Latinopundit

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This is something I've addressed again and again over the years:  keeping one's traditions vs. assimilation.  With most 'hot buttons' this topic follows suit and lines up the ranks either for or against.  While I never understood why the lines had to be so trenched in the ground, it seems to me that both sides are skewed and serve to only slide it's proponents into a hole instead of maintaining a plateau.  Thankfully, there is now proof to support why Latinos should embrace US culture.

In a recent study, we see what does work is a revolving acceptance of the former and new, namely keeping one's Latino culture while embracing US culture.  This not-so-common, common sense method maximizes the benefits of both cultures and let's one successfully apply themselves in the real world - a world of diversity.

These same thoughts can be found at the heart of social media.  To limit oneself in social media to their own natural tendencies, one would have to put up many safe guards, namely locking their account from general public view and filtering content to select friends.  This is not what social media is and works against the social media movement.

How can one possibly restrict themselves to their limited sphere of influence and not expect to understand and grow with the world around them?  Social media breaks down real and perceived barriers.  It gives people the chance to softly engage other cultures and pursue new connections.  It is through social media that one gets exposed to the fast track of what being social is all about, and have the ability to connect to one's peers, both upwardly and laterally.  For Latinos, who are culturally social, I have hopes that social media can help bridge the gap between the traditional and the new without losing the essence of either.

(This is cross-posted at LouisPagan.com)

Update 07/01/09:  This was posted in the comments section by me in the cross-post site - see above:

...the term of ‘cultural assimilation’ with it’s allusion of domination, superiority and displacement forces some Latinos to take a rebellious stance instead of incorporating an advantageous tool to better fare in society that we consistently find ourselves at a disadvantage economically, as well as other vital areas.

I for one, by no means wish for anyone to abandon their language, food, music, customs and traditions. What you read here is not a call of abandonment, but a push towards adoption and utilization.

In the mail:

Yesterday the Lance Armstrong Foundation launched a massive month-long
multimedia Spanish campaign reaching out Spanish-Dominant Hispanic cancer
survivors, their families and those who take care of them. They are using
both traditional and new media to reach all generations and all walks of
life. Check out LiveSTRONG’s recently updated Spanish language site @
www.LIVESTRONG.org/espanol <http://www.livestrong.org/espanol>, packed with
information and tools for everyone to access.

Are you just taking and not being your brother's keeper?  Are you giving back?

"VIVA!: CELEBRATING THE AMERICAS," AN ONGOING INITIATIVE THAT EXPLORES THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN JEWISH AND LATIN AMERICAN CULTURES THROUGH LECTURES, CONVERSATIONS, AND PERFORMING, VISUAL, AND MEDIA ARTS.

Sunday, June 14

Forget all the negative media attention given to Sotomayor.  The first Hispanic lady of the High Court gets American's approval.

• 49 - 29 percent among white voters;
• 85 - 2 percent among black voters;
• 58 - 24 percent among Hispanic voters;
• 51 - 26 percent among white Catholics;
• 66 - 18 percent among Jews;
• 43 - 37 percent among white Protestants
• White evangelical Christians oppose the nomination 41 - 35 percent.

This is actually funny, but not offensive.
Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

(via guanabee)

Hard work, no excuses.

“The barrio book is a message of hope and dreams. There are no victims, only those who refuse to make a choice. If we believe we can overcome seemly impossible obstacles, we can. My objective is to show young people how it is done. My book has and will help people understand that there are no shortcuts and the secret to success has been and always will be hard work.”

I was introduced to Rui Delgado via a weblog that discussed new media in Dominican Republic.  I was impressed by the article's reflection on the excitement of young people embracing new media, as well as the president.  So, I contacted Rui as he is on the front lines and is involved in a few projects that will help Dominican Republic embrace new media.

Here is your introduction to Rui Delgado in his own words as he talks about himslef and the many great things he's involved in:

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

 

My name is Rui Delgado and I’m from the Dominican Republic. I was raised in Santo Domingo, the Dominican capital city and I studied Communication Sciences at an external campus of the University Wales located in Sevilla, Spain. Currently, I’m still living in Sevilla because I’m finishing my studies in Web Marketing and Public Relations.

 

You travel between DR and Spain, correct?  Why?

 

That’s true. The thing is that I have a few professional projects in Santo Domingo, such as my role as a Web 2.0 strategist for a boutique advertising agency called afterimage, and also for all the Web 2.0 development programs organized by FUNGLODE’s school of new media.

 

Basically, FUNGLODE (Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo) is a non-governmental think tank that, besides other academic programs and research services, serves as a bridge for the Dominican society with academics and professionals in many areas, making their knowledge available to a larger, more diverse audience. We also have a school of politics and government that provides a specialized master’s degree oriented in globalization and foreign affairs.

