The Pink Flamingo :: Is Your Anti-Hispanic Racism Showing?

I want to tell you about a story I heard today. I am not telling who told it to me. The man is Hispanic. His family has been in New Mexico since the Conquistadors. THEY ARE REPUBLICAN. They have served in the military. They vote. They go to church, have jobs, and contribute to society. Unfortunately, my friend’s sister cannot find her birth certificate. She has lost her baptismal certificate. The state of New Mexico declares she was never born. She has a Social Security # and is receiving it. She has her Medicare. She has a voter registration card and a driver’s license. She wants to take a cruise. She cannot get a passport because SHE CANNOT PROVE SHE IS A LEGAL AMERICAN. Her brother, who was telling me about all of this, was in the house when she was born. Evidently the elderly physician never filed a birth certificate for her. Because she is Hispanic a friend who works in the local Social Security office told her not to even attempt to file a report with her Social Security card because they might take it away from her. She was also warned not to travel anywhere that she is not known because in this climate ICE could pick her up. Because she cannot find a birth certificate SHE WOULD BE PLACED IN DETENTION until her family can produce one.

This is the United States of America. We do not apprehend law-abiding people and put them into detention until they prove they are Americans. But – this is happening. This is the result of the blasted immigration reform you hard-liners have promoted. I can only hope either you or someone you care about is detained until they can prove they are American, and their paperwork gets lost. Maybe then you will develop a little compassion and human decency.

RACISM AGAINST HISPANICS
Should a Presidential candidate address the NAACP?
Should that same person address SAALT?   What is Strengthening South Asian Communities in America and why isn’t Malkin complaining about their advocacy or participation in immigration rallies?

South Asian American Youth Voting
RICR:
The Sikh Coalition?
DWA FANM
EIIC
ACIM
African Services Community
NAACP

Do you ever hear anyone complain about St. Patrick’s Day or Octoberfest? Everyone seems to be celebrating the Chinese New Year now days.   Then why make fun of Cinco de Mayo?

Have you ever heard of anyone protesting a POTUS candidate meeting with any of the above groups or attending any of the above celebrations?   Why is it those other ethnic groups are worthy of respectful treatment, but anything Hispanic? Doesn’t this seem to be a little racist to you?

You would think, after all this time, people would start catching on to the fact that they are being led down the primrose path. I like the old adage, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. How long will it take for good, decent people to realize they’ve been made fools of?

Oh dear, I’ve just answered my own question.

People don’t like to admit they’ve been made fools of.

Let’s face it, literature is full of cautionary tales about how groups of people will act when they’ve realized they’ve been made fools of. They become even worse. I keep thinking of The Twilight Zone, or the Salem Witch Trials. People do not like to admit they’ve been “had”. The intellectually honest will admit they’ve been “had”. The losers become even more and more vicious. I have this really bad feeling we’re going to see a group of losers turn into a mindless pack of wild animals, willing to destroy anyone to get their way.

John McCain is a reasonable Republican adult who wants to be the President of the United States of America. I order to accomplish this remarkable feat, he must visit with every known group there is. If there were an organization supporting aliens from Roswell he would be required to meet with them. It is the way the game is played. It is how the game is won.

What is wrong with Hispanics having a cultural organization like the NAACP? You would think La Raza was the second coming of the KKK the way a few non-McCain conservatives are acting. Most of the people complaining are probably not going to vote for John McCain anyway, so why not have the honesty and decency like people such as Texas Fred who openly admits he is not going to vote for John McCain. But – the majority of anti-immigration conservatives who aren’t Republican don’t have the courage to come out of the closet! No wonder they hate homosexuals. They see some of their own proclivities (not a sexual reference) here – no guts, no glory.

The SPLC has repeatedly exposed Lou Dobbs as one of the ring-leaders of hatred of Hispanics.   The man is seriously disturbed. I had an honest back and forth over the SPLC the other day. I have yet to find anything amiss with them, other than the fact Morris Dees has had a soap opera private live. I hate to break it to you that a heck of a lot of other people have the same problems. Want to list the conservatives?

