Saturday, February 26, 2011

Why is it so Bad to be Mexican?


*Originally posted February 2011


This has to be said because it weighs heavily on my heart, mind, and soul!

A lot of people out there do not have a clue about other cultures!  I love Indian Food, I've worked with Indian doctors, they've explained certain holidays they celebrate and why........ but under NO CIRCUMSTANCE am I going to claim to know all about their culture or languages....

Maybe it is because I live in the south and come across a lot of "ignorance" not that it only exist in the south.  It's everywhere!

People from Mexico, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, El Salvador etc.... DO NOT SPEAK MEXICAN!  The name of the language is SPANISH!

I absolutely HATE it when someone ask me, "OH, do you speak Mexican?"  No idiot, I speak Spanish!  I do not say that, but that's definitely what I'm thinking!

I recall one point in time when The Mexican and I had our own company.  It was a busy season.  Basically, I was the one doing the estimates.  I went to a nice house, out in the middle of no where.......  did the estimate.  They wanted their kitchen painted along with all of their cabinets.  Gave them the quote.  They accepted and we picked out the colors.

One week later, The Mexican showed up to paint.  He did the job and was finishing up some minor details.

I received a call.  It was from the owners of the house.  The woman was bitching and complaining that "this Mexican did not paint everywhere that he was suppose to."  Not only did she say this, but kept on and on and I could clearly tell this was a race issue!  I told her not to worry that I was on my way over.  Little did she know that on route to her house, I called The Mexican and he told me what she was complaining about and how rudely he had been treated.

I walked in the house and the lady is just a moanin' and a groanin' about how if she was paying this much money she wanted it done right and how you can't just leave these "Mexicans" alone because they'll try and cut corners etc.......  So, i asked her, "mam, where is the area he tried to cut corners?"

Well, you would have to had been an ACROBAT to see the area.  You literally had to stand next to the stove turn your body and look up underneath a cabinet all while trying to keep your balance because
#1 NO ONE WOULD HAVE EVER SEEN THIS AREA and i do mean NO ONE!!!!
and
#2 IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH.

My guess is while my hubs was at lunch, she searched and searched for "something" to get a discount.

I told her, "mam, no one is going to see this area.  We are a professional company and he has over 15 yrs experience painting, no one will ever see this area and it is impossible to reach."  Then The Mexican said something to me in Spanish.  I answered him back in Spanish.  The lady said, "Do you speak Mexican?"  I answered, "No, I speak Spanish and this is my husband and I know he does good work.  Are you looking for a discount?"  The woman backed down and just let it go.

About a week later she called back to see if he could pressure wash her house and I told her we were booked solid and she'd have to find another company.

THE NERVE!


Ok, now on to a different subject.............
I have friends from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Costa Rica.  I've heard time and time again about how their countries are the best!  They get SOOOO OFFENDED if anyone thinks they are Mexican.  WHY??

I had a friend  with a daughter.  She said, "my daughter is getting  mad because some people in her class think she is Mexican.  So I asked her, "what's so wrong with being Mexican?  Why does everyone get up in arms if they are perceived as being Mexican?"

This is the explanation I got.  Well, Mexico is so close to the United States that practically any Mexican rich or poor can cross the border. If you are from another country you have to have more money to get here and usually more money means better educated people. 

I've heard it all..... they are dirty, stupid, etc etc.......

Also, I get the feeling that people associate Mexico with drugs.  I understand that Mexico is in a major fight against drugs.  I understand that most of America's illegal drugs are brought from Mexico.  Everyone forgets Colombia's production of cocaine that is brought to Mexico etc etc........  I'm not putting blame on any countries.

The fact of the matter is their are good and bad people from every country on this earth.  People need to open their minds before they open their mouths!


FYI there are plenty of people and things that have come out of Mexico that you may not know about:
poinsettas, chocolate, vanilla, avocados, and chewing gum to name a few.


Frida Kahlo contributed to America with her amazing artwork!

José Mario Molina-Pasquel Henríquez (born 1943 in Mexico City) is a world famous chemist who contributed greatly to the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole.

Luis Miramontes co-invented the contraceptive pill. In 1951, Luis Miramontes, then a college student, wrote a new procedure for the synthesis of the progestin norethindrone, the active ingredient for what would become the oral birth control pill.

Guillermo González Camarena invented an early color television system. He received US patent 2296019 on September 15, 1942 for his "chromscopic adapter for television equipment".


Jose Hernandez-Rebollar invented the Acceleglove, a glove that can translate sign language into speech.  By using sensors attached to the glove and the arm, this device can currently translate the alphabet and over 300 words in American Sign Language into both English and Spanish.


Doctor María del Socorro Flores González won the MEXWII 2006 award for her work on diagnostic methods for invasive amebiasis. María González patented processes to diagnose invasive amebiasis, a parasitic disease that kills over 100,000 people each year.



Mexican inventor Felipe Vadillo patented a method of predicting premature fetal membrane rupture in preganant women.

Juan Lozano, a Mexican inventor with a lifelong obsession with jet packs, invented the Rocket Belt and is the inventor of the most popular machine in the world to produce you own hydrogen peroxide to be used as a rocket fuel."

Everyone knows about the great actors, musicians, and culinary contributions to this large and wonderful world.  Hearing negativity and hate only fuels more of that.  Let's not forget all the great people and things about Mexico lindo that we rarely hear about.


In my personal opinion I think it's pretty freaking AWESOME to be Mexican!

That's all for now.  Had to vent!  Besos.


19 comments:

  1. Muchísimas gracias. Estoy de acuerdo. :)

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  2. Dulce de leche, thanks so much for the comment! I was having a bad day and had to let loose... Que tengas una buena noche! Besos!

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  3. You shared a great story! That is a perfect example of the kind of ignorance and discrimination that takes place on a daily basis. I can totally feel your frustration and I can relate. I've watched people disrespect my husband and listened to more dumb questions than I can count! Thanks for putting it all out there. As far as the hate specifically against Mexicans...the reason America hates so much is because they are poor (mostly). We hate our poor and we blame them for all of societies problems. You're double damned if you're both poor and brown! You are so RIGHT about whites needing to get educated. Racism continues not because some people have prejudice, but because the rest of us are content with ignorance. Being White in America, it is all to easy to ignore the problem by avoiding neighborhoods and businesses with any color and become segregated and oblivious to the facts. Minorities can't avoid the facts, they have to shop at White owned businesses, and have no choice but to be integrated in many cases. The key to stopping racism (I believe) is education about culture and history, and putting more minorities at the top...in positions of power! Thank God for Obama...I hope he gets another term and I hope we continue to have color in the "White" house!

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  4. Chantilly,
    I love what you said about ~Racism continues not because some people have prejudice, but because the rest of us are content with ignorance.~ This is soooo true!

    Thank you for reading my post and i'm glad that I have found friends I can connect/relate to. The average white american who is married to another white american really can not relate until they are intametly involved with someone of color.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Besos!

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  5. that should be "UNLESS" they are intimately involved with someone of color.

    Not trying to promote any affairs...LOL

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  6. I am one of the crazy people who ADORE Mexico!! I have spent my time in Merida, and am trying to go there for the long term....I am trying to serve as a PR person to tell the TRUTH about the Mexican people and their wonderful culture...I am a nurse and serve as a translator for my patients.They have come to the USA to work their butts off...and their families are in Mexico....You and I can never make the ignorant people of the world understand, but I consider myself to be lucky to know them all!

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  7. I too have a blog about Merida and our wonderful friends! It is............. .carolinatomerida.blogspot.com

    Maybe you would like it!!

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  8. Thanks so much for posting! I'll definitely be checking out your blog! It is great that you help translate for your patients and stick up for the truth about Mexicans.....not what is sometimes portrayed in the media! Kudos to you girl!

    Thanks for posting

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  9. OMG Tara! Thanks for getting me all riled up. Do you know that I can deal with the customer's ignorance. Clearly she was looking for a way to get a discount. I know you call your husband "The Mexican" affectionately, but for her to use it as a label. What a jerk!

    What bothers me MOST is when other Latinos look down on us, or each other. It's not right. Now that's ignorant. We have a language that binds us together and instead of lifting each other up, we tear-down because of "xyz" notion that somebody's better. It's so destructive.

    Great post, amiga. <3

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  10. Ezzy,
    Thanks for your awesome comment! I really hope everyone who takes a peek at my blog realizes that Yes! I totally call my husband "the mexican" affectionately y con mucho amor!
    Your comment about lifting each other up, is so very true and I hope there are others recognize this....

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  11. Estrellita,
    Great points! That annoys me too about people thinking anyone undocumented is un Latino specifically Mexicans.
    I'll keep educating on my end and you keep letting your son do all the talking! (read your post, and he is AWESOME!)
    Take care!

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  12. Such a great post, I was once told by a girl who was dating one of my husband's friends that she could read the shirt size because it was in Mexican. I told her "Mexican is a culture, Spanish is the language." I was rude but hey I was also 23. I am sure I would have said it much more sweetly and crass now that I am older.

    There is nothing wrong with being Mexican but what irks me more is when everyone ignorantly assumes that because you are Mexican you are ignorant, uneducated, and poor.

    I had a neighbor who was shocked I had a degree, literally floored since she was giving me used clothes. Hey, I never turn down freebies.

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    1. Jess,
      Thanks so much for commenting. I love what you've said here. I wish I could have seen the look on your neighbor's face. Great story!

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  13. Mexican culture is beautiful. Unfortunately the drug problems, corruption, and violence make me ashamed of being Mexican at the moment :(

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    1. The culture is beautiful. I hate everything that is going on with the drugs, corruption and violence. That is all the media covers here (about Mexico) and unfortunately what pops into most people's minds when they hear the word.... Mexico/Mexican. Sad.

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  14. I am of Mexican nationality. And it's truly sad to see how much negativity there is towards individuals because of their ethnicity. I am proud of who i am and my values as a person. But i will not put someone else down because of their ethnicity or skin color. We are all people and we all have feelings. Ignorance is bliss. It hurts me to know that we as human beings suppress one another because of our differences in culture and "nationality. We've created invisible borders that we have placed and named countries. This Simply enlarges egos. Thank you for writing about this.

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    1. Manuel,
      Thank you for commenting. I agree with everything you wrote above. I'm so glad you stopped by and shared your thoughts and feelings on this subject.
      Cuidate!

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  15. This post was such a good read I'm following your blog just for this post. Thank you for saying what no one ever has the guts to say, regardless of nationality.

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  16. Hi,

    I am a 54 year old white male raised in Kansas. I cannot answer your question. I was raised to see people as people.
    In grade school social studies was my favorite subject. I love that my life has taken me all over the world and met some wonderful people.
    I have learned that people are the same everywhere. 99% good and 1% bad. Does not matter where you are.

    I would be happy to call you a friend.

    Dave

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