Babalu Blog

Thanks, Val, for sharing that. I have to agree that there's a distinct difference between the Cuban and the Mexican. In the past month, I've done a lot of independant study of the Cuban culture, and have come away with a sense of awe and respect for the people. I might even go as far as to say- envious. I admire the principles, the work ethic, and the camaraderie that you have. And then there's the coffee and food, which can't compare to Mexico!

My goal is to one day set foot on free Cuban soil. I hope it comes to fruition soon.

PH

The "LatinoLand" and especially "Hispaniola" comments are particularly noteworthy. I have done a couple of term papers on Hispaniola with particular emphasis on Henri Christophe, but can't get away with using the Hispanic Race comment except because I am of Austrian extraction. So I can only make comments about Nazis, Krauts, and the California Governer.

You tell em Val! I am with you - I actually consider myself a "Spanish sur-named individual" who was born of Cuban parents. Now, especially at colleges they want us "Spanish surnamed" individuals to say we are people of COLOR! Not good. I have actually had Puerto Rican and Black Human Resource managers at a couple of jobs actually call me down to the office and say that I am not "white" but of the "Hispanic race" - no kidding. That was a long time ago and if that were to happen now...

The Left wants to lump us all into one group - they see us a brown skin people.http://members.tripod.com/~Campello/hispanic.html

My thoughts exactly.

And my friend, we are mighty proud to have you here.

As one who routinely practices in the area of discrimination and civil rights laws, there is always a confusion with folks re: race and national origin. Race, interchangeable with ancestry, pertains to those of african ancestry (african continent), semitic ancestry (jewish/arab), asian, Indian (from India), Native American, hispanic ancestry vis a vis those whose origins are from Spain, and interestingly enough caucasian for everyone else who is from European ancestry other than Spain. I do not understand why, except perhaps racism, that "hispanic" ancestry is differentiated from all other European Ancestry. But in any event, if you are of Hispanic Ancestry (and not necessarily of hispanic national origin, then you can sue for race discrimination).

National origin on the other hand has nothing to do with ancestry, but rather which country you come from. For example, you can be of hispanic ancestry, but be of American national origin. Or you can be of African Ancestry but of european origin if you were born say in Britain or France. So it is not unusual to have national origin discrimination claims say between Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, South Americans, even though they could all come from the same Ancestry, vis a vis, Spain. A caucasian of British/European Ancestry could be born in Nigeria, and be of African National Origin, but not of African Ancestry.

It gets more confusing when you deal with religion. You can be of the Jewish race, but not the Jewish Religion. Likewise, you can be of the Jewish religion, and not of Jewish or Semitic Ancestry, but rather African Ancestry. See e.g., Sammy David Jr. or you can be of both i.e., the Ethiopian Jews.

Of course, the law doesn't always have all the answers for everything in the world. I, being born in Coral Gables, FLorida, am of United States National Origin. My parents national origin is Cuba and Uruguay. Part of my ancestry can be traced to Spain which I guess would make me Hispanic. Likewise, some of my ancestry can be traced to Russia and Austria, which could make me caucasian. But yet some of my father's ancestry was Jewish, so I technically am of Jewish Ancestry even though I do not practice the Jewish religion.

So in sum, everything is all more or less fucked up the more you look at it. Despite my multinational origins, everyone thinks I look Italian, even though I have no origins in Italy.

In the end, I consider myself an American because I was born and raised here. However, in my heart, I consider myself a free Cuban even though I've never stepped foot on its soil.

Finally, regardless of whereever anyone comes from or regardless of anyone's ancestry, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. The friend of my enemy is my enemy. If you are a friend of Fidel, of tyranny, of terrorists, of communists, of nazis, of racists, then you are my enemy. If you are a friend of freedom, of human rights, and of the principal that everyone deserves the same rights set forth by Mr. Jefferson in July of 1776, and that which is contained in our bill of rights, as well as the 14th and 15th amendments, then I'll buy you a drink and smoke a cigar with you.

