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Peggy: It can even happen among friends. Our high school class still tries to get together once a month for lunch and we always meet at a Mexican restaurant. We were over 600 in our class, but usually we are just about 20 present. And almost always I am the only Hispanic present. Two lunches ago I was asked about what I was doing. I stood up (because I was in a hurry to return to work) and quickly explained about the excitement of working on my family tree and my trip to Mexico. In a voice loud enough to be heard throughout the restaurant, one of the fellows commented; "Oh, I didn't know you were Mexican!" Everyone froze. People at the other tables turned in our direction. I was speechless. "I'm American." and before I could continue, a classmate added in a you-idiot-kind of voice as she glared at him. "...of Mexican
descent." "I hope that isn't a problem..." I added, even as I felt anger coming over me. But I managed to smile, wave and left. I could hear them berating him. As luck would have it, I sat next to him the next time. And when it was announced that one of the group had moved to Mexico, can you believe it, he belted out "Oh, I didn't know she was Mex..." He didn't finish the sentence. Everyone turned to stare at him. The poor fellow froze. "You never learn.." someone hissed. "She moved there because she loves it there. Is that a problem?" Then he noticed I was sitting next to him. He winced. I don't think it was malice, but maybe insensitivity or even ignorance. No, I didn't hurt him. I rather enjoyed watching the others reacting to him. But you
know, it works the other way, too. I don't look Hispanic and more than once when I speak Spanish, someone has exclaimed "Oh...I didn't know you were Mexican. I always thougth you were a gringa." Sigh. I don't know which is worse. Happy New Year! Mary
Peggy Delgado <peggydee@...> wrote: Linda, I get something like that when asked what nationality I am.....one time at my work's cafeteria, a man approached me and asked, "Excuse me, what are you, from India? Oh no, I got it, you're polynesian...you look so exotic! (not sure whether he was flirting or not)"....so I'm just staring at him and I said, "No,
I'm Mexican-American...." I said this with a proud smile on my face. He looked shocked. He was like "No, you couldn't be Mexican....are you mixed with something else?" At that point, I gave this pest my famous "raised eyebrow" and a smirk, turned and walked away. Now mind you, I don't know what people mean when they say, "you don't look Mexican"....I just chalk it up to peoples ignorance. Peggy Erlinda:
The whole Chicano vs. Mexican-American vs. Latin@ vs. Hispanic debate
is a very contentious one in the United States. I think that all of
those terms are very politically laden such that there is no single
one that everyone would agree with. There is an interesting episode
where the renowned author Sandra Cisneros balked at being featured in
Hispanic magazine because of such a disagreement. She agreed only
after the magazine agreed to show her on the cover in a profile shot
with a fake tatoo reading "LATINA" across her arm.
There is an interesting article on this:
http://www.hispanicmagazine.com/2000/dec/Features/latino.html
I suppose that if you want to designate descendancy from peoples of
Mexico, Mexican or Mexican-American would be the most precise. I
will leave my
commentary at that lest I get myself in trouble.
Interesting thing though, I have run across documents where the
indigenous peoples of the area around Colotlan and Totatiche would
refer to the indigenous colonizers from the south (Tlaxcaltecs,
Otomis and Huastecs) as "mexicanos" designating that they spoke the
Mexican language (i.e. nahuatl) and they did not consider themselves
as such, since they spoke a different (Tepehuan) language. One of
these references appears in an interview with one of the last
tepehuan speakers in Azqueltan, Jalisco in 1912!
I think that the term Mexican to designate all of the ethinicities of
Mexico was probably not adopted until after independence. I imagine
that those of pure Spanish descent would not consider themselved
Mexican before that, especially when the term specifically refered to
the nahuatl-speakers of central Mexico.
--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, "Erlinda
Castanon-Long"
<longsjourney@y...> wrote:
>
> I want to thank everyone for the input on double surnames and y
versus
> de... I had forgotten that I use a double surname too! I felt I
> didn't want to give up my Hispanic maiden name so just hyphenated
it
> with my married name. That makes me Castanon-Long, I guess in
Latin
> America that would make me Castanon y Long ... I found at the
family
> reunion that most of my female cousins from my generation did the
> same. Many of us did not marry Hispanic but would have kept our
> maiden name regardless. Just like someone said, it's a matter of
> family pride..
>
> One more question.. which is 'politically' correct to designate our
> nationality of origin if we or our ancestors were from Mexico...
> Hispanic, Latino, Mexican-American or American-Mexican? I find I
> really upset some people
when I call myself Hispanic. I'm told that
> excludes my Indio blood... People ask me what my nationality is
> because I'm just brown enough to not be Anglo but have light green
> eyes, my sister get's the same thing and she has blue eyes and
> freckles. I still laugh when told I don't look like a Mexican...
what
> does a Mexican look like!!!!
>
> Linda in Everett
>
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