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"Calderon Comes to Town" Part 2

2010-05-31T15:57:00Z

Hola
So President Calderon comes to Washington.
He comes from the front lines of hte War on Drugs. In Mexico they are fighting a war against the Drug Cartels that the U.S. makes rich and powerful. Mexico either produces or transports quantities of drugs that can't be used domestically. They have to be transported to the USA.

With all the economic and social problems Mexico has, they are taking action against the Drug Cartels and the US needs to curb the demand for drugs and the ease w/ which rich foreigners (legal or not) can launder money thru US banks.

By curbing our drug use I mean we individually can stop using marijuana and worse and even stop drinking alcohol. Considering how much damage alcohol does to families and the community we could improve ourselves by just eliminating that.

''Calderon comes to Town" Part 1

2010-05-31T15:41:00Z

Hola
Okay a week ago or so. President Calderon and wife camer to Washington D.C.
The two first ladies went to an elementary school to play nice w/ some school kids and one little Latina tells Mrs. Obama, her mother has no papers and fear being deported. (O.K. she didn't phrase it that way but you get the point)
Mrs. Obama gracefully deals w/ the embarrassing situation and only the TV news people seem to enjoy the moment.

Okay, let's look at the irony of the moment.
Uno, how did this Latino woman even bring her child all the way to Washington D.C. w/out the benefit of papers? How did she even manage to cross the border? and why would she endanger herself and child by doing so?

Dos, Said Latina woman who crossed the border had no reservation about sending her daughter to school even though she, the mother knew she had no papers, but she was willing to avail herself of the free public school system.

Tres, The question of illegal entry was not posed to the First Lady of Mexico. Not why is it you and your husband, have not created an economic system from which people do not flee. What are you doing to improve Mexico so countless people and future generations don't abandon your nation?

Mrs. Obama was polite in her response, saying something like it wasn't the President's job to deport people w/out papers and the real problem is that people don't have papers and what can be done about that.

Again I ask where the responsiblity lie? With the USA that accepts illegals in order to exploit them or the Mexican ruling class that prefers to exploit the poor then showcase them when it's to their advantage?

"San Francsico Carnaval 2010"

2010-05-31T15:28:00Z

Hola
Okay I was there in San Francisco yesterday, Sunday May 30, 2010.
I had to park on the far side of the 101 freeway then walk over to the Mission District to join the crowd.
Mission Blvd is very crowded and not the best looking street. I prefer Valencia street to it. I noticed a lot of small shops and restaurants on Valencia.
La Encantada Galeria is nice shop w/ cool ceramic Mexican talavera goods. The owner is a knowlegable lady who's been around for several years.

Down on Harrison Street were the majority of venders and such. All kinds of stuff for sale. To my surpirse I saw the ''Cultura y Mas'' people selling T shirts. Maybe 10 years ago in Los Angeles I bought a great Quetzalcoatl shirt w/ two snake heads on it. I think I bought it at "Premiere Aztlan" store in Montebello Town Center Mall. Everyone who saw this shirt up here in San Jose etc, liked the shirt but afterward I could never find another copy of it. So I asked the proprietress about the shirt and she insists they still sell it on the website. I'll take another look for it.

Yes, there were a lot of police at the event. Things seemed peaceful but w/ cops on foot and cops on bikes, they were ready for anything.

I passed out a lot of my world famous "Mex-I-Can? Yes, you can!" pens to people on the street. Hopefully some people will check out our shopping cart webpage and buy something.

Books you must read! reviews to follow

2010-02-28T00:20:00Z

buy this dvd now!

2010-02-28T00:16:00Z

''Salt of the Earth''

2010-02-06T04:13:00Z

I wrote the following for Amazon.com and I include it w/ a more fiery addition.
This movie delivers a great visual image of the story. From start to finish we see who is who and what the protagonists are up against. It is a sympatheitc and endearing portrayal of simple people up against a monolithic system of oprression that can not be beat and yet can no longer be tolerated.
The story is cut and dry, good guys vs bad guys and it's easy to sympathize w/ the good guys. Unfortuanately, or maybe obviously without disguise it is also a Socialist apology and propaganda.
I say those harsh words deliberately. My biggest criticsm w/ Socialist propaganda and rhetoric is simply that a labor union and improved conditions for workers is just the first step in any improvement of the people's lives. The Socialists are always out to unionize the dishwashers and cotton pickers but they never seem to ask the obvious question that no one really wants to be a dishwasher or cotton picker all their lives.