OR IS SOMETHING ELSE AFOOT?
After surfing through my usual blogs, I’m seeing the signs of a trend here. Something more than the usual racist demagoguery over La Raza. I am beginning to suspect a coordinated attack on Senator McCain. If this is the case, then let’s just sit back and see what develops. It is so obvious, that you wonder how long people are going to fall for this.

Dan Stein, John Tanton’s flunkie at FAIR, has flashed the first of the attack. All of this is because John McCain dares to treat Hispanics as humans. Guess what, they are. They are also Republican and they also vote. They DO NOT vote for racists.

I did not suspect a possible hit on Senator McCain until I saw this post over at the Jawa Report.   Polipundit is complaining. Abdul at Hi Science wants people to let “Juan” McCain know they are displeased with his speaking before La Raza.   If Abdul isn’t a John McCain supporter, he has NOTHING to say about it.

Something else really annoys me. It appears Abdul is using “Juan” McCain as a derogative, to denigrate and make fun of Hispanics. That is deplorable. I have a friend named Juan. He is one of the finest classical guitarists there is. I know someone dating a man named Juan. He is afraid he is going to lose his immigration status and be deported back to a country where he will be killed the moment he steps foot on the tarmac. He’s a good man. He is legal. He has a green-card. He owns a fairly large business and employs a number of people. BUT – because of people like Abdul, his status as a ‘refugee’. Please don’t tell me you are a Christian. I will probably tell you that I think you are not.

Ace of Spades is endorsing Hillary Clinton!
Drew M. wrote:

“…On the upside…Republicans are likely to pick up seats in Congress in 2010 under Hillary (not so under Maverick). More importantly, as a conservative I don’t want the Republican party to get the idea that the way to win is with a guy like McCain. 4 years totally in the wilderness will do wonders to concentrate the mind of the movement. Don't get me wrong, in a lot of ways Hillary would be a lousy President but I don’t think she’d be that much worse or a bigger gamble for conservatives than McCain. In the long run, the country will be fine and conservatives will be better off after a Clinton term or two (though to be honest, the idea of two terms scares me but this is based on some assumptions and gambles)….”

MALKIN DEMANDS MCCAIN DENOUNCE LA RAZA
It sounds like we're a little drunk with our own power and ego here. I can't imagine anyone in their right mind demanding any candidate for President of the United States, let alone the Nominee cave to the petty demands of a person who isn't even a supporter of the Republican Party. That's a little strange, don't you think? Would you actually vote for anyone who was so terrified that they would agree to something like this? Lord have Mercy!

What is wrong with Hispanics?

THE LA RAZA LIES OF CHARLIE NORWOOD
Several years ago Charlie Norwood made a fool of himself in a column he wrote about La Raza which had to be retracted, changed, and the usual threats of lawsuits went back and forth. La Raza won.
Norwood wrote

“…MEChA and the La Raza movement teach that Colorado, California, Arizona, Texas, Utah, New Mexico, Oregon and parts of Washington State make up an area known as "Aztlan" -- a fictional ancestral homeland of the Aztecs before Europeans arrived in North America. As such, it belongs to the followers of MEChA. These are all areas America should surrender to "La Raza" once enough immigrants, legal or illegal, enter to claim a majority, as in Los Angeles. The current borders of the United States will simply be extinguished.

This plan is what is referred to as the "Reconquista" or reconquest, of the Western U.S.

But it won't end with territorial occupation and secession. The final plan for the La Raza movement includes the ethnic cleansing of Americans of European, African, and Asian descent out of "Aztlan."

As Miguel Perez of Cal State-Northridge's MEChA chapter has been quoted as saying: "The ultimate ideology is the liberation of Aztlan. Communism would be closest [to it]. Once Aztlan is established, ethnic cleansing would commence: Non-Chicanos would have to be expelled -- opposition groups would be quashed because you have to keep power."

Members of these radical, anti-American, racist organizations are frequently smoothly polished into public respectability by the National Council of La Raza….”

Now, read La Raza’s response. A taunt series of letters and press releases went back and forth. Norwood finally responded by making a list of demands for LaRaza to adhere to.

And this

“…Norwood Condition 7: Acknowledge the internationally recognized borders of the United States, the right of the citizens of the United States to determine immigration policy through the democratic process, and the right of the United States to undertake any and all necessary steps including military action to effectively enforce immigration law and defend its borders against unauthorized entry.

NCLR Response: NCLR has repeatedly recognized the right of the United States, as a sovereign nation, to control its borders. Moreover, NCLR has supported numerous specific measures to strengthen border enforcement, provided that such enforcement is conducted fairly, humanely, and in a nondiscriminatory fashion; for example:

NCLR helped draft and advocated for bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate which included tough enforcement measures against unauthorized migration.

NCLR’s President and CEO served on and endorsed the recommendations of the Independent Task Force on Immigration and America’s Future, an independent, bipartisan, blue ribbon commission chaired by former Rep. Lee Hamilton and former Senator Spencer Abraham, which recently released a set of recommendations on immigration reform, including more than a dozen new enforcement measures.

In a major address in San Diego last year, NCLR President Janet Murguía stressed that any comprehensive immigration reform needed to include a strong, effective, and humane enforcement component.

All of NCLR’s policy materials describing its positions and activities on the immigration debate are all available on its website. In particular, an Issue Brief, Immigration Reform: Comprehensive Solutions to Complex Problems can be found here….”

Someone isn’t being honest here.

As to the whole Reconquista debate, La Raza responded to Norwood’s demands by commenting…

:… Norwood Condition 1: Denounce and sever all ties with MEChA [Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán or Chicano Student Movement of Aztlán] and any other organizations with which they are now or have ever been associated or funded which held to the racist doctrines published by MEChA.

NCLR Response: NCLR has never supported, and does not support, separatist organizations. According to its mission statement, MEChA is a student organization whose primary objectives are educational – to help Latino students finish high school and go to college, and to support them while at institutions of higher education. NCLR freely acknowledges that some of the organization’s founding documents, e.g., Plan Espiritual de Aztlán, contain inappropriate rhetoric, and NCLR acknowledges that rhetoric from some MEChA members has been extremist and inflammatory.*…”

It’s time for a little lesson in what is going on here.

There is the Mexica Movement.

“…Hispanics are the Spaniards, the people of Spain. We are not Spaniards! We are Mexica! We are the people of Anahuac. We are the Nican Tlaca (Indigenous people) of this continent, the true owners of this continent. We are not Spaniards or the property of Spain. Calling ourselves "Hispanic" denies us our true Nican Tlaca Anahuac identity, history and heritage. It enslaves us to the interests of the "Spanish" white world. Calling our people Hispanic is racist. Calling our people Hispanic is like calling the African descent people in the U.S. Britannic because they have British names and because they speak English….”

Now, before you go getting your little conservative panties in a wad – you’d better stop and consider that there is a CONSERVATIVE version of this. It’s called the Christian Exodus.

The Christian Exodus believes the following:

“…ChristianExodus.org is an association of Christians who no longer wish to live under the unjust usurpation of powers by the federal government, and therefore resolves to formally disassociate itself from this tyrannical authority, and return to the model of governance of a constitutional republic. We seek a republican government constrained by constitutionally delegated powers. If this cannot be achieved within the United States, then we believe a peaceful withdrawal from the union to be the last available remedy….”

A MINI RANT
Frankly, I don’t see any difference. One group is liberal and the other is conservative. They are both wackos. Unfortunately, the Christian Exodus people are part of the entire ultra conservative cabal and has ties to some very scary people. I will take the liberals over this bunch any day of the week. They are both out TO DESTROY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

For those of you who aren’t afraid of the boogyman, here’s the Aztlan web site. / It’s screaming liberal. So what. They have a right to be liberal. Are they demanding the overthrow of the US? Doesn’t seem so to me. So, which is worse? To me The Christian Exodus is far more disturbing.

Read Orinicus about Aztlan, reconquista, etc.

Where do conservatives get their ideas of Reconquista? Try a serious racist website that is big into Holocaust denial. You might want to peruse their reading list. It’s heavily into the National Socialist ideology. If you don’t know what that is, then you need to do a little history lesson.

