriminate? Do they know that we still don't have a cure? Do they know that because of Bush's anti-condom/pro-abstinence position that funding for HIV/AIDS programs have been cut? Do they know that not everyone (undocumented or not) who needs access to life-extending drugs actually receives them IN THE UNITED STATES?

And the racism is astounding. Guess what, WaPo readers. Not all Latino immigrants are Mexican. Not all Latinos are "illegal". Not all undocumented immigrants are potential terrorists. Not all HIV+ people are stupid and irresponsible and 'brought the disease upon themselves.' Not all AIDS victims are from the so-called dregs of society. Not all AIDS victims are undocumented, gay, or drug users.

Here's a thought: how about we not help anyone who has acquired a preventable disease? Let's be completely fair here. If your disease is preventable, its obviously your fault that you have it. So all of you with Type 2 diabetes, you are sh*t outta luck. Do you have heart disease because you never exercised a day in your life? Sorry, no life saving drugs for you. Oh and those of you with hepatitis from all of that drinking? You can't be on that liver transplant list. Suffering from lung cancer? We're saving the chemo for the non-smokers, sorry.

I think I made my point. Why is AIDS any different?

women can't be trusted...never, ever, ever

Seeing the following images on one of my favorite political blogs, Clintonistas for Obama, really pissed me off.





















































Lucky, I went over to Kenneth Cole’s AWEARness blog and found this little gem.



I feel somewhat better now.

hopefully the final word on latinos and obama

While the LA Times is not usually my first source for breaking news, I loved that this story was the headline online:

Obama leads in battle for Latino vote

The latest polls show he has a surprising advantage over McCain and is favored by up to 62% of voters.

I have two words: WOO and HOO!


P.S. Feed reader peeps, I'm having issues with font color. I apologize for multiple publishings.

an emotional witness to history in the making

Last night, I was sitting on the floor near the TV. Jesse was laying on the couch right behind me. And Gracie-poo was laying on my belly and her tail was swishing about. Jesse was flipping the channels, looking for something to watch, while giving Gracie some love. And then CNN caught his attention. Wolf Blitzer was announcing BREAKING NEWS: Barack Obama had clinched the Democratic Presidential nomination.

Jesse and I knew that it was going to happen at some point. The AP reported during the day that Obama was officially the nominee. However, the Washington Post wasn't confirming it. Neither was CNN. So it seemed like every news source wanted to be the first to break this story, officialness be damned.

But as Wolfie explained the delegate math to me one more time and how Obama now had the required number of delegates, it really was official. And once that sunk in, I started to cry.

Oh hell, I'm such a sap when it comes to politics. But I seriously couldn't help myself. I was witnessing history. Even if he doesn't win the presidency (at which point, I will probably cry again), his nomination is an amazing event in American politics (disclaimer: had Hillary won the nomination, I would be writing a similar blog post). And I was here to watch all the drama go down and lead to this--a Black man as a presidential nominee.

So one day, when my beautiful biracial children start to get political (what's a good age to get them started? 5?), I can tell them about the biracial presidential nominee hopeful who started out at the bottom of the pack and somehow managed to win the nomination in the end (the story will have a much better ending if the nominee is elected president). It's an inspirational story that I hope my future children will find inspiring too.

Speaking of inspiring, this is from Obama's speech on race, 3/18/08 in Pennsylvania:

The profound mistake of Reverend Wright’s sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. It’s that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress has been made; as if this country – a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black; Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old -- is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know -- what we have seen – is that America can change. That is true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope – the audacity to hope – for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

Maybe for one day, Dems, Republicans, Nader fans, whoever I'm leaving out, can we please just stop the fighting/debating/discourse for a second and appreciate how awesome it is to have a Black nominee for president?

Ok, maybe just another second....

...

...

...

You may now resume whatever you were doing.

the Great Latino/Black Hate Hype of '08

Hillary Clinton's win in the Puerto Rican primary has once again brought up the issue about Latino voters and whether or not they can vote for an African American presidential candidate. The media has done much to (in my opinion) hype up the idea that Blacks and Latinos don't get along. I've done what I can to dispel that myth. And now, I have an outsider's opinion to back me up.