This is a well made movie and portrays the people's struggle and all without a word of Marxism but the underlying premise is that these people merely want a fair shake; they just want another crust of bread and maybe some milk. I disagree. These people want a option and that means a different job. The film is amusing, even cute in that is seems to show these people as content but just wishing a few improvements in their awful lives, when anyone watching it in the comfort of a middle class American home, w/ cold soda, chips and air con or central heating, would realize they the viewer would really ask for a one way ticket out of there!
Yes, particularly cute when the women folk take over the picket lines (b/c the men are barred from doing so) and thje women are jailed and quaintly annoy the sheriff until he releases them, ha ha, yeah real funny, I don't hear anyone laughing.

Cute Socialist propaganda, well done movie, worthy of watching and it should b shown to teenagers as a history or Civic classs. The story to suppress it is more interesting and more crucial to debate. Is there freedom of expression? Can we speak freely? and moreso What should we be saying?

Let teens grow up

2010-02-06T04:04:00Z

Hola
I continue...
I know when I was a teenager I felt lost and adrift waiting to grow up.
I wish I could have dropped out of high school. If I could have joined the military I would have but I couldn't so I was stuck where I was and that stunk!

If 16 year old teens were allowed certain adult privileges, like working, leaving school etc. then all those unhappy 13 and 14 year old kids would have something to aspire to. If they weren't happy in the 8th grad they could plan on making the big break at 16 and Bang! off they'd go.

And instead of 17 year old grown boys and grown girls wasting time and providing bad roles models for others in high school, they would be gone.

Let teenagers go off and run their own lives when their young and think they can do it.

Lower the high school drop out age to 16

2010-02-06T03:41:00Z

Okay over the last six months in the San Jose CA area we've seen some terrible crimes involoving teenage boys under 18 years old.
I'll go in depth on the crimes in another post and I'll try to be more disciplined about writng this blog okay so bear w/ me a moment.

I think a lot of juvenile delinquent behavior comes from the lack of direction and mixed signals teens receive from our Adult Society.
Here in California USA 16 year old kids are told they are children who bear no responsibilty for their actions on one hand, then told they are young adults supposedly ready to stand on their own on the other.

I think if teens were actually treated like adults instead of just saying they are young adults , I think the kids would shape up. I'll explain.
In high school teens are told they have to grow up but they are never given the chance to act like ''grown ups''. Maybe 16 year old kids can work but they can't drop out of high school. Yet any adult who has ever worked with teens, and any adult who was ever a teenager, know that most teens already think they are mature enough to be on their own, making their own money and making their own decisions. But parents and Society treat these kids like babies who can not make their own decisions.

Unless of course these kids commit a serious crime, usually violent, then they are tried in court as adults, Or a sixteen year old girl gets pregnant and she is ''pressured'' to have the baby and goes on Welfare just like an adult.
Hmmm, so why not treat them like adults and they may not go bad?

Here in San Jose Ca just a few blocks from Santa Teresa High School, a teenage boy was stabbed to death by (alledgedly) two teen classmates.
(I'll document this case in another post but you can find it if you search the San Jose Mercury News website. Maybe I'll set up a link.)
In an article about the two teen suspects, one boys' blog glorifies violence and Satanism and details his desire to meet Lucifer himself. It's a lot of hogwash I know but how is it this fool glamorizes satanism etc but he would not have been allowed to quit high school at age 16 and join the military?
Maybe if he could have become a marine at 16 he could have aspired to that instead of pretending to love violence and devil worship etc?

