The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, April 08, 1993, Page 8, Image 8
Chicanos: The Vanguard of La Raza Today, Mexican Americans are tom between assimilation. Is this good or bad? Let us let time be the judge. We see Hispanics, Latinos, and Mexican Americans all asking “why can’t we all be ‘Americans’?” We Chicanos have no need to ask this question, for we know who we are. We are Indians, the true Ameri cans — with European blood. If an individual ofMexican descent begs to differ, and prescribes “to be of pure Spanish or European lineage” they are rejecting the most beauti ful part of our culture. Be a wa re that not every Mexica n American with a brown face or a Spanish surname is a Chicano or Cnicana. At birth we are born Mexi can American, but wearc Chicanos/ as by choice. To the system we are Hispanics, to the politically correct we are Latinos, but to others like ourselves, SOMOSCIIICANOS. Yes, we Chicanos/as have not disap peared. This society still tries to downplay our presence, for it knows we are an impalatable ingredient to its “melting pot." It is because of this that Anglos and many Mexican Americans find the term offensive. Just what is a Chicano/a, and why is it such a controversial term in the Mexican American commu nity?The latcChicano activist of the seventies, Ruben Salazar, best ex plains Chicanismo. He asserted, “A Chicano is a Mexican American with a Non-Anglo image of him self:. .. Mexican Americans will tell you 'Chicano’ is an insulting term . . . this type of Mexican American doesn’t like the word Chicano be cause it is abrasive to their Anglo oriented minds. What then is a Chicano? Chicanos say that if you have to ask you’ll never under sta nd, much less become a Chicano. .. the word Chicano is as difficult to define as ‘soul.’” Today’s tragedy is that many of our brothers and sisters both con sciously and subconsciously grow up ashamed of what makes them distinct. Is it perhaps that they have denied their Mexican culture for ihe sake of socio-economic gain, thus assimilating? A nd are they try ing todistance themselves from the Anglo stereotype of our Mexican people? You, the reader, must an swer these questions. You know individuals of Mexican American descent who refer to themselves as “Hispanics," and pronounce their Spanish surnames in an Amcrican English tongue. These individuals believe that society will at last em brace them. Do you embrace them? Don’t kid yourself, "spic" and "wetback" arc common terms used in this country, which arc used to actively try to rape us of our Span ish language by passing “English only" laws. Many of our people try to look past this and ignore that they are still BROWN, with unerasable MESTIZO characteris tics. No three-piece suit, BMW, or house in the suburbs can hide their true identity. These individuals, who stand by or participate in this society’s actions that belittle our people (who cross the Rio Grande in search of a better life for their children) are products of an educa tional system that leaches them to De American ana mus ieaas mem to denounce their heritage for a false dream. It istheChicano/a that sees this and resists. Qu6 triste (how sad) that many ignore or refuse to see it also. Don’t believe us, all of you in the majority? Then take a look around and see how many people of Mexican American descent you know who have kept their culture and value their people over self-interest. If there is one thing you should remember, it is that all Chicanos/as are Mexican Americans but not all Mexican Americans are Chicanos/ as. We are politically, historically, and socially conscious of what has happened, and is happening, to our people. We arc determined, now more than ever, to edu cate ou r community, and to sacrifice every thing to liberate nucstra gentc (our people), for one day they will forge the future of this country. Yes, csto cs Chicanismo... the vanguard of La Kaza. "Fs mejor morir de pie, en vez de vivirdcrodi Has (It’s belter to die on foot t ha n to live on you r k necs!)"