One of my counselors is Bolivian. He came to this country a long time ago and is a U.S. citizen who is registered to vote. F, my aide, and I recently sat down for a chat when F suddenly brought up the elections. I know better to discuss politics at work (I am well aware that my hot-headedness can get me into trouble), so I tried my best to listen and not really insert my opinion into the conversation (yes, that was hard for me). I let my aide and F go at it. My aide has long been an Obama supporter so she declared her Obama love. On the other hand, F was a Hilary supporter who could not see himself voting for Obama in the primary but would vote for him in the general elections if he ended up being the candidate (yes, this conversation took place a while ago).

I asked F why he preferred Hillary over Obama. He replied, "Well, she has a lot of experience." Against my better judgment (I was curious about the answer), I asked, "What specifically is her experience?" F answered, "Well, I don't really know actually. But things were really great under her husband. The economy was good. And he fixed a lot of things. I think Hillary can make things good again." My aide asked, "But why can't Obama change things? He's all about change and hope. That's what his campaign is all about."

Without skipping a beat, F answered, "Look, I'm Latino. I've heard this song and dance before. The promise of hope and change from politicians? It just doesn't happen. We can't believe it because we've heard it all in our home countries before only to elect someone who keeps doing the same bad things or does even worse things. We don't believe in hope when a politician promises it."

Could the Latino community's support of Hillary be as simple as this? I've read a lot of articles where older Latinos have stated that they won't vote for Obama yet younger ones seemed open to the idea. F's rationale for why he wouldn't vote for Obama seems to fit this.

I refuse to believe the media's spin that Latinos and Blacks don't get along and that's why Latinos won't vote for Obama. I just don't buy the hate hype. Sorry, media, but this brown chica isn't fooled.

However, maybe I'm just being a little bit hopeful, a little bit naive. Maybe I see that it's 2008 and we should have already moved on from judging someone based on the color of their skin.

Because I would really hate to see my people perpetuate the same hate that has been shown to us.

proving them wrong one person at a time

This past weekend, Jesse and I went down to Orange County. No, not my beloved OC that is in the greatest state of the Union (ahem...that would be the gay-marrying state of California). The other OC. No, not the one in Florida. The OTHER OC--the one in central Virginia.

Jesse spent a lot of time there as a kid. Both of his grandmothers lived there, one in Locust Grove and the other in Orange. His aunt currently lives in Germanna (I think) and she was having a family bar-b-q in honor of the long weekend. Because his aunt relocated from Locust Grove to Germanna recently, Jesse didn't know her address. Subsequent phone calls to his 'rents went unanswered so we spent quite a bit of time driving around the neighborhoods, hoping to come across his aunt's house. Now, I'm sure you city folks are thinking, yeah, that will be a fruitless endeavor. But actually, the town is really, really small and there weren't that many neighborhoods there. We ended up stumbling upon Jesse's aunt's house eventually.

Everything about Orange was very small townish. I was struck by the rural-ness and the isolation. The nearest Target was over 30 minutes away in Fredericksburg! Oh, the horror! We drove for long stretches without coming across a business or store of any kind. There were a lot of woods and homes. Some barely marked roads led to an expanse of winding dirt roads in the woods where people actually lived. It was all very quiet and kinda natural. I'm not sure I liked it.

As Jesse was giving me a driving tour of the OC, VA, he told me countless stories about his childhood and what it was like growing up and visiting his grandmothers and how the highlight of his visits was when his grandma would announce that it was "time to go to town" (town = Fredericksburg, I suppose). He told me about how schools were segregated there when his parents were younger. Earlier that day, his dad was telling us about how the whole county only had one pool for blacks and the pool was very small and incredibly crowded on hot, summer days. Internally, I wondered how much the town had progressed since the civil rights era. Had they come far? In Jesse's aunt's neighborhood (which was really new compared to what I saw in Locust Grove...at least the streets were paved there), I watched as Jesse's young cousin played with her next door neighbor, a cute white girl with short brown hair. It's hard for me to imagine a time when such interaction was forbidden.

I come from a very diverse county in a very diverse state. I grew up with friends of many cultures. I have Jewish friends and Muslim friends and Hindu friends. Being exposed to so many people with different backgrounds definitely influenced me growing up. I learned early that you can't assume you know a person by what they look like. I discovered that keeping an open mind is the only way to get along in a world of many colors.