Last October 31, on Halloween night when I was giving out candy to the kids on my side of town a boy on the East Side was shot in a case of mistaken identity by a couple of gang wannabes. The two perpetrators will be tried as adults.
Coincidentally this shooting happened a half mile from a Jack in the Box where a few years earlier a 16 year old shot someone and will also be tried as an adult.
Do you see a pattern here?

Mexico City Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-12T04:04:00Z

I was in D.F. over the Thanksgiving weelend It was grrreat!
To keep the masses busy the local govt builds a huge ice skatingg rink at the Zocalo in front of the Cathedral. I'm told the ice rink is free, so it's always crowded!
Two years ago I was there over the X-mas holiday and it was packed! Yes an ostentatious display of wealth for a country that can't afford it.
Two years the local media had stories about a company in Mexico City that trucked hundreds of Washington Christmas trees downto D.F. They sold these trees to. local folks and it looks like the tradition has caught on. There were some plastic trees and lots of American style X-mas lights and decorations.
My cousin told me this is not really new. He says as a boy, 30 years ago, they had Christmas trees and Santa Claus then in early January they have the 3 kings. I thougght this was all a recent addition so I decided to keep silent.

While in D.F. I made my susal pilgrimage to La Ciudadela, a great artisan market . I did the gift shopping for my kids. Then Coliseo Mexico for some lucha libre, and a great meal at Cafe de Tacuba, right on la calle Tacuba. I also discovered a couple cheaper hotels than my usual haunt so I'll check them next time.
This year I'll be in town for Christmas.

Anthony Quinn's autobiography

2009-12-12T03:56:00Z

    I understand as an autobiography one gets to write it their way but this goes too far. This is a several hundred page sobfest from someone who didn't seem to suffer much.
    Quinn grew in poverty, yes like so many others, but it's apparent what he was starved for was spiritual attention and guidance, like so many others. Reading his life story as a youth you see a fellow who has too much energy then wastes it craving happiness. Growing up in the 1920's Hollywoood was this big dream machine that did actually take in young talent and gave them a chance. Regardless of their skin color Hollywood was indeed a superficial lover who did deliver the goods to those lucky enough to be talented and in the right place.
    Quinn had the inner turmoil to act, and let that turmoil bubble out. But Quinn's downfall was that as great and powerful actor he may have been, he was a terribly weak man. He had it rough for sure, dealing w/ a flamboyant uncle and a father who died too early for the son to ever eclipse, butinstead of seeing the impediment to his success removed or the rival now gone, he saw this as a ghost he could not defeat and who might revive and destroy him.
    His life and the book had far too much tawdry sex, I just don't care about anyone's first sexual experiences; and much of what he describes would today be classified as sexual abuse. Perhaps these segments added to his sense of shame and that kept the inner turmoil going.
    Anthony Quinn tells of having to choose between joining the white kids to fight the Mexicans or joining the Mexicans to fight off the Whites; after it all he has beaten up himself and who was the winner?

Mexican Werewolf in Texas Review

2009-10-18T05:35:00Z

"Mexican Werewolf in Texas"

Maverick Entertainment Group
presents A Turning Point Productions Starring Erika Fay, Gabriel Gutierrez 2007 rated probably R

With a name like this I had to buy this movie.
I have wanted to write reviews about the junk that is out there using our culture's name in vain. Por flojo I have not yet done it. Okay here goes.

From the back cover papraphrased by me for clarity

"It's hunger knows no Bounds! With its only claim to fame being the "Goat Capitol of the World" the border town of Furlough, Texas is sucking its younger residents dry. Anne and her bored high school friends band together and plot their escape from theirsuffocating little Texas border town until a savage attacker preys on the inhabitants. First the goats then the humans. The local half-witted cops think it's a coyote but Anne and her friends believe the murders are the signature killings of the legendary Latin American urban myth 'El Chupababra or Mexican werewolf."

For some reason a werewolf has come to this sleepy town. First it kills or sucks out the blood of a herd of goats and a few humans, the usual horny teenagers making out in a goat pasture, (sure why not?)