I reject "Latino" and "Hispanic" because the terms are sloppy and useless. There is no Latino or Hispanic race. There is no one ethnic group that blankets Latin America. Immigration to Latin American countries has been as varied as it is in the US. Even a country as small as Dominican Republic has people of Middle Eastern and Asian ancestry. Are they "Hispanic" too?

How useful is it to study the eating habits of "Hispanics" as a predictor for heart disease, for example, even in the face of the different diets and habits, never mind socioeconomic level, among the different people who have settled here from Latin America.

The two terms presuppose that Argentines, Mexicans, and Chileans, among others, are all one and the same. That is just as silly as saying that "American" is an ethnic group.

"I am an American of Cuban descent." I love this! And I don't see it nearly often enough.

The American "melting pot" has given our culture a rich blend of the best traditions and customs from around the globe. The variety of cuisine, dress, and yes even language, that I am exposed to even in my very colloquial small Midwestern town adds color, variety, and interest to the warp and woof of the American fabric. Even the American language (as contrasted with the slightly more "pure" English as spoken by our friends across the pond) owes much to heavy borrowing from the cultures of our immigrants.

And I believe the great American success story owes much to "Hybrid Vigor." For those of you who have forgotten your high school biology, hybrid vigor is the tendency of the mating of two different strains of purebred parents to give birth to offspring that are more productive, stronger, disease resistant, and (in higher life forms) more intelligent than their progenitors. True in tomatoes through cattle. Not only do I believe that the national and racial mixture that make up the pedigree of most multigenerational Americans (I'm Scotch-Irish-German for example.) is beneficial, but the constant influx of new ideas and the best minds from around the world, cultural cross pollination if you will, strengthens our country's character as genetic cross-pollination can strengthen a person born of that union.

BUT...! And you knew there was a but. We are American FIRST! "...(A)n American of Cuban descent." Exactly right. Not a Cuban-American. Not where your ethnic or national origin comes first.

I'd welcome an American of Martian descent, if they desired to follow our laws, share our values and customs, and pursue the American dream. Keep your Martian traditions, add your Martian ideas to the intellectual soup. We'll "borrow" the things we find admirable, enjoy the things we find colorful or interesting, and leave you alone to cherish the things which you respect as a matter of ethnic pride and tradition.

AS LONG AS they are not antithetical to American values.

Addendum:
"...(T)o form a more perfect UNION..." Joining together. Melding. That's where the strength of this noble nation lies. I know I'm rambling. I'll shut up now.

First, Most Cuban had to go through a process and some even had what I call the cuban mark, which was an inoculation given when entering the USA. Second, the cubans entered legally.
Third, I was listening to the Glen Beck show on WIOD 610 radio am.. and it's estimated that illegals cost the USA tax payer approx. $65 Billion dollars a year. They don't pay social security or taxes but reap the benefits of law abiding citizens. They don't vote, they don't care about this country, expecially when they only wave mexican flags in their protests. I hope we do build a wall on the border, maybe they'll come in legally like everyone else...

As an American of Puerto Rican descent, I have always been amazed at how the misconceptions about us are reinforced by many in the Puerto Rican community. For example, as long as I can remember, I have encountered laugther and often hostility from family and other latino people when I describe myself as an American.To them, an "Americano" is non-Hispanic white person and thus, it makes no sense to describe yourself as an American if you are of Puerto Rican descent, despite the fact that our parents and grandparents were all born American citizens. This idiocy is, sadly, very prevalent. And it gets worse: Last year I argued hotly over this issue with my Chinese brother-in-law, who insisted that my insisting on describing myself as an American (I was born in the Bronx, NYC) shows that I have no pride in my "heritage"! It was bad enough when I was a child to have my Italian neighbors who were the grandchildren of immigrants insist that I was a first-generation immigrant and thus not an American (!!!) because my parents were born in Puerto Rico. Well, I suppose that you can forgive the ignorance of children, but, it can get awfully tiring explaining my nationality to people who have enjoyed the benefits of their American citizenship while biting the hand that has fed them. However, as Mark Twain said, "Be different and you will be lonely." So be it. I'd rather spend an afternoon reading Jefferson and Lincoln than sit around nursing a mound of rice and beans with a fool who dreams about the "good old days" back in the old country when he or walked to school barefoot and had barely enough to keep body and soul together until Uncle Sam gave him a chance to join the military and, besides relieving him of his footsores and rumbling belly, a real chance at acculturation into our great American society. For my part, I will never be anything but an American, no hypenation required!