But what of those people who come from small towns, towns that are really small, towns without paved roads? What about the people who grew up knowing people who looked like them and talked like them and prayed at the same church as they did because it was the only church in town? Are they open to new things? Would they be afraid of the unfamiliar? How would they feel if a stranger came into their town, someone with a different skin color who prays to a different deity? Would they welcome the stranger? Or shun him/her?

As Jesse showed me more of the OC, we discussed segregation some more. I wondered, "How did it all end? How did people begin to realize that blacks are people too?" Jesse responded, "I don't know." I said, "I wish I knew how to change people's minds. How do you get people to realize that what they've believed all along is wrong and hurtful and unfair?"

With sadness, Jesse said, "I think people need time."

I replied, "Yeah, well I'm not very patient."

can't we all just get along?

Apparently, the Latino vote is in high demand. It makes me pretty happy to know that my vote is being courted by the presidential nominees. However, by the looks of things on Super Tuesday, it appears that Latino voters have anointed their candidate: Hilary Rodham Clinton.

Not surprisingly, I find myself in the minority of my own minority group. I will not be voting for HRC in the primaries. Moreover the mainstream media (MSM) has been preying upon this so-called animosity between Latinos and Blacks and suggesting that this animosity is the reason why Obama won't be winning the Latino vote. If anything, this notion is probably swaying more Latino voters HRC's way.

It's sad really. I'd prefer to think that people are voting on the issues, not on the color of someone's skin. I'd like to think that the MSM is oversimplifying the issue and dwindling it down to race. I mean, seriously, Black/Latino relations can't be that simple.

Personally, I love Black people (heck, I happen to be head-over-heels in love with one). And I would imagine that most educated Blacks and Latinos alike would not have a problem with one another. I think uneducated or recently immigrated Latinos probably do judge on the basis of skin color because that attitude is what they are familiar with. I once told my mom that I wished I had darker skin (because everyone is tan in California) and she answered by telling me how, in Mexico, light-skinned Mexicans are favored over dark-skinned Mexicans because they are thought to be descendants of the Europeans as opposed to being from the Natives (and I guess Europeans > Natives). I don't agree with this logic, but for some, it's accepted as truth.

A recent Pew study shows that Blacks and Latinos actually do get along for the most part (if you click on the link to the study, I just want to add that I don't at all approve of the lumping together of all Spanish-speakers as 'Hispanic' as there are probably differences in opinion between Latino ethnic groups regarding Blacks). Also, a recent article from Gregory Rodriguez (whom I don't always agree with) in the LA Times proves that African Americans running for public office can actually get the majority of the Latino vote. So how did HRC get all of those Latinos to vote for her?

I'm not sure (I'm hoping they are voting on the issues). But I know to give the MSM some credit for furthering this Black/Latino animosity 'theory.' I don't want to dismiss any hateful incidents between the two races (yes, I understand there's a huge Black vs. Latino gang war in L.A. right now). But those problems are historically brought on by other factors: poor socioeconomic conditions, Latinos moving in to traditionally Black neighborhoods, and even the fight for blue-collar jobs. None of these factors are caused by race, although it does play a part.

So, to all of my fellow Latino voters who are afraid to vote for a black man simply because he is black, please vote on the issues. Don't let anyone(MSM) or any thing (racism) vote for you.

race and class issues at the holiday office party

My office holiday party was this weekend and I was hoping it would be drama-free. Unfortunately, I left in anger.

I was angry because, unlike every other office party we’ve had (and we know how to party), this time, there was a servant (the party was at The Boss’ house). And the servant was Latina.

As a Latina myself, I was incredibly uncomfortable with having one of my peeps cleaning up after my co-workers who couldn’t be bothered to get up and throw their garbage away.

I was incredibly uncomfortable with one of my peeps being told what to do without a “please” and “thank you.”

I was incredibly uncomfortable with one of my peeps being ignored unless one of my coworkers needed something.

However, that’s not the worst of it.

At some point in the evening, The Boss came up to me and said, “Have you spoken to L (servant's name)? You really should talk to her. She works as some kind of counselor somewhere, maybe at (insert name of my new employer as of January 2nd). I’m not sure. But you should talk to her.”