The bodies are found and the Anglos in town blame them ''Damn Meshikins" Aside from doing all the menial work what else do the Mexicans do? There is a cute scene when the Anglo power brokers muse that maybe the Mexicans brought this monster w/ them and maybe it will scare them back home. Cute, and a nice indictment on those powers that be; sort of a we-need-them -to-do-the-work-but-we-don't-want-them-around.

The main character is Anne and her friend Rosie who decide to catch the monster. The movie actually has the girls as the lead and I suppose a feminst might like that. Miguel, Anne's boyfriend, is the Chicano school boy who somehow got a girl but is not interested in chasing down a monster.
The town tough guy w/ the town tramp lead a group to catch the monster but lust wins out and bingo, he gets gobbled up too. All this 100 yards from the posse's bonfire and beerfest. It's not a bad scene after all.

Mexican people are portrayed in a curious duality.
There are the typical dim witted peasants, cluthcing their Bibles and beer bottles, but also several characters are educated and professional. The town veterinarian is a Chicano who seems to have a clue about life. He holds court at a local taqueria sipping beer w/ the compadres and plans strategy. They understand if whatever is killing the goats is not found Mexicans of any legality will be blamed. When humans get killed he is the cllm one to add guidance to the homeboys w/ shotguns.
Maria the vet's lovely assistant is a smart confidant vet-to-be which reinforces the "Girl Power" feel of the movie. The ladies are the strong ones in this film. The town tramp is a blond who delivers a a credible scatterbrain role and who provides the obligatory nudity for the R rating. (Yes, that's what sells movies).

This movie is not terrible. There are a few twists and considering the budget must have been in the pennies, production value was good.
The climax of the film is when all hell breaks loose and the girls rescue Miguel and they get into deeper trouble.

As usual this film is for sale from me. Send me $10 and I'll send you my one copy.

M.D.

"Chicano Economy Ideas"

2009-08-03T23:18:00Z

As we all hear it said Latinos are the fastest growing minority etc.

Okay so if there are so many of us then why aren't we rich?

Instead of giving our money to the ricos then why can't keep our money among ourselves?

I'd like to see Mexican restaurants sell hamburgers!
Even a Super Chicano like myself gets tired of eating Mexican food

also I want to see chocolate milk sold in Mexican restaurants.
It seems that Coca Cola is the national drink of Mexico and I shudder each time I see ninos drinking sugar water down in la republica.

Also, I can never find cafe con canela in diners etc.
I 'm glad StarStrucks Coffee hasn't offered this but when they discover this I will have to buy it there.

I am still waiting to see a miniature sombrero that a guy could wear w/ regular clothes w/ out looking like a mariachi wannabe.

let's hear your ideas for money making ideas

Fire your Boss!

2009-08-03T23:07:00Z

A long time ago when I was a kid I bought and sold pens and eraser. Okay I was a chavalo of 9 years old. I traded and sold them to classmates etc.
Once a friend and I had an idea to wrap rubber bands around a bouncey ball and then sell the strange item as a super bounce ball. Crazy idea and it didn't bounce real well but I think w/ research and development we could have made it work.

As I got older I somehow got the idea to cut the neighborhood grass. For $1 I didn't use the homewoners lawn mower and try to collect the cut grass etc.
My approach was to knock on the door and ask the startled homeowner, "Would you like your lawn cut?" I never understood why most people would laugh and then say yes or no. Either way I made a few bucks and I must say I enjoyed being on my own. Since then I have always been a task oriented kind of guy.

I took things to the flea market when I was in high school and once sold enough to buy a portable cassette player. That was big news back in the day, late 1970's.

They say the nation is in a deep recession etc. I say for poor people the economy is always bad. We need to open our own businesses and find our own solutions. Not just to make money but really to enjoy our ownlives. I always get tired of hearing peopel complain how they hate their jobs etc but they never do anything about it.

I guess I'm really talking to the young people out there. The older folks in their 30's etc who have good jobs are less apt to switch careers. The young people, college and high school age people still have a chance not to get into a rut they will hate.

I say open your own business.