as an American of polish descent, I whole-heartedly welcome my southern bretheren and sistren to come on in, like my dad's family did, and like the hordes of irish and italians and chinese and other sundry whatnot have been arriving for centuries. it is, literally, what makes our country great. however, entering and then burning flags is rude, and although you're within your rights to try entering illegally (we Americans admire people with initiative) America is within its rights to try and keep you out. it's part of the game. if you lose, don't be sore about it, just keep trying and maybe you'll make it eventually (we americans also admire people who are persistent).

also, val, I sort of take issue with your drawing a line between Cuban immigrants and other Latin American immigrants. whether rightly or wrongly, the US govt. had a pretty big stake in violent conflicts in el salvador, guatamala, and nicaragua (just to name a few) conflicts which are still pretty hot in many ways even though they're officially over (el salvador is still THE most violent place in Latin America). I would say many of those immigrants have fled or are fleeing one variety of human rights violation or another, some of which the US played a part in.

so they're not all mexicans running drugs and looking for a quick buck, and I think in many cases we should be a little more sympathetic

Peter,

i meant no offense to other immigrants who are fleeing oppression. More power to them, I say. However, I think you'd hardly find them burning flags and such once they got here. I compared cubans and mexicans only for the sake of brevity in making my point.

esthermaria, I was born in PR too, my parents are Cuban. As a child when I would refer to "americans" - you know people born in the US - my father would always correct me and say YOU are an American. Then I would say, papi you know "estadounidenses" (from the US), and he would reply so are you, look at your passport. It wasn't until I refer to them as North Americans, that he would let up.

In short, I was raised to be an American by my parents, to love this country, to respect it, to understand that a flag symbolizes your NATION and NOT your government, and to in all that remember as Val so aptly put it, that I am of Cuban descent.

Living here in LA, a city crowded with Latin America immigrants I really think La Raza and the more radical anti-American lefist radicals are getting way too much attention from the media. Students, and some radical leaders I believe make up the majority of that organization. It has been my personal experience that the vast majority of immigrants at least here in LA are not anti-American and do respect our flag. How many working age adults do you see in those photos? That being said, I personally think it should be a crime to burn the American flag. I'm not going to get into the whole question of immigration, at least not right now, we've been down that road before.

Val,

Point taken.

and flag burning should be legal the same as holocost denying, the KKK, and all the rest, because we like the cretins to be out in the open where we can see them.

of course you didn't see any working-age latinos in the protests... they were working god bless 'em!! ;-) hopefully they spanked those kids when they got home...

Posts like this are why I keep visiting, Val!

The Hispanic/Latino meme is as artificial a construct as can possibly be to describe 500 million people of all races, ethnic backgrounds, religions, and educational and economic status distributed among two dozen countries in 2 hemispheres.

Just yesterday I was posting that the debate needs to be about creating more Americans and not about empowering illegal immigrants. I strongly believe that immigrants have the moral duty to acculturate into their new homes.

While I sympathize with people fleeing opression, I don't feel that illegal immigrants who are not willing to acculturate should be empowered because the US may/may not have had anything to do with their country of origin's prior history. My grandparents left Spain for Puerto Rico because of the political conditions in Spain and they raised their children as American citizens, and never expected Spain, Puerto Rico, or the USA to accomodate them in any way.

I agree with you Val. I'm Cuban, born in the USA. But I can't help feel an affinity with anyone who grew up in a home where Spanish was spoken.
Like a WASP who lives in Vermont and a WASP who lives in Texas, however similar their roots, their politics are usually diametrically opposed.

Rockin', just rockin.

Preach on. I stumbled upon your site a few weeks ago from the Cuban Baseball team hullaboo that was going on and found your site to be seriously filled with some awesome kung-fu of the word variety.

I'm a white-boy. I come from the Norway people. I can't say I understand any of this stuff. But I do know what it feels to be a minority. I am living in Manila right now and feeling the lack of white people. The same thing applies to me as it applies to what you are talking about in regards to the whole immigration insanity. If I was to live here all my life I would never do something as extreme as what has been demonstrated.