— Fmiliano Zapapta. J.S. Oneslmo Sandoval to a graduate stu dent In community and regional plan ning, and Conrado CtolaAcda to a senior secondary education major, and Diver siona contributors. / Mon, Tucs, W&L I Jello Show Import Bern 1 ♦ 1 $ .75 $2.00 Penny Pitchers k 8PM*close J Thurs. EtL Domestic Long Necks F.A.C. $1.25 / 1:30-7PM 8PM-c!ose open : 3-1AM M-Th 1:30-1 AM F.Sat 5-11PM Sun .J My Country, the Country I live in What would it be like to move to a different country where the language is not the same as you rs and its culture has its twists and turns as well? What would it be like to be in a place where you have to settle for a low-income job because most of the other iobs require knowledge of the language, or where you are forced to live in a neighborhood where most of the people there speak your lan guage oecause of the lack of bilingualists in this country? How about living in a place where you have to face racism everyday? My name is Pedro Ramirez. I was born in Mexico, in the city of San Julian Jalisco. I am a perma nent resident of this country and a citizen of Mexico—citizenship here is available to me through naturalization, but 1 really do not want to forfeit my citizenship to Mexico, although 1 have lived here eighteen oimy twenty years —This country is not the land of my birth and it is not my culture. My religion is very important to me also. 1 want to inform you of the cultural, religious and social dif ferences of the H ispanic a nd Cau casian race from both perspec tives in which have been sub jected to by 1 i vi ng here i n A m erica and being raised by my Mexi can-American customs and val ues. Mexico is a very underdevel oped country. The construction of roads and houses is pretty pathetic down in Mexico. There are potholes in the streets, a lot of dirt roads. In Mexico it is a luxury to have running water for the toilet, the sink and shower. Medical doc tors, although they are not very good, are very expensive, be cause they a re so few in number. In America it is almost com plete opposite of Mexico. The roads arc very well constructed and the drivers are very safety cautious (as compared to Mexico). Houses are very attrac tive in this country also. There arc many more differ ences between Mexico and the United Stales than just its physi cal characteristics. The people are different also. 1 have noticed Hispanic men arc very proud andconfidant about themselves, and his main priority is his family — he will never sit back and watch them get taken advantage of or harmed. But he does not believe in equality between gen ders — a problem I think that is stemmed from his lack of educa tional opportunity. A lot of the Hispanic popula tion in thcUnitcdStatesisforced to work at below minimu m wage because of the language barrier and minimal education. And al though Hispanics do place a great emphasis on educational advancement for their children and hopes that they may have an opportunity to climb up the ladder of success, funds for this advancement are limited. The American man typically tries to solve things through the legal system. He believes in equality between genders, but lacks tne belief of racial har mony. Mexican women are conser vative, while American women seem to be more liberal — they are more career oriented, while itiscommon forMcxican women to be housewives. I have tried to show you a few differences between the two cul tu res i n which I have been a part of. This is my opinion based bn my personal experiences. Pedro Ramirez is a pre-law student and a Diversion* contributor K * ' i .- i ?' \ ,?W * * . M?K,% r»- ' vi ; / Latina Forum Cecilia Huerta (left) of the Nebraska Mexican-Ameri can Commission discusses the future role of the commission as Clarissa Suarez-Russeil listens. -1 -1 THE AMERICAN HEART I am Mexican American •Sometimes I lie awake thinking how can people be racist." I walk into a store and I sec faces pecking around a shelf, a dis play, a counter, and even a leaf! I don’t know if they realize, (that) but I know what they’re thinking. As soon as I walked into the store, instantly I was s^lhicf. M Growing up, I never realized how people were so stigma tized. • . a When there are two of us together, I hear, “Oh, you must be re lated." Whether you sec it, 1 do, we’re all related in our Savior’s great universe. It’s like a song with a verse that I hear over and over in my mind. Lord, free my people, free my people. As I pray lo the Lord, I say to Him “I would give my life for anyone, as you did for me.' I will carry all the cuts, bruises, and scars without any fuss. Because I know that the people whocut, bruise, andscar me arc no different than I. Once we all die and go to heaven, there will be so much love because our colors fade away. But my journey here on earth, 1 have to say — I will say in pride that, "I AM MEXICAN-AMF.RICAN UN II L I DIE!" Chandra Diaz la a Diver*Iona contribu tor.