Cut the neighbors grass,
Cook and deliver food to day laborers, jornaleros buy lunch everyday why not buy it from you?

I do have a couple of businesses and the time is now to get moving!

I always tell people, "I didn't come to this country to be poor."

healthy Mexican Food!

2009-08-03T23:01:00Z

Okay everyone wants to lose weight so how can you eat healthy and still be Mexican?

I suggest the following feel free to write me w/ your ideas.

corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas

frijoles de la olla in place of refried beans

chicken in your tacoc instead of pork

tacos instead of burritos

cafe con canela instead of hot chocolate, ni Ybarra ni Mi Abuelita brand.

switch to paletas de agua instead of milk based helados

and of course quit drinking beer!

I usually eat very healthy.
I am an exercise nut in my other life.

"Eveybody hates their Editor but everyone loves to edit"

2009-02-16T18:06:00Z

Okay,
I became a book worm at an early age and both of my parents were book worms tambien. So I read a lot of books magazines about us Chicanos-latinos Mexicans etc. This includes pop novels and junk. I have a stack of horror-crime DVD's that portray Mexico as one step below Hell. I will include all types of material in my reviews so as to keep things interesting and fun.
Here are a few general suggestions for anyone sending in products for our review. We will watch or read them and give our feedback in this public forum.

-     Never send me your only copy! (Can you think why?)

-     Always include contact info, your name, pen name, telephone or email and address. How can people buy your product etc.

-     If you want the book, CD or DVD sent back you must include a self addressed stamped envelope sent folded up along w/ the manuscript. or maybe a check for a few bucks to cover the postage.

I have a huge stack of material to review so it might take awhile to get to yours. Some of the DVD's I've seen stink but the real judgment is getting a project done.

more to come on this topic

Chicano Culture

2009-01-24T01:28:00Z

Hola
One thing I feel strongly about is keeping our culture alive. As Chicanos we are the alloy of several different cultures and enthnicities so there's a lot to choose from. I am trying to support Latino owned businesses and unique perspectives on the world.
I have a way for you to suport my efforts! Check out my shopping cart at Shop.mex-i-can-ink.com and you'll find a load of unique Chicano type items.

Yes, it's too late for Valentine's Day but it's not too early for Mother's Day!

New Year New President what's new?

2009-01-22T18:32:00Z

Okay it's time I joined the discussion re: the new president.

After 8 years of a Republican presidency that has left us in two wars and a serious economic meltdown, it's easy to think someone new is going to ride into town and clean up the mess. Unfortunately there's no money left to fix things and even worse there's an attitude that as Americans we deserve to live well without having to pay for things. The Welfare State will find the money somewhere to subsidize our lifestyle.

When gasoline hit $4.50 a gallon last summer, 2008 people were upset but most people still drove their cars.
Chrysler and company came up with a ridiculous scheme to guaranteee people could buy gas at $2.99 a gallon, remember that scam? In early 2009 gasoline was under $2 so how risky was that gamble on Chrysler's part?

In California people have the most cars and no one seems to want to drill for oil off the CA coast. No, they'd rather import it from the Middle East, parts of Mexico and elsewhere, exporting the environmental damage to those parts of the world, entangling the U.S. in foreign wars but keeping the CA coast clean.

The Liberals say they're going to fix the economy. How can a liberal mindset that rejects personal responsibility and thrift and initiative possibly fix the problems we have? First off we must admit that to fix things taxes must go up and govt expenses must go down.
Programs must be cut and individuals must pay their part. That means less financial aid for colleges, higher medical insurance premiums, less subisidies for food staples etc.
Any one who studies economic meltdowns knows what's coming. Witness Mexico during her many economic reforms, Argentina's meltdown a few years ago etc. In fact Venezuela is cutting back their social programs tambien. I predict there'll be rioting in the streets of Caracas by summer 2009.

As Chicanos we would do well by remembering where our parents came from and learned the lessons of thrift and self sufficiency. The Federal govt should not be expected to bail us out; most importantly b/c we are the Fed Govt.