I had spoken to her earlier (just some small talk) but I had no idea she was a “counselor somewhere.” So, I got up and went over to the kitchen where I found L. I introduced myself to her and asked her about her work. L proceeded to tell me that she worked as a therapist at a well-known health services organization in DC. She told me what kind of therapy she did, what training she had, and what certifications she had achieved. On the inside, my jaw dropped. On the outside, I smiled and nodded.

The more I listened to her, the angrier I became. I couldn’t believe this woman, who had more professional training than a handful of my co-workers, was picking up our garbage.

I told L that in January I was going to start working for (insert name of my new employer as of January 2nd) and that I may have a need for a therapist with her kind of training. We exchanged contact information. Honestly, I’m not sure what I can do for her, but I want to make sure she never works as a servant again.

I went back to my friends (my work clique which is entirely made up of the only minorities in the office) and told them what had just happened. They were shocked.

Earlier, they too were uncomfortable with the idea of a servant. Considering we had never before had help at previous office parties, having one now seemed entirely unnecessary. And what’s worse is that her presence offended every minority in the room.

I’m glad L was able to earn some extra cash, but I feel terrible that she was in a position where she needed to lower herself to do so.

college football recap: LSU sucks edition

Now that I’ve got your attention, Tiger fans, please read this post until the very end. Perhaps you can enlighten me.

Today's blog post is after the football recap.

First off, it was Separation Week last week in college football. Here’s the recap:

• Ok, USF. We get it now. You’re actually pretty decent. Going up against a Mountaineer team known for their offense, the Bulls of South Florida came out and set the tone for Separation Weekend by beating previously-#5-WVU, 21-13. This game wasn’t pretty for either team, as both teams combined for 10 turnovers, but a win is a win, isn’t it, Oklahoma?

• Ah...speaking of Oklahoma, last week, I asked someone to wake me when they played someone actually deserving a mention—Texas. Luckily, I was awake to see Oklahoma get upset by the Buffs of Colorado on a last minute field goal. Looks like someone was caught looking ahead...

• Speaking of getting caught looking ahead, previously-#4-Florida lost to unranked Auburn on a last minute field goal, 20-17. Auburn led for much of the game before Florida began a comeback (led by QB Tim Tebow) that tied the game. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as Auburn’s defense found an answer to Florida’s typically unstoppable offense. The Tigers held the Gators to just over 300 yards of offense, which is low for Florida. Like, really low.

• In a game that I got a sick pleasure watching, Kansas State beat Texas in Texas, 41-21! Woo hoo! And for the second year in a row. And it wasn’t even close! The Wildcats figuratively knocked out Texas QB Colt McCoy for a second straight year (last year was a literal knock out) with 4 interceptions. Say goodbye to the Top Ten, Longhorns.

• I don't even really need to say this, but I really enjoy doing so: Notre Lame lost yet again.
  

• The PAC-10 rules and they proved it yet again in a game for the ages between Cal and Oregon (Cal won, 31-24). Cal, who hadn’t won in Oregon in who knows how long, came in and kept pace with the Ducks for the entire game. Neither team is known for their defense, so I figured that this game might be a shoot out. But it wasn’t. Cal did force a couple of turnovers, but that wasn’t even the deciding factor. In fact, if Duck Cameron Colvin hadn’t fumbled a touchdown in the end zone in the waning seconds of the game, the game might’ve had a different outcome. And that’s what made it so awesome. The Trojans are definitely going to have to be on their toes when they visit Eugene at the end of October.

• Speaking of Trojans, I was not pleased with the game. In fact, I am so upset with my team that I had to write a whole separate post. You can find it here: ahh, it feels good to be #2 at my college football blog i heart mark may (a little shameless self promotion).

• I finally got to see Virginia Tech QB Tyrod Taylor start for the Hokies (I saw him play against LSU, but he didn't start the game) and I was generally impressed. This kid can actually move! Taylor ran for a couple of gains during the game and every time he ran away from the UNC defense, I thought, Glennon would’ve just gotten sacked. I’m looking forward to seeing some consistently good play from Taylor (he’s just a freshman, after all). The Hokies predictably beat the Tar Heels, 17-10.

Up next for the Hokies, an ACC powerhouse match up with Clemson. Next week, USC has a scrimmage against Stanford.