“Some Mexicans and Mexican-Americans want to see California, New Mexico and other parts of the United States given to Mexico. They call it the “reconquista,” Spanish for “reconquest,” and they view the millions of Mexican illegal aliens entering this country as their army of invaders to achieve that takeover. To an extent, they also have actual armed soldiers of the Mexican army, along with mercenaries from North Korea, Russia and other communist or former communist lands, and have already fired upon American Border Patrol officers and terrorized American ranchers. Shockingly, certain politicians in America are willing to sell out to the Mexicans. Here we consider the background to this disturbing development.   Mexico, of course, was once a Spanish colony, the Aztecs and numerous other tribes in that region having been conquered by the Spaniards—or, in many cases, having willingly sworn allegiance to the Spanish king in order to free themselves from Aztec tyranny. (However, it may be noted that in the northern reaches—the so-called Interior Provinces—of what was once called “Mexico,” the natives had never been subdued by any outsiders, including the Aztecs.) When a number of Mexicans, inspired by Ameri ca’s example, revolted against Spain, they set up an independent government and assumed theoretical rulership of a vast area, in cluding what is now known as the South western United States….”

THE RANT CONTINUES
I’m getting sick and tired of this. Let’s tie it all in for you dear little anti-immigration people. It isn’t about conservative, liberal, Dem, GOP, it’s about RACISM, BIGOTRY, and a movement that has links directly back to this…

“…Right-wing bloggers have played a central role in this, but in a way that reflects the extent to which they are simply another cog in the conservative-movement propaganda machine. Carefully examing how the right blogosphere operates, as such, reveals important truths about the nature of the larger movement.

So let’s take a good look at how it’s structured. The first thing you’ll notice is that right-wing bloggers are generally careful to never express any overt or naked racism. Instead, what they do is act as a transmitter, taking an old far-right appeal or idea and present it as a fresh, if "politically incorrect," way of thinking.

Michelle Malkin — certainly one of the leading lights of the right-wing blogosphere — provided us with a vivid example of this in a recent column, with a charge that she later repeated on national television and on her blog:

'Aztlan is a long-held notion among Mexico’s intellectual elite and political class, which asserts that the American southwest rightly belongs to Mexico. Advocates believe the reclamation (or reconquista) of Aztlan will occur through sheer demographic force. If the rallies across the country are any indication, reconquista is already complete.'

But as Alex Koppelman at Dragonfire pointed out:

'You might expect Malkin to give her readers some evidence that Aztlan really is "a long-held notion among Mexico’s intellectual elite and political class," but she never does.

Why? Because Aztlan and reconquista these days aren’t, for the most part, ideas held by Mexicans: they’re ideas held by white supremacists and neo-Nazis. The myth of reconquista stems from a misreading of one of the founding documents of the Chicano movement, "El Plan Espiritual de Aztlan."

In much the same way that the Black Power movement meant the words "Black Power" in a metaphorical sense, that is, as a call to African-Americans to recognize after years of being stigmatized that they too were people with something to contribute to society, "El Plan Espiritual de Aztlan" was an appeal to nationalism as a means to achieve a greater self-awareness and self-esteem.

But that’s not the way some white supremacists, fearful of a brown mass ready to take over the United States, has interpreted it.

A simple Google search shows that the people talking about Aztlan and reconquista are predominantly not Mexican (though there are some radical fringe groups) but white supremacists.

Malkin, in truth, was simply following in the footsteps of the most prominent right-wing blogger, Instapundit Glenn Reynolds, who for several months in 2004 was likewise promoting the "reconquista" notion while arguing, groundlessly, that the student organization MEChA was a pack of "fascist hatemongers" comparable to the Klan.

But in Malkin’s case, the thread from far-right extremism to mainstream consumption is especially pronounced, since she herself has a considerable history of dalliances and associations with extremists and far-right organizations, most notably VDare, the SPLC-designated hate group that publishes not just Malkin’s work but that of Steve Sailer and Jared Taylor.

Malkin, of course, has never explained her association with VDare, just as Reynolds never recanted his groundless smearing of MEChA. Similarly, they never confront the effects of their reliance on old appeals from the far right, because that would undermine the whole enterprise.