I think the Republicans gave up the presidential race. When they nominated an unqualified woman like Sarah Palin for vice pres, you could see they had just thrown in the towel. Instead of making a valiant play to revive the conservative agenda they seemed to say "Okay just get it over with okay?"

A lot has been said about Obama being a black president. Consider this, with no money in the govt coffers, two foreign wars and a domestic economy in shreds why not give the election to a black man? Let him do the dirty work of cleaning up the economic mess.

It has been said that radical change and policy reversals can only be implemented by a staunch representative of the group that normally caters to the status quo. Example, Richard Nixon a super anti-communist makes peace w/ Red China when George McGovern certainly couldn't have done that.
So, Mr. Obama representing the liberal class is left to clean up the mess that was created by a Welfare / Nanny State for the past 30 years.

Or things can go the other way and the Democrats can turn on the printing presses and the next sound you hear will be the value of the dollar going bust. Does anyone remember Jimmy Carter and the 1980's? We may all be working but we won't be getting anywhere; just paying off the deficit.

Algodones Mexico

2009-01-05T16:57:00Z

Hola
I spent the New Year's Eve down along the border. I drove all the way to Yuma Arizona then crossed over into Mexico at Algodones.

I asked for directions at a gas station just inside Arizona and a nice White woman told me to get into Mexico I'd have to go back to California and enter in thru "Al-Go-Don-Nees" I didn't know that was the town's name so I thought it was strange to hear her say that.

The broder crossing is on the Quechuan (?) Indian reservation. They have a fenced in parking lot on the U.S. side of the border and you can park and pay afterward etc. It's not as pleasant as it may sound. they do have a security guard who drives around in a golf cart but he told me one parking lot is only for day crossers and the other is the overnight parkers and if you park in the wrong place they will tow you away at sunset!
(Remember this is out in the desert of Calif and the Arizona border, so the idea of returning to your car the next morning and discovering your car was towed away is terrifying!
And of course when I arrived there were no signs explaining this and no workers to give info. I ran into the security guard by accident as I was about to cross the border into Mexico. He sent me back out of the day crossing parking lot, told me to pay at the overnight lot then gave me a ride back to the border entrance. Another disaster avoided!)

Algodones is a quaint border town in the line of Mexicalli. A flood of senior citizens from the US go there to buy medicine, eye glasses and dental services. There are some surprisingly tasteful artisan shops. I bought some painted lacquered ceramic plates from Oaxaca and I saw some quality Oaxcan blankets and rugs. Along with the crude T-shirts that have come to characterize Mexican tourist towns.

There were only a few rowdy tourist bars but since I spent the Monday night before New Year's Eve, it was awfully quiet. I was told Thursday and Sunday nights are the party nights when "girls from the U.S. college go there to hit the clubs" that's what I was told but there wasn't much to hit.
I am always surprised at the difference between other border towns and Tijuana. TJ has always been considered a dump and a rowdy town but Mexicali and points farther East are quiet. I was in Nogales and hmmm, Pierdas Negras(?) a couple of years ago during a Presidential election and It was downright boring!

So, Algodones has a few tourist shops and just a few restaurants. One reason to come to this part of the broder was to see the Wall the Federal govt is building. I could see along the border crossing there is a lot of fencing and just outside the town there is a new looking iron wall. Vertical posts that are ten feet tall and topped with a metal square about 5 by 5 feet. The 5 feet squares atop the vertical posts give it a lollipop look to the fence. Sorry no photos, I left my camera in the room.

BTW "Algodones" means cotton in Espanol. The Imperial Valley in S. California has huge agricultural farms and I have read they produce a lot of cotton. I didn't see any during my drive thru the mountains to Yuma. The drive East from San Diego is a flat and windy road thru the mountains; beautiful in the winter and I'm sure awfully hot in the summer.

"Stores and Govt offices with Spanish Signs"

2008-12-27T07:58:00Z

Some Americans say department stores should not have signs in Spanish. I have heard these signs cited as evidence that immigrants don't want to learn English. (Yes, that is a very weