Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Just So That We're Clear...

...Mr. Gringo, who said into his phone outside of Sophie's Cuban Cuisine:

"I'm at the new Spanish place on 23rd...does it matter? They're all the same..."

Cubans are not Dominicans
and Dominicans are not Puerto Ricans
and Puerto Ricans are not Belizeans
and Belizeans are not Costa Ricans
and Costa Ricans are not Salvadorans
and Salvadorans are not Guatemalans
and Guatemalans are not Hondurans
and Hondurans are not Nicaraguans
and Nicaraguans are not Panamanians
and Panamanians are not Argentinians
and Argentinians are not Bolivians
and Bolivians are not Chileans
and Chileans are not Colombians
and Colombians are not Ecuadorians
and Ecuadorians are not Paraguayans
and Paraguayans are not Peruvians
and Peruvians are not Uruguayans
and Uruguayans are not Venezuelans
and Venezuelans are not Mexicans

and hardly ANY OF THEM are Spanish, not anymore. We haven't been Spanish for a hot minute.

Maybe a long, long time ago, some Spaniards came over to what is now known as Latin and Central America and the Caribbean, and took over some lands owned by the Mayans or the Incas or the Arawaks, brought some Africans and a few Chinamen over with them, forced a new language/culture/religion on them, and maybe all those territories share that little tidbit of history with one another, but that's where the similarities end.

So I'd thank you kindly to not lump us all into one group, as if each unique heritage means diddly squat; as if you can exchange one for the other with a flick of your wrist and it wouldn't matter.

I don't know the first thing about what it's like to be Uruguayan...

However, I'm sure I can speak for all of "US" when I say maldita sea tu madre, cabron!

*smooches...glad I was able to maintain my composure on the street*
----------
I mean seriously? for REAL? that's what you think of us? you are so lucky I have some sense; that whole scenario might have ended differently...

18 comments:

clnmike said...

Damn I feel your anger right there, it's the dismissive tone in it that annoys the most.

Like "they all the same.. aint ish."

Eb the Celeb said...

I know it must be frustrating for latinos...

Did you see that show on Tyra about the things you name your children...

The had some latinos there and were ranking the social classes of lationos... saying mexican and PR were at the bottom... dominican and cuban in the middle, and then ecuadorian, venezulan, etc at the top... the intraracism was crazy...

this dominican lady said she would never buy anything from someone named Jose because every jose she knew steals, etc... it was crazy

Dave Van Buren said...

So i guess CNN can't do a Being "Spanish in America" special without offending everyone.

The american in me says if you speak spanish your spanish... lol

JACK said...

Dear Super Dave: The intelligent man in ME (144) would have you consider whether or not because you speak English means you're actually, well, English. Do you really mean cookie, when you say biscuit, or vice-versa? Deja de ser tan estupido.

Jaded: I feel you on this one - TOTALLY. Somehow the language we speak lumps us together in one category but you don't do that with the Americans, Brits and Aussies, do you? Nooooo - they all white, so you can't do them like that. Although, wait - maybe Super Dave is an Aussie?

The Jaded NYer said...

@clnmike- it was his tone that set me off and not the words at all... I make jokes like that but his TONE made my blood curl!

@eb- I can't watch Tyra's show, but I can just imagine what ignorance was being brought to light there... I can vouch for that hierarchy nonsense; I've seen/heard it, and it's just SAD!

Because if some NEO-NAZI were to corner a Mexican, a Venezuelan and a Colombian in an alley, it's not like he'd spare one and not the other.

We are not each other's enemy, and I can't understand why this is such a hard concept!

@super dave- no, CNN had better not, because I heard the Black in America one wasn't all that, either.

Besides, what talking heads are they going to get for us? Geraldo Rivera? Omar Minaya? *PUKE*

and I was gonna rip you a new one for that comment, but Jack beat me to it... lol

@jack- m'ijo, you know I gave that maldito all kinds of side eyes when I heard his comment outside the restaurant... I kinda wanted to go in and tell them not to serve him!

We share a common denominator, true, but people, please understand we are not the same.

JACK said...

We are mos def not the same. Especially dem messicans.

All-Mi-T [Thought Crime] Rawdawgbuffalo said...

educate me hon
tongue
momma

goats

Mrs. MR said...

I feel you, I actually have a post today about this type of ignorance. Why do we always have to be teach?

Dave Van Buren said...

wait a minute... I like biscuits, scones and all that english stuff. But let me rephrase and say I speak American and not english USA USA USA.. lmao.. Ok let me stop before I get jumped by a bunch of spanish/central/latin Americans.

The Jaded NYer said...

@jack- you *almost* made it through the day w/out a Mexican joke. Ah, well, tomorrow is another day...

@kieya- I sure did curse his momma!

and I know it must be frustrating for West Indians as well!!

@torrance- um. okay. not sure what you meant but I'm hoping it was good LOL

@mrs. ramirez- ignorance is sooo hard to defeat. at least it feels that way...

@super dave- lmao! I'll just let jack deal with it... he's the muscles of this operation. and the brains, actually. I'm just the eye candy *wink*

Bretthead said...

Whew, I've been gone. I have some catching up to do one you. For this one, all I can say is:

And nobody, I mean fricking nobody, is like the jaded new yorker!!!

dessex said...

with being from cali, people are quick to correct you if called them another nationality. But I guess I can't be mad at em.

JACK said...

se dice "messican."

*rolls eyes*

you don't know ish

Unknown said...

i watched this movie about this female bounty hunter. there is a scene where Mo'Nique goes on Jerry Springer.
HILARIOUS
when you brought this up i thought about that ..

be lucky you stayed in NYC. when i joined the Navy and traveled the states I got all kinds of confusion...

and i got asked the big question

do you know so and so Rodriguez?

Anonymous said...

"....I can vouch for that hierarchy nonsense; I've seen/heard it, and it's just SAD!"


^^^Ugh this shit too, which amongst Spicks immigrating here is as bottom feeder behavior as "color/mejorar la raza/good hair/salto atras", or "esos morenos" (mofo you ain't that high on the feeding chain either!!) talk

The Jaded NYer said...

@wow- thank you!

*bows*

now go and spread the word lol

@dessex- it's frustrating, really it is.

@jack- my bad... I'll know for the future

@brother omi- OMG! why do they think we all know each other? lol

@q- ay m'ija... you know I feel your pain...

@the f$%k it list- I guess it's easier to lump us than to know us...

Lena said...

Oh lawd I had got on a soapbox about this in my blog a few months ago. In GA, every Latino/a is Mexican and if they're in doubt they would ask "What are you?" while in the parking lot walking and they rolling by in their card. I am glad you were able to maintain your composure as well.

Anonymous said...

There was a moment in time when I was only aware of Puerto Ricans. It wasn't until I hit JHS that the world as I saw it changed. (sounds like its time to write these thoughts down)

Great post. I think I'll pass it on.