__________________________________________________________________

This weekend, I got to spend some time with Jesse’s long time friend, JS. Jesse and JS grew up together, went to high school together, and ended up going to Tech together. JS is a very kind, unassuming guy and has always been really nice to me.

So when I found out what happened to him recently, I got really, really angry.

JS went to the LSU/Virginia Tech game several weekends ago just as Jesse and I had, except JS hung out with a different group. As you know, Jesse and I spent all day that Saturday among the Tiger fans, most of whom were really nice and gracious. Honestly, I was very impressed with how welcoming they were. I left Baton Rouge with a generally good impression of the LSU fans.

Jesse and I didn’t see JS until the game that night, where we hung out for a bit. This Saturday was the first time I had seen JS since that weekend.

While watching the USC game, JS told Jesse about his experience in Baton Rouge. It wasn’t so positive. Why? Well, a Tiger fan came up to JS, who was clearly in Virginia Tech garb, and told JS that he looked like Seung-Hui Cho, the person behind the shootings at Tech last April.

JS is Chinese.

There are several things that are wrong with this statement. First off, I don’t care how drunk you are, it will never, EVER be ok to joke about the shootings at Tech. NEVER. If one has any tact, one should know never to joke about an unfortunate incident. And why anyone would joke about it is beyond my comprehension. This was an unfortunate event with far-reaching effects. His comment was incredibly insensitive and inappropriate.

Now, let me tell you what really pisses me off about this comment. Cho was Korean. Does Mr. Insensitive Tiger Fan think all Asians look alike? Guess what, jack ass. The Chinese and Koreans don’t look alike. JS looks nothing like Cho. And if you’re that ignorant, keep your mouth shut until you learn something.

It disturbs me that JS would encounter such blatant racism in an institution of higher learning. Colleges and universities are supposed to encourage open dialogue to increase understanding.

But if you have nothing intelligent to contribute, get the hell out and leave my friends alone.

proof that people change

Yesterday’s post on the post card from PostSecret reminded me of something that I’ve always been ashamed to talk about. But after reading some emails from people about the issue raised in the post card, I feel the need to come clean.

When I first started dating Jesse, I was in denial that things would eventually get serious. It’s not that I didn’t want them to. It’s just that I couldn’t believe my luck that I had found such a great guy. I kept waiting for someone to come wake me from this dream. But no one ever woke me up. Which meant two things—one, this was actually real and, two, it was time to tell the family.

The first person I told was my brother (whom I used to be close to). I called him up one night and said, “So, I’m like actually seriously dating someone.” He replied, “Oh yeah? Who?” I answered, “A friend of a friend. He’s smart and funny and sweet. And he works in IT.” My brother asked, “So what is he?” A human? Male? I asked, “What do you mean? His ethnicity?” My brother replied, “Yes, that’s what I meant.” Not thinking it would be a big deal, I said, “Well, he’s black.” My brother went from non-chalant to angry in a heartbeat. His response: “Oh no. You’re not dating a black guy. I don’t approve.”

Ummm...ok. I wasn’t asking for my brother’s approval. AND considering his wife is tactless and carries around the largest amount of baggage (the 4 kids from a previous marriage and the crazy ex-husband), my brother is not in the place to judge. I was floored by his reaction.

I knew that telling my mom wasn’t going to be easy. I knew she wouldn’t approve of my relationship with Jesse because she wouldn’t want me to get serious with someone and end up staying on the East Coast forever. So I told her. And even though I personally don’t believe this is relevant, I also told her that Jesse is black (well, she asked and it’s not like I was going to lie to her). She went ballistic too. I was incredibly disappointed in my family.

Total aside: This may not be relevant, but I told my sister too. Her reaction was actually much more pleasant. She was just happy that I had found someone who makes me happy.

Considering how incredibly liberal I am, I couldn’t understand why my mom and brother had reacted that way. After all, I grew up thinking nothing of a person’s skin color. I believed that it had no bearing on their character. After all, as a Mexican living in the OC, I had experienced my fair share of racism. As a little girl, I remember a white older man yelling at my mom at the grocery store. He used all sorts of derogatory words that I prefer not to repeat. My mom stood there and took it all in. It was the first time I had seen her take a passive role (my mom is usually a fighter, which is something we have in common). Rather than defend herself, she stayed quiet. I watched as other white folks walked on past us, staring at my mom, doing nothing for her as this man berated her.

