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Yes, they are scumbags.What about Venezuela? You can set up a "comercializadora" there, "paint" whatever you export and then you can export your products "homefree" to Brazil.I know a German elevator company there, Thyssen, they do that.Yes, Chavez is a scumbag.
Some threads keep getting hijacked by these subjects, I think they deserve their own space.
Let's discuss interesting subjects such as white hispanics from European descent, feel free to write long posts, and post pictures. Also let's talk about those Latinos who refuse to speak English, their reasons and their real intent. If you to change to subject to rude people, that should be fine too.
I'm a guy that the "English-only" Miamians love to hate.
I don't refuse to speak English, but I try to avoid it whenever I can.
I think Miami should become an officially bilingual city-state (don't laugh it might happen)
I also think the US "Hispanic racial category" is totally stupid and culturally incompetent for many reasons, so I just ignore the question, and say whatever I feel like.
I also think the US accepted definition of what is Latino is also pretty stupid and disrespectful of all Latinos in the world.
Do I feel I am rude for not speaking English? Hell no, because I accept whatever consequences result from my decisions/actions.
I love the freedom to be able to continuously develop the US culture for today, as opposed to strictly adhering to standards from historical perspectives. Just because Miami spoke more English in the past doesn't mean we have to do it today - that's ridiculous. I can choose to speak whatever freakin' language I want, and I will gladly accept the consequences. I don't owe anyone anything we all are building this country (a work in progress) together.
I do not automatically switch to English as soon as a gringo walks in the room, especially if the person is the only gringo in a room of international people. If that dude can't hack it, he can choose to react in his own way. I'm not hurting the dude in any way. If he can't get latin chicks, that ain't my problem.
I think Miami should follow the model of Montréal, another totally cool city in North America.
Will my attitude change in the future? Maybe it will. That's the beauty of learning from one another, I can choose to modify my behavior based upon an evolution of my principles and values. So far this attitude hasn't hurt me regarding gringo friends, my best friend is a gringo from Texas, but I'm slowly converting him, LOL. Most of my friends, however, in Miami are Cuban, Mexican, French, Colombian, Puerto Rican, Haitian, and Argentine - as well as African-American (different than NHW culture, IMHO). I rarely think about them in terms of skin color or nationality - I think of them as people/neighbors, who are my friends.
And just to prove I'm not some whacked out dude who has nothin' in common with you, I'm definitely looking forward to Dolphins 2009 season with very high hopes. Pennington's arm is obviously not a rifle (even if he's worked to improve it offseason), he is still one of the smartest (if not THE smartest) QBs in the league. The dude has definitely got it together, mentally speaking. I'm hoping for 11-5, division title and no playoff meltdown for at least one game. I also love Miami FC as well - but gringos mostly could care less about futbol down here - so I won't get into that.
I also think the US "Hispanic racial category" is totally stupid and culturally incompetent for many reasons, so I just ignore the question, and say whatever I feel like.
I also think the US accepted definition of what is Latino is also pretty stupid and disrespectful of all Latinos in the world.
I totally disagree with you. First Hispanic/Latino is not a race, it's an ethnicity. The only choices for race are black, white, indian american, and the asians choices. I'm gonna try to explain what many Latinos have been trying to say for ages in this forum:
In my opinion what the USA is trying to do with their Census and classification is study trends for future generations. Unlike race, there are only 2 ethniticies, hispanic and non-hispanic.
Eventually this country will speak Spanish, maybe in 50 years, maybe in 100, maybe in 200 years but it will happen. What makes you hispanic or Latino is not your race (skin color & traits) but your ability to speak Spanish.
Yes it is flawed since we all know 2nd & 3rd generation latinos who can't speak Spanish, but it is better than nothing. If your parents are for example German and you were born in Venezuela, and then come to the United States, your ethnicity is Latino, your race is white, same thing if your parents came from Africa, you are still Latino if you grew up in a Spanish Speaking country but your race is black. It's not the Latin American thing, as Brazilians are not considered Latinos/hispanic and if you are from Spain and come here, you are also considered a Latino.
It's not racist. The racism in this country is only used to get votes from ignorant people, they play with their feelings. The smart people in power know better than that and know they need this information for anthropology studies.
I'm a guy that the "English-only" Miamians love to hate. I don't refuse to speak English, but I try to avoid it whenever I can.
I think Miami should become an officially bilingual city-state (don't laugh it might happen)
I also think the US "Hispanic racial category" is totally stupid and culturally incompetent for many reasons, so I just ignore the question, and say whatever I feel like.
I also think the US accepted definition of what is Latino is also pretty stupid and disrespectful of all Latinos in the world.
Do I feel I am rude for not speaking English? Hell no, because I accept whatever consequences result from my decisions/actions.
I love the freedom to be able to continuously develop the US culture for today, as opposed to strictly adhering to standards from historical perspectives. Just because Miami spoke more English in the past doesn't mean we have to do it today - that's ridiculous. I can choose to speak whatever freakin' language I want, and I will gladly accept the consequences. I don't owe anyone anything we all are building this country (a work in progress) together.
I do not automatically switch to English as soon as a gringo walks in the room, especially if the person is the only gringo in a room of international people. If that dude can't hack it, he can choose to react in his own way. I'm not hurting the dude in any way. If he can't get latin chicks, that ain't my problem.
I think Miami should follow the model of Montréal, another totally cool city in North America.
Will my attitude change in the future? Maybe it will. That's the beauty of learning from one another, I can choose to modify my behavior based upon an evolution of my principles and values. So far this attitude hasn't hurt me regarding gringo friends, my best friend is a gringo from Texas, but I'm slowly converting him, LOL. Most of my friends, however, in Miami are Cuban, Mexican, French, Colombian, Puerto Rican, Haitian, and Argentine - as well as African-American (different than NHW culture, IMHO). I rarely think about them in terms of skin color or nationality - I think of them as people/neighbors, who are my friends.
And just to prove I'm not some whacked out dude who has nothin' in common with you, I'm definitely looking forward to Dolphins 2009 season with very high hopes. Pennington's arm is obviously not a rifle (even if he's worked to improve it offseason), he is still one of the smartest (if not THE smartest) QBs in the league. The dude has definitely got it together, mentally speaking. I'm hoping for 11-5, division title and no playoff meltdown for at least one game. I also love Miami FC as well - but gringos mostly could care less about futbol down here - so I won't get into that.
I'm a guy that the "English-only" Miamians love to hate.
I don't refuse to speak English, but I try to avoid it whenever I can.
I think Miami should become an officially bilingual city-state (don't laugh it might happen)
I also think the US "Hispanic racial category" is totally stupid and culturally incompetent for many reasons, so I just ignore the question, and say whatever I feel like.
I also think the US accepted definition of what is Latino is also pretty stupid and disrespectful of all Latinos in the world.
Do I feel I am rude for not speaking English? Hell no, because I accept whatever consequences result from my decisions/actions.
I love the freedom to be able to continuously develop the US culture for today, as opposed to strictly adhering to standards from historical perspectives. Just because Miami spoke more English in the past doesn't mean we have to do it today - that's ridiculous. I can choose to speak whatever freakin' language I want, and I will gladly accept the consequences. I don't owe anyone anything we all are building this country (a work in progress) together.
I do not automatically switch to English as soon as a gringo walks in the room, especially if the person is the only gringo in a room of international people. If that dude can't hack it, he can choose to react in his own way. I'm not hurting the dude in any way. If he can't get latin chicks, that ain't my problem.
I think Miami should follow the model of Montréal, another totally cool city in North America.
Well, I ALMOST made it to the end of this tread without having a strong desire to post but ... just... didn't... get there.
Palermodude's attitude is exactly what is wrong with Miami. The idea of "I'm going to do my thing and to hell with you if you can't adjust" (even though America is an English country). This kind of thinging and disreagrd to national identity, of which language is a principle part, will only lead to the balkinization of America which is in no one's interest except our enemies. Palermodude then goes on to cite Motreal as a POSITIVE example of the eventual outcome of his attitude becmoing a majority view. While I agree that Motreal is indeed what would happen, I hardly see it as a positive thing. I've been to Montreal a couple of times. There is nowhere near the sense of Canada-ness there as there is in any other part of Canada (including Toronto where you can see EVERY enthnicity and race within and 20' section of sidewalk).
Quote:
Originally Posted by lolitazz
In my opinion what the USA is trying to do with their Census and classification is study trends for future generations. Unlike race, there are only 2 ethniticies, hispanic and non-hispanic.
Eventually this country will speak Spanish, maybe in 50 years, maybe in 100, maybe in 200 years but it will happen. What makes you hispanic or Latino is not your race (skin color & traits) but your ability to speak Spanish.
Current population birth rates and immigration support the idea that eventually the North American landmass today known as America will be majority Spanish-speaking. I doubt it will still be a united country though by the time that happens. I suspect we will see a breakup like in the Balkins.
Quote:
It's not racist. The racism in this country is only used to get votes from ignorant people, they play with their feelings.
Well said. It is too bad that the ignorant people never seem to learn and still vote overwhelmingly for the party that they perceive as 'helping' them the most. What ever happened to the attitude of "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country".
I totally disagree with you. First Hispanic/Latino is not a race, it's an ethnicity. The only choices for race are black, white, indian american, and the asians choices". I'm gonna try to explain what many Latinos have been trying to say for ages in this forum:
In my opinion what the USA is trying to do with their Census and classification is study trends for future generations. Unlike race, there are only 2 ethniticies, hispanic and non-hispanic.
Eventually this country will speak Spanish, maybe in 50 years, maybe in 100, maybe in 200 years but it will happen. What makes you hispanic or Latino is not your race (skin color & traits) but your ability to speak Spanish.
Yes it is flawed since we all know 2nd & 3rd generation latinos who can't speak Spanish, but it is better than nothing. If your parents are for example German and you were born in Venezuela, and then come to the United States, your ethnicity is Latino, your race is white, same thing if your parents came from Africa, you are still Latino if you grew up in a Spanish Speaking country but your race is black. It's not the Latin American thing, as Brazilians are not considered Latinos/hispanic and if you are from Spain and come here, you are also considered a Latino.
It's not racist. The racism in this country is only used to get votes from ignorant people, they play with their feelings. The smart people in power know better than that and know they need this information for anthropology studies.
That's all fine and dandy, but honestly, I could care less that the US government tells me that Hispanic can be from any race, and that it's an ethnicity - not a race. I consider myself to be 100% Latino with mixed skin color. I speak Spanish. I don't consider myself to be "white". However, I definitely consider myself to be a "minority". But my point was that the whole thing is stupid cause it's severly flawed. Sometimes I put "Asian" on there just for kicks. Anyways, it's just my opinion, nothing more. Many other countries (like Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil for example) do a much better job of handling these issues than the US.
I'm not even gonna address your final paragraph, cause I really don't understand it, and honestly it deters from the original topic. I guess I'm one of the ignorant people you have mentioned. I'm just here on this thread as a Miami guy who avoids speaking English in public in Miami as much as I can, and that I don't think it's rude of me to do so, and I will continue to behave this way, probably moreso in the future - that's all.
It is really funny when people try to compare the South American countries to the USA like they are even close to being on the same level. Most of my friends are latino and hell my family is Brasilian.. but come on people.. your country will never compare :P
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