Why? Because I am a guest in this country. A guest that could be removed at any time for any reason because I am not a citizen. I have limited rights within this place. I must respect the laws and behave respectfully to the fullest of my ability. If not, they can do what they want with me.

So keep the heat on my friend. Your honest and straight to the point commentary on Cuba has sparked a new interest in the whole Cuba Conundrum. Consider myself brought fully over to your side of the issue.

Keep it up. As a white boy in Manila I'll do what little I can to bring light to the issue...:)

aaron delay

My parents are Americans, originally from Cuba.

I was born in Texas,so that makes me an American of Cuban descent.

My parents and I are proud of our heritage. We celebrate it. We brag about it. And we look forward to exploring it in Cuba — as tourists, not re-located residents — once castro and his regime are history.

But first and foremost, and always, we are Americans.

I am not Hispanic, which is for the Census bureau and other government agencies or, God-forbid, "Latino," which has all sorts of political connotations to which I'd rather not be connected. Same for "Chicano," "Tejano" or "person of color."

American. That is an identity that should unite us all, no matter where we or our parents were born. That is what made this nation great, a shared identity and sense of destiny.

I think most Americans of Cuban descent understand that. Many Americans of Mexican descent do, too, although we are not seeing many of them on TV this week.

Thanks, Val, for making that clear.

My parents are Americans, originally from Cuba.

I was born in Texas,so that makes me an American of Cuban descent.

My parents and I are proud of our heritage. We celebrate it. We brag about it. And we look forward to exploring it in Cuba — as tourists, not re-located residents — once castro and his regime are history.

But first and foremost, and always, we are Americans.

I am not Hispanic, which is for the Census bureau and other government agencies or, God-forbid, "Latino," which has all sorts of political connotations to which I'd rather not be connected. Same for "Chicano," "Tejano" or "person of color."

American. That is an identity that should unite us all, no matter where we or our parents were born. That is what made this nation great, a shared identity and sense of destiny.

I think most Americans of Cuban descent understand that. Many Americans of Mexican descent do, too, although we are not seeing many of them on TV this week.

Thanks, Val, for making that clear.

I, also, abhor the word "latino" and "hispanic." By labeling us "latinos" and "hispanics," the government and the mainstream media completely smites out our ethnicity, and our culture. I'm proud to be Cuban! I don't want to be put in that hispanic/latino box created for pure statistical expediency by our government and propagated by the left and by groups like MALDEF and National Council of La Raza, which DO NOT represent me! Did these groups or any other "latino/hispanic" group speak out when we were being attacked during the Elian crisis??? They either supported Elian's return to Cuba, or tacitly approved with their indifference.

Anyway, the left loves the words "hispanic/latino" which they have joined at the hip with black [you always hear them talk about "blacks and hispanics"] because they want to make it seem as if the white majority in this country is getting smaller. Of course, if you treat hispanics/latinos as a single race instead of what it is, a mosaic of different races raging from nordic Cameron Diaz types to Faizon Love pitch black types [http://imdb.com/name/nm0522324/] [Faizon Love is a Cuban actor from Santiago de Cuba who works in a lot of black movies] then they are right, but of course, we know that they are not right, because Hispanics/latinos are not a single race.

In any case, I reject the moniker "hispanic" and "latino".. I'm proud to be Cuban. I'm proud of our accomplishments as Cubans, of the great Cuban writers, academians, businessmen, politicians, socialites, artists, actors and actresses, etc that have made us one of the most successful immigrant/exile groups to have ever come to these shores. I'm proud of the fact that Cubans are mainly middle class and that there aren't Cuban youth gangs. I'm proud that Cubans have few of the social ills that plague other Hispanic/Latino groups.

Yet, all of this is completely erased since we are all put under the umbrella of "hispanic/latino".

What do they hope to gain from these disgraceful and insulting antics? I would think immigrants (as you define them, Val) would want to ingratiate themselves with us, not piss us off. I think that communist troublemakers planted among them incite them to these provocations. Pehaps even the shaky hand of castro, or the greasy hand of hugo c.

