I just submitted a piece by Richard Rodriguez in Newsweek (below). Here I want to expand on the man .
I feel like him. My father wanted all my siblings to learn English. We were born in Mexico, and most of us have gone abroad in later life. Some of my nephews and nieces have even lived abroad. My first grand nephew was born in Spain! We were not limited by poverty. It might have helped that we did not look as "indio", as Rodriguez; nevertheless my mother was surprised when I told her that in the US I am considered "colored".
It saddens me that if you look "indian", like the Mexican actor Ruben Sosa (below) from Tepito, Europeans do not respect you. I guess I have wished I, or my children, look more European. Maybe, in part, that is why I married a Russian-American Jewish woman. My kids look more European than I do, but I feel proud of my American-Indian genetic endowment.
I am very happy to report that last night I went to a dance for "Student Day" here in Chilpancingo, where many of my students looked more Indian than I do. They are so beautiful!
Richard Rodriguez has done a very good work to "educate" racist Europeans masquerading as Americans. The only Americans are the ones that were here already, when the Europeans arrived in the leap year of 1492. I hope that Rodriguez, and other people with bright minds like him, finally enlighten all of us. Human differences are almost all, only skin deep.
I feel like him. My father wanted all my siblings to learn English. We were born in Mexico, and most of us have gone abroad in later life. Some of my nephews and nieces have even lived abroad. My first grand nephew was born in Spain! We were not limited by poverty. It might have helped that we did not look as "indio", as Rodriguez; nevertheless my mother was surprised when I told her that in the US I am considered "colored".
It saddens me that if you look "indian", like the Mexican actor Ruben Sosa (below) from Tepito, Europeans do not respect you. I guess I have wished I, or my children, look more European. Maybe, in part, that is why I married a Russian-American Jewish woman. My kids look more European than I do, but I feel proud of my American-Indian genetic endowment.
I am very happy to report that last night I went to a dance for "Student Day" here in Chilpancingo, where many of my students looked more Indian than I do. They are so beautiful!
Richard Rodriguez has done a very good work to "educate" racist Europeans masquerading as Americans. The only Americans are the ones that were here already, when the Europeans arrived in the leap year of 1492. I hope that Rodriguez, and other people with bright minds like him, finally enlighten all of us. Human differences are almost all, only skin deep.
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