Rather, they trot them out for consumption and play coy about any of the deeper implications of what they’re saying. Then, they leave it up to their readers to complete the connection….”

I don’t know about you, but I’d be ashamed, very ashamed, and very very embarrassed. Evidently that isn't the case. That deplorable American Chronicle repeated the lies. This is all about racism - down deep. Look, I know 95% of you ARE NOT RACIST. But - you gotta quit believing what the haters keep telling you. They have an agenda, and you are the sharpie marker.

"...a Raza and MEChA are examples of extremist racist organizations that claim that the United States has no jurisdiction over several Southwestern states because only people that have at least marginal Amerindian descent have a right to live and rule a mythological land they call “Aztlan”. Ironically most members of these extremist organizations speak a language, Spanish, and profess to adhere to a religion, Catholicism, that originated in Europe . Furthering the confusion, some extremists claim instead that these lands “belong” to modern Mexico , not because Mexico represents Amerindian people, but because Spain ruled over those lands before modern Mexico defeated Spain in war. Well, those claims would seem to put Spain, a European nation, as the legitimate authority over those lands, otherwise Mexico would not have a claim based on having won a war with Spain. The Mexican occupation of California following the war with Spain lasted only 23 contested years. During those occupation years, Mexico only managed to muster about 300 troops to travel the distance to subdue the local Californians. This hardly represents a mandate to rule...."

NOW THE TRUTH
Janet Murguia, President and CEO of La Raza wrote:

“…NCLR is also among the most recognized organizations in the nonprofit sector. Our work in the health arena has been honored by the Surgeon General of the United States and by numerous professional organizations. Both our former President/CEO and the current Chair of our Board of Directors have earned the prestigious Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and The Nonprofit Times has recognized NCLR’s leadership with its coveted “Power and Influence Top 50” award, honoring the top 50 leaders shaping the nonprofit world. In addition, NCLR is featured alongside Habitat for Humanity and the Heritage Foundation in Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits, a book that analyzes the practices of 12 nonprofit organizations which have successfully created social change (released in October 2007).

We recognize that some people might be confused about our organization’s name, our mission, and our work. Much of this is understandable. Compared to some of our venerable counterparts in the civil rights and advocacy community, we are a relatively young institution, representing Latinos, an historically disadvantaged and oft-misunderstood ethnic minority. We have a Spanish term in our name, “La Raza” (meaning “the people” or “community”), which is often mistranslated. Furthermore, we are engaged in some of the most controversial issues of our time, which we believe is essential if we are to stay true to our mission.

As an advocacy organization engaged in the public arena, we know that some will disagree with our views. As Americans committed to basic civil rights, we respect anyone’s right to do so.

But it is also clear that some critics are willfully distorting the facts and deliberately mischaracterizing our organization and our work. Recently, we have been the subject of a number of ad hominem attacks that we believe cross the line of civility in public discourse.

At times, we have ignored these attacks, preferring to invest our precious time and resources in our work, believing that the quality of the work speaks for itself. At other times, we have responded in a civil fashion, through private correspondence or by requesting a meeting with a critic so we can discuss our differences. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to do this in every case, especially when our private requests for civil discussion are responded to with further unfounded attacks, often echoed in the media as if they were accurate, which they are not….”

LA RAZA MEANS:

“Many people incorrectly translate our name, “La Raza,” as “the race.” While it is true that one meaning of “raza” in Spanish is indeed “race,” in Spanish, as in English and any other language, words can and do have multiple meanings. As noted in several online dictionaries, “La Raza” means “the people” or “the community.” Translating our name as “the race” is not only inaccurate, it is factually incorrect. “Hispanic” is an ethnicity, not a race. As anyone who has ever met a Dominican American, Mexican American, or Spanish American can attest, Hispanics can be and are members of any and all races.
The term “La Raza” has its origins in early 20th century Latin American literature and translates into English most closely as “the people,” or, according to some scholars, “the Hispanic people of the New World.” The term was coined by Mexican scholar José Vasconcelos to reflect the fact that the people of Latin America are a mixture of many of the world’s races, cultures, and religions. Mistranslating “La Raza” to mean “the race” implies that it is a term meant to exclude others. In fact, the full term coined by Vasconcelos, “La Raza Cósmica,” meaning the “cosmic people,” was developed to reflect not purity but the mixture inherent in the Hispanic people. This is an inclusive concept, meaning that Hispanics share with all other peoples of the world a common heritage and destiny.”