The term "latino" is one the left uses to try to cast all people of hispanic heritage into some needy, government dependant "ghetto" depiction that suits their socialist agenda of needing the government to survive.

The left and many facets of the MSM try to lump us all into that category.

Then those very same people that complain the loudest about the US are the ones that try to live here with a sense of entitlement that the government is obligated to be responsible for all their welfare.

Hypocrites!

I too am proud to be an AMERICAN. I am also proud of my Cuban heritage.

An awesome post, Val.

Can't add anything better to what has been said by Val and all the contributors. What we need to do is, every time somebody with an agenda wants to lump you or me into one convenient classification, such as "Hispanic (I'm no one's panic, by the way!)," challenge them, refuse to let them define who YOU are, and throw it right back in their face. When approached by so called "leaders" in some of these "activist" groups, such as La Raza, for support, you let 'em know that you ain't ridin' their soul train and, if need be, will work to derail it.

And some of these anti-Americans within America need to know, put bluntly, that just because they think we're supposed to be "brothers in solidarity" due to some supposed affinity, such as language, don't mean if they ever try to harm this great country, some of us "brothers" ain't gonna roll up our sleeves and administer a sound thrashing to the perps.

By the way, I have believed for a long time, and still do, that someday a free Cuban Republic must demand reparations from the Mexican government, for letting Mexico serve as the Petri dish which spawned and helped deliver kaSStro's infection to Cuba. For starters, a demand for the $550,000,000
kaSStro has stolen from the Cuban people over 47 years, would be appropiate.

Let's all check the "other" box when filling out a form. That'll really confuse them.

Let me say we are glad to have such folks as you
here,I have a friend who left Cuba when Castro
came to power...Chico Fernandez a fantastic
saltwater fly fisherman and a fine gentelman..

Val,

My thoughts exactly, as an American of Puerto Rican origin (born and raised in the island).

Fifth, there is a difference between a Cuban living in the United States and a Mexican living in the United States. One is a political refugee and the other is an immigrant, respectively. When Mexicans are being oppressed and have their basic human rights trampeled on by their government as Cubans do, then perhaps my opinion will change, until then, the aforementioned difference stands.

What a pile of shit, and like if the issues were only related to Mexicans, or like Mexico was such a bastion of democracy and freedom. You may think your white, but you should have heard the guy on the radio that was in for Shnitt talk about his Cuban friends that "think their white".

What about the Peruvian, Nicaraguan, Haitians and the rest?

We Cubans could learn lot from our Nica friends.

You should have used the word you wanted to use, you know "indio". Don't be shy, say what you mean.

You oppose this one group, but how does this translate into supporting draconian immigration legislation that would make immigrant felons, and make it a felony to help your own family or friends.

And not all Cuban Americans are "refugees" some of us are in fact the offspring of "Immigrants". As a matter of fact the oldest colonies of Cubans are all immigrants, it's only the Johnny come lately that are "refugees".
Maybe after we get this new immigration policy they will consider removing the Cubans refugee status and force Cubans to fight their own fight. After all Castro is a known supporter of terrorism and how easy would it be for him to send terrorist over to Miami. If we are really going to have a secure border how is it that we are going to allow the hemispheres biggest terrorist an open door. We already know that he has been able to get his spies in and even infiltrate the very best Cuban American organizations and south Florida institutions. What's to stop him from sending the next wave of Al qeada fighters?

