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I am curious as to why the specific question about mexicans. Is it because you want to be amongst other mexicans or because you are trying to avoid them?
It seems this person is Mexican and wanted to know if it would be tolerant in NY. A lot of (white) people from the west or even the south will say "Mexicans" when they mean all Latino people, because that's the largest group where they live. A Brazilian friend of mine said he spent his whole life being called Puerto Rican until moving to California for a while and being called Mexican. Pretty sad
I don't know about this latino unity thing you speak of because mexicans are very distinct and different from puerto ricans as puerto ricans are from hondurans, etc... The commonality in most instances is the language (and even that can vary as puerto ricans don't speak exactly the same type of spanish as someone from Argentina or Costa Rica). Maybe you perceive a commonality because you are on the outside looking in. As for the urban ghetto culture you speak of, again, that is subjective. There may be a common theme in your eyes but I wonder if you've searched below the surface or if you've had a conversation with some of the people who you presume to be a certain way. Finally, it has been my experience that the first generation does take on some of the attributes (good and bad) of their new homeland but because they are so close to their parents they still retain alot of their customs as, well. The second and third will most likely be completely assimilated into the good and bad of the country if not taught differently.
I think you should re-read my post because you have really misinterpreted it. I never said there was a "Latino" unity nor did I say that Latinos are all ghetto. I self-identify as Latino myself and definitely am not "on the outside looking in."
I am accustomed to being called Hispanic...but Latino is fine with me. The only one I would not choose is Spanish..as that is reserved for those who are from Spain (and not from Spain via South America either..which would make you Latino or Hispanic, not Spanish).
It seems this person is Mexican and wanted to know if it would be tolerant in NY. A lot of (white) people from the west or even the south will say "Mexicans" when they mean all Latino people, because that's the largest group where they live. A Brazilian friend of mine said he spent his whole life being called Puerto Rican until moving to California for a while and being called Mexican. Pretty sad
It hasn't happened to me in years but I remember the days when I use to speak spanish and people would say, "Oh, I didn't know you were puerto rican," as if the only people on in New York who spoke spanish were puerto rico. I also use to work for a company sometime ago where the bookkeeper use to have this thing against latinos but every latino to her was puerto rican. She told me this story one time about this pretty woman who happened to be white who was on the fairy with here and how these puerto rican guys kept staring at her like they wanted to rape her. This is how my mind works sometimes and I hate to admit it but instead of asking did they attempt to do anything to the girl (because I was so sure it was a bunch of bunk this woman was telling me), I asked how she knew they were puerto rican and the woman answered because they spoke spanish. In addition, she proceeded to say that she wish they would go back to their country and leave the rest of us americans alone.
Well Yvette for every one of those stories there are those of Hispanics saying/thinking the same things about other Hispanics, let alone whites/blacks. So what is the point?
I think you should re-read my post because you have really misinterpreted it. I never said there was a "Latino" unity nor did I say that Latinos are all ghetto. I self-identify as Latino myself and definitely am not "on the outside looking in."
I can't find your original response, if you remember the page do tell. Other than that, if I erred in my response to you, please accept my apologies. I recall something about first generation latinos being harder works and not like the subculture that you see and that mexicans are better off living in Queens and separating themselves. Honestly, I would really like to find what you wrote with combing through all the posts because either I really misinterpreted or there was something in there that didn't jibe with me. Again, if I am wrong, my sincerest apologies.
Well Yvette for every one of those stories there are those of Hispanics saying/thinking the same things about other Hispanics, let alone whites/blacks. So what is the point?
Would you clarify? I am not sure I get what it is you are trying to relay to me.
I think you should re-read my post because you have really misinterpreted it. I never said there was a "Latino" unity nor did I say that Latinos are all ghetto. I self-identify as Latino myself and definitely am not "on the outside looking in."
O.K I found the post and I didn't misinterpret. You post the following:
"Mexicans were smart for moving to Queens; it's smart for them to try to keep their children away from the ghetto "Latino"-American street culture that unfortunately has such a presence in northern Manhattan and the Bronx. Like I have said and will repeat again, though there are PLENTY of good Puerto Rican and Dominican young people, much too high a percentage of these groups fall victim to this culture to which I am referring. As much as it would be nice to talk about "Latino unity," I would have to advise against it in the case of Mexicans because they are just establishing themselves here and will probably want to distance themselves from the bad northern Manhattan and the Bronx neighborhoods that give Puerto Rican and Dominican youths such a bad rap in this city.
You mentioned that as much as it would be nice to talk about "Latino Unity," you would have to advise against it in the case of Mexicans... and I am simply saying that I am not quite sure if there was ever talk about any real Latino Unity to begin with, so in my opinion it is a non-issue because from what I've seen we may be united as far as the language goes but many latino groups hang close to one another. They don't even marry across the lines as much as one would think. That is all I was saying. The mexicans don't have to try and fit into this box of the united latino nations because it is non-existent, so all they really have to do is what they've been doing and that is unite among themeselves.
What I meant by that statement is that although it sounds nice to speak of "Latino unity" in theory, it may not work (nor will many people WANT it to work) in practice. I don't believe that Latino unity really exists, so that is why I am talking about it "in theory." As bad as it sounds, I actually advocate that each Latino group watch out for themselves and maintain distinct identities as to avoid facilitating the generalizations that others may make about "Hispanics," "Latinos," or "Spanish people". In practice, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Colombians (which I believe are the four biggest Latin American groups in this city) are NOT holding hands and dancing around in circles; they maintain distinct identities and I think that in a way, this is a good thing. No one wants to be categorized into a blanket group, ESPECIALLY not if people talk trash about that group.
What I meant by that statement is that although it sounds nice to speak of "Latino unity" in theory, it may not work (nor will many people WANT it to work) in practice. I don't believe that Latino unity really exists, so that is why I am talking about it "in theory." As bad as it sounds, I actually advocate that each Latino group watch out for themselves and maintain distinct identities as to avoid facilitating the generalizations that others may make about "Hispanics," "Latinos," or "Spanish people". In practice, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Colombians (which I believe are the four biggest Latin American groups in this city) are NOT holding hands and dancing around in circles; they maintain distinct identities and I think that in a way, this is a good thing. No one wants to be categorized into a blanket group, ESPECIALLY not if people talk trash about that group.
Good point, Crisp. Yvette's points are also well-taken.
It's just that there has seemed to be a "latino unity" of sorts. Yes, there are differences among the various countries, and that distinction should be acknowledged, at the very least. It's as Crisp444 has said. There's no point in lumping everyone together, particularly if it means getting a bad rap as a result.
But, Yvette, you are correct in pointing out the language issue as being
somewhat of a "tie that binds". It clearly does not make us all one, technically speaking. But in this society where Latinos are targeted and discriminated against (and, yes, many non-latinos think that "all latinos are equal"...equally bad), this one area of common ground may do more to unite than divide at times.
In my experiences the fact of being latino tends to draw people together, especially where the language is an issue. I've noted before in another thread that in much of the music we listen to (Latin music) there have been cries of "latinos unidos".
But, realistically speaking, the other points being made here that suggest that the idea of 'latinos unidos' can only be taken so far, if far at all, must be heeded. One poster said in another place that he knew of Dominicans who would target Mexicans to assault or rob them.... not very "united" there.
Much of the bigotry against latinos on the part of non-latinos in our society does manifest itself through a display of ignorance, misinformation, and just plain apathy, where you will hear all latinos referred to as "those no-good Puerto Ricans, or Mexicans, or the like.
Some of this seems to be merely the issue of the language, so it's no real surprise that the language has also helped to unite, as well...to a certain extent.
Peace.
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Yvette