 

Where are you now?

 

Right now I’m in Sevilla (Spain) and will be here until next month. After I’m done with my academic duties and with projects involving Dominican affairs with Andalucia, I’ll continue my traveling agenda and go back to Santo Domingo.

 

Do you or have you done anything in other countries?

 

Well, I also travel a lot to New York because FUNGLODE has an office in Manhattan. Also, I used to work for the United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic (UNA-DR), and organized youth conferences in New York, Paris, Washington, and some cities in the Dominican Republic.

 

Right now, I’m only participating on international conferences related to communication through the social media in different areas, such as marketing and political communication.

By Al Carlos, Contributing Editor, www.LatinoLA.com

 

10. Everyone showed up dressed like Ricky Ricardo.

 

9. They marched, than ran from Starbucks to Starbucks, eventually so wired up they ended up running past cars on the 405 freeway.

 

8. The undercover Cops, who sometimes start the trouble, did'nt even show up.

 

7. They started chanting, “Raza Si”, “Terry Hacther No!”.

 

6. Instead of speeches they did Mime, everyone thought the sound systems was whack.

 

5. No signs, they felt tipped angry slogans on bald dudes.

 

4. Organized to end racism but no minorities showed up because they were all at work.

 

3. Speakers included Carrot Top and Wayne Newton.

 

2. The only media that covered it was a group of Comadre chismosas.

 

1.  Hispanics don’t have the guts to protest, only Latinos do.

There's a piece by Albor Ruiz, in the Daily News yesterday that is titled "Hispanic voters Say Immigration's No1."   But, No1 what?  I've enjoyed Albor Ruiz's articles for years and can not recall any disagreement on my part.  But as much as I would like to think that my fellow Hispanics actually give a crap for their hermaons y hermanas, and developed an altruistic attitude to fellow human beings, I am unconvinced.  Here's why...

Just last year from the Pew:

Latino registered voters rank education, the cost of living, jobs and health care as the most important issues in the fall campaign, with crime lagging a bit behind those four and the war in Iraq and immigration still farther behind.

That was just July, of last year.  So when I read Ruiz's article title I became skeptical and found another account of the same study:

Respondents were also asked about their views on national problems. Fifty-six percent said the country's weak economy weighed most heavily on them, and 13 percent cited wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other worries included lack of access to health care, illegal immigration, the housing crisis, and low quality of public schools.

Hispanics are just like anybody else - we have a unique culture - we are not from another planet.  So, to think that in the lapse of little under a year that Hispanics became embassadors of empathy would be a far cry.

The point Ruiz's article is based on that I feel he did not bring home strong enough is that Immigration is NOT the # 1 Hispanic concern at the moment, but it would be a deciding factor in the upcoming 2010 election say it is still a national issue:

75% of those interviewed for the Bendixen report said they thought anti-immigrant sentiment against Hispanics - not just illegal immigrants - was growing. Fifty-nine percent said immigration was a very important issue to them and their families.

[...]
But with 69% saying they knew undocumented immigrants as friends, relatives, neighbors or co-workers, immigration is an issue that affects Latino voters in very intimate way. Actually, 87% of respondents said they would not vote for any congressional candidate who was in favor of forcing illegal immigrants to leave the country.

You see, if you read these two parts it is not that Hispanics are saying that they are genuinely concerned here, but because they see that it affects or will affect them that they are now concerned.  If you read "...thought anti-immigration sentiment...was growing," and 69% say they knew undocumented immigratans as friends, relatives..." etc.  So now it's become personal, becuase now they may experience this first-hand.  This is psychology 101. 

Slowly Hispanics, are finally waking up to the fact of the underlying attitudes that surround the immigration issue that has been used as a backdoor racists tool.  Better late than never amigos!

NOTE:  To see some true altuistic Hispanics on the front line, go and visit: Citizen Orange, Latina Lista, Latino Politico.

 

A while back - sometime between today and my previous post over a month ago - I came across a "conservative" blog discussing this view of the Democratic party and "the Left"

Leftism, which sees people as victim groups rather than individuals, which sets us one against another according to the color of our skins rather than distinguishing us by the contents of our characters, which is so eager to manipulate our guilts and grievances in order to form bases of support for an ever-expanding state, has derailed the natural American movement—the natural human movement—toward assimilation and unity and replaced it with ghettoizing multi-culturalism and infantilizing “diversity.”

Emphasis in original.  I preface my comments by saying that I do not like the "labels game" of calling people "liberal" or "conservative" or "left" or "right."  It really doesn't mean anything if you don't have tangible reference point.  For  example, if Pat Buchanan calls me a liberal, that doesn't really say much.  But if Ted Kennedy did, well, that's a different story.  So, when I refer to this blogger as "conservative" I'm using my political views as reference and it should be taken to mean "more conservative than me."  In fact, this blogger considers herself to be  "moderately conservative" or what would be referred to in the world out there as center-right.

With that caveat, I really have to laugh at this news item:

They’ve had it up to here.

Republican National Committee Michael Steele, who’s often tangled with members of his own party, is now facing boos from yet another crowd. This time, it’s Hispanic GOP leaders, who are peeved that he hasn’t appointed any high-profile Hispanics to top positions.

Emphasis in original.  If he wasn't so annoying, I'd feel bad for Michael Steele.  That said, it's interesting that the tokenism from "the right" sounds just like tokenism from "the left."

In a Mar. 6 letter acquired by a news site Wednesday, Hispanic leaders said they “were extremely disheartened that no Hispanics were considered for the post of Coalitions Director and that, to date, no Hispanics have been appointed to any other high-profile leadership roles within the party.”

“If the RNC’s outreach effort to Hispanics consists simply of appointing a Hispanic to serve as Director of the Hispanic Coalitions, then this plan is a recipe for disaster,” said the letter, co-signed by seven Hispanic group leaders (which according to Politico’s Ben Smith included the Republican National Hispanic Assembly, the Hispanic War Veterans of America, and the National Coalition for Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders).

Not to be outdone, the HRs (Hispanic Republicans) also played the race card.

The letter was circulated after Steele hired a black Republican to lead the GOP’s diversity efforts.

But that was back in March 6.  What happened since?

Steele responded to the March 6 letter by inviting prominent Hispanic Republicans, including the letter's signatories, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and former Texas Congressman Henry Bonilla, to a March 18 meeting at the RNC's headquarters.

There, people present said, Steele reiterated the commitment to broaden the party that had won him broad support from Hispanic Republicans in the chairman's race, and asked them to send him resumes of capable Hispanic operatives and advisors.

His guests left satisfied, but say that since then, they've seen no action.

And just to show this isn't a Republican problem, the HDs (Hispanic Democrats) are upset too.

On the Democratic side of the aisle, Hispanic leaders are stewing too. Leading lawmakers are criticizing Obama for what they consider to be his “slow-walking comprehensive immigration reform.”

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) lauded Obama in Roll Call Thursday as being “clear and strong on the issue,” but she said her caucus would push for immigration reform this year.

I must say comprehensive immigration reform won't be much of an issue if we don't (a) turn the economy around and get it going in the right direction - which may be happening but who knows? - (b) create jobs; the faster, the better, and (c) keep people from falling into a black hole of economic despair.  After all, there won't be that much immigration into a country that doesn't have many or any jobs to offer.

So, there it is.  The HRs are just as bad at tokenism as the HDs.

Leftism, which sees people as victim groups rather than individuals, which sets us one against another according to the color of our skins rather than distinguishing us by the contents of our characters

So that would make Hispanic Republicans . . . leftists?  Riiiiiiiight!!!!! (No pun intended there.)

Parents influence (Hispanic Teens) sex Decisions.  I guess being Hispanic makes a difference?

Hispanics/Blacks need banks; bank less.  My friend Megan said "...bank of bustelo..." 

I did some filling in on the above statement for Telemundo's new ad spread in Advertising Age, but I am sure I caught the heart of what it was saying.  These type of statements probably irks many.  However, it is not so much a statement of dominance as it is a marker of what is hot and happening (I am sure Telemundo does not want to get political here, and only is interested in making the point that the Latino population is EXPLODING!)

There was too much to write for this on Twitter. 

Ruben Navarrette recently 'predicted' that Latinos will get the shaft when it comes to the High Court.  Of course, he's talking about Sotomayor here, who's been a target and the source of much hoopla for weeks now.

To sum up Navarrette quickly, he credits the whole candidate list to tokenism:

The unqualified come in all colors, races, ethnicities and backgrounds, as do the qualified.

By the way, some pundits are saying the odds are good that a Latino will get the nod. I hope I'm wrong, but I predict Latinos will be shut out again. Then the administration will expect to get credit for at least including a couple of token Latino names on the short list. After all, I suspect, that was the whole point of including them.

Isn't he adding fuel to the fire that Latinos and women are not the "most qualified?"  What happens when a woman or a Latino is appointed to the high court?  Are we going to hear that the sole reason that they are there is because of their ethnicity or because they have titts???  Unfortunately, the GOP machine does not cease it's subersive messages even in the small hours of their irrelavant party.