MEChA

“NCLR has never supported, and does not support, separatist organizations. Some critics have accused MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán or Chicano Student Movement of Aztlán) of being a separatist organization and denounced NCLR for being a “major funder” of the organization. The reality is that in 2003, NCLR provided one chapter of the organization (Georgetown University) with a $2,500 subgrant to support a conference of Latino students – mainly from the Southwest and West Coast – who were attending East Coast colleges but who could not afford to travel home for Thanksgiving. These Latino student groups hold mini-conferences with workshops and speakers, bringing together students who are often the first high school graduates and college attendees in their families.

According to its mission statement, MEChA is a student organization whose primary objectives are educational – to help Latino students finish high school and go to college, and to support them while at institutions of higher education. NCLR freely acknowledges that some of the organization’s founding documents, e.g., Plan Espiritual de Aztlán, contain inappropriate rhetoric, and NCLR also acknowledges that rhetoric from some MEChA members has been extremist and inflammatory. In a June 2006 Los Angeles Times op-ed, journalist Gustavo Arellano noted that all of the MEChA members of his class graduated from college and have gone on to successful careers, a rarity at a time when only 12% of Latinos have a college degree. And to the group’s founding documents, Arellano also pointed out that “few members take these dated relics of the 1960s seriously, if they even bothered to read them.”…”

RECONQUISTA

“…Another misconception about NCLR is that we support a “Reconquista,” or the right of Mexico to reclaim land in the southwestern United States. NCLR has not made and does not make any such claim; indeed, such a claim is so far outside of the mainstream of the Latino community that we find it incredible that our critics raise it as an issue. NCLR has never supported and does not endorse the notion of a “Reconquista” or “Aztlán.” Similarly, NCLR’s critics falsely claim that the statement “Por La Raza todo, Fuera de La Raza nada,” [“For the community everything, outside the community nothing”] is NCLR’s motto. NCLR unequivocally rejects this statement, which is not and has never been the motto of any Latino organization.

NCLR’s work as a civil rights institution is about inclusion and participation in the American Dream, including extensive efforts to assist new immigrants in the process of fully integrating into American life. In fact, NCLR and its Affiliates work every day to provide English classes, support naturalization efforts, and provide other services that help integrate immigrants fully into American society….”

IMMIGRATION

“…Unfortunately, NCLR has been called an “open-borders advocate” and the “illegal alien lobby” numerous times. NCLR has repeatedly recognized the right of the United States, as a sovereign nation, to control its borders. Moreover, NCLR has supported numerous specific measures to strengthen border enforcement, provided that such enforcement is conducted fairly, humanely, and in a nondiscriminatory fashion….”

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

“…This week, Janet Murguía, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), appeared on Tonight with Lou Dobbs, the news anchor who has become the darling of the anti-immigrant movement. As Murguía explained to Dobbs that the Mexican flags which have been appearing sporadically in the student protests this week were more a symbol of cultural pride than a political statement, akin to the outpouring of Irish flags on St. Patrick’s Day, Dobbs made the stunning announcement that he in fact opposed St. Patrick’s Day and Columbus Day or any other “day.” While we certainly admire the fact that Dobbs spurned hypocrisy in his crusade against “multiculturalism,” taking it to new if increasingly absurd heights, we could not disagree with him more that cultural pride is inconsistent with being an American. On the contrary, we believe that, along with a strong belief in family, country, and the democratic ideal, part of being an American is a deep sense of pride in where one’s ancestors came from. To question someone’s loyalty as an American because they are proud of their roots would be as silly as questioning it because they were family-oriented or a person of faith. What sets this country apart from any other is that there is no one way to look, sound, or be “American,” and the true mark of being an American is cherishing, and adhering to, the values that make this country great….”