I just read your comments that were posted to Michele Malkins weblog regarding differences between Latino, Hispanic, Cuban, etc.
I applaud you for your sincerity & I thank you for respecting the fact you became an American.
My ancestry is Welsh/Irish/German. Wouldn't it be idiotic to try to call myself an American-blah,blah,blah?
Over the years I have found it remarkable that so many folks come to America bent on changing her to what they left. Typically, many who come here do so because they are escaping a life of poverty, oppression, or worse. Why would any want to duplicate that here? If you hated it there, why try to make America like it?
If you loved it there, then why did you leave?
America is not, nor has it ever proclaimed itself perfect. No place is.
Mexico has abysmally failed its citizens. Mexico has used the immigration issue as a ploy to deflect attention from the fact that their own government is a failure. The socialist form of government has failed so many around the world. The nationalization of industries in many countries is intended only to make sure the elite can direct most of the profits into their own pockets. Yet so many fall for the socialist & nationalization ploys.
I appreciate you were willing to speak as an American. I too am proud of this. I almost died so I could retain that privilege.
The immigration debates in America have been clouded by the desire to have "comprehensive" legislation. In demanding this, the basic issues are mixed in with very complex issues.
Sure we need immigrants. I think it is reprehensible to assert Mexicans are only good enough to do jobs Americans don't want. Many from Mexico are perfectly capable of doing any job! Why just as gardeners or maids? What bunk!
The issue is, how many people can we effectively handle before we destroy our economy? Also, those who come here need to know that whether they come as a Guest Worker, Green Card holder, VISA holder, applicant for citizenship, or any other category, we have laws & expect them to be obeyed. Just as folks do in any other nation.
Also, if you really do want to be an American, they begin the assimilation process. Learn english. Learn whatever you need to to become, one of us, loyal to our flag.
If you do not want to be a loyal American, OK. But don't knock us because we want those coming here to be citizens to be loyal.
Also, put away the foreign nation flags. This is America. Yes, it was stolen from the Indians. Just as Mexico was stolen from the Inca's & the Aztec's. That was then. This is now.
Get over it! Join us or leave. But obey the law, & demand we do the same for you! That is the American way.

Like yourself, I agree that there is no "Hispanic" and/or "Latino" ...and I even dispute the use of the term "race" to further fragment the human beings into a convenient mold.

Notwithstanding, it is self-evident that when a given term(s) is(are) coined to associate the physical attributes of certain beings, then that "sticks" to the collective psyche --whether the individual affected desires it or not. Hence human beings whose color is in between black and white are usually associated with the term(s) "Latino" and/or "Hispanic" in this side of the world.

From the perspective of a "Mexican" living in the U.S., I can tell you that Mexico, and to a large extent "Latin America", are run by Criollos --the descendants of the Spanish in their former colonies. The "Mestizos" --those of us mixed with European/Indigenous blood are not in control of the corrupt institutions established long ago.

The above is not necessarily hard to understand if you ponder that after the Spanish invasion of these lands, the religious institutions began a massive brainwashing of the "Christian generations" into submission to the will of the Criollo and the mocking of the few Indigenous beings left.

It is this latter Mexican (and Latin American) peoples, those who like the Europeans who emigrated to "America" before them, do not have a voice or a chance to live a decent life in their respective places of origin; they are simply searching for a better future for themselves and their families.

If any of them burned the U.S. flag, I apologize for the lack of sensitivity to others' feelings. Quite possibly they are tired of being used as scapegoats for all the troubles of the country when in reality their contributions to the economy are real --the "democracy" in the ancient Greece as well as that practiced in this country needs slaves; the former in the actual sense of the word; the latter in the economic sense.

Notwithstanding, I do not think that they mind whether or not you want to associate with them or not --fragmentation in the face of the Spanish assault is the reason Cortez was able to fulfill his intention some 500 years ago.

By what I have mentioned about those of us who migrate to this country, I believe that it is self evident that the conditions in Mexico are not much better than in Cuba. But whereas those conditions are caused by an insatiable greed by the ruling Criollos in Mexico, in Cuba those same are part of the embargo to the country by the U.S.. In that I disagree about the methods that powerful entities like the U.S. (and Russia) utilize to coerce other entities into submission. "The respect to others' affairs is [equivalent] to peace" --paraphrasing Mexico's only Indigenous president, Benito Juarez.

You are simply "splitting hairs" when it comes to the "difference" in status between Mexicans and Cubans. According to you, you are a "refugee." The U.S. wants to assimilate Cuba into the so called democratic ideology and "grants" you that status --and you go as far as believing it.

On the other hand, my "status" (although I reject all forms of categories) is more like the that of the Europeans who emigrated to this piece of land some centuries ago and who now call themselves "Americans": an "illegal" --but with a bronzed skin in my case.

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