So, why was he so upset? Apparently, my mom had unknowingly beaten him to a parking spot.

I would think, that being on the receiving end of racism, that my mom (of all people) would have compassion for those who could share similar experiences. After all, why would we (as minorities) perpetuate the same kind of hate that we receive on a regular basis? Why would we stoop to the same level as those who are narrow-minded? What is there to gain from behaving that way?

It disturbed me that my family thought so little of a person they hadn’t even met. My mom assumed that he fit the black stereotype—a thug, a drop out, a drug dealer. She assumed that I could do better and that Jesse was lucky to be with me. But how can you judge someone you don’t even know?

Eventually, my mother warmed up to the idea of Jesse being a nice, regular guy (if anything, I’m the crazy one in the relationship). When Jesse met my family for the first time, my brother and mom welcomed him with open arms. Jesse is nothing like they assumed he was. He’s geeky and sensitive and silly. And my mother has definitely come to accept Jesse as part of the family.

The best part of all this was that Jesse took it all in stride. Right before he met my family, I asked him if he was nervous. He replied, “Nope. All I can do is be myself.” And he was. And my family loves him for it.

this makes me really sad

why does skin color continue to be an issue in this country? i just don't get it.

from PostSecret

not just another post about my boyfriend

Three years ago Tuesday, when I first noticed my boyfriend, I was drawn to his arms. They are muscular. Oooh, I bet I could melt away in those arms, I thought. I just wanted to drown in his embrace. Three years later, I still do.

The next thing I noticed was his smile. It literally lit up the Dupont Italian Kitchen patio. When he sat down next to me, I then noticed his gentle, sweet demeanor. He was incredibly unassuming, yet charismatic and funny. Immediately, I knew he was trouble (the good kind, it turns out). A crush was born.

As the weeks went on and we continued to date, I would describe him to my friends. He’s a year older than me. He went to Virginia Tech and he’s a proud Hokie (is there another kind?). He works in IT. He’s incredibly smart. The list would go on and on. In describing Jesse, the last thing on my mind was his skin color. I rarely mentioned that he is black. You’re probably thinking that I was ashamed or afraid of people’s reactions (if you’re thinking this, you definitely don’t know me) because I was with a black guy. But the truth is that I’ve always been blind to his skin color. It simply doesn’t matter.

Race has never mattered to me. A person’s ethnicity is a complete and total non-issue for me. Race doesn’t define you. When I tell you that I’m Mexican, what do you think? Do you think I can’t speak English very well (not if you read this blog regularly)? Do you think I’m lazy (I can be, but only after I’m tired from working hard)? Do you assume I’m an immigrant (I’m not but my parents were)? I am not defined by all of those stereotypes that are associated with my ethnicity. In fact, those stereotypes have nothing to do with me. So why would I hold anyone else to them?

The problem is that race continues to be an issue in this country. Up until 40 years ago, interracial marriage was considered illegal. Virginia couple Mildred and Richard Loving (a black woman and her white husband) defended their right to marry (and have their marriage recognized by the state of Virginia) all the way to the Supreme Court. In an era when over half of the population opposed interracial marriage, the Loving’s victory in Loving v. Virginia struck down all state bans on interracial marriage and effectively secured the freedom to marry as a civil right (that is, if you’re heterosexual, but that’s a whole different post). Clearly, the decision was groundbreaking.

Just because a person’s skin color doesn’t matter to me doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate the significance of this decision. I realize that hate continues to exist. But because a person’s skin color doesn’t matter to me, I can’t understand why this hate exists. I don’t know why people hate illegal immigrants so much. I don’t get why people automatically attribute a rise in crime to blacks. I don’t know why some people look at Jesse and me, happily holding hands in public, with such hate or disgust. Perhaps I’ll never know.

I hope that my future children will never have to know this world—a world where race is still an issue. I hope that no one will ever look at them and judge them because of what they look like. Most importantly, I hope to provide a good example and show them to look beyond the color of a person’s skin.

We may have come a long way since Loving v. Virginia, but sadly, we’ve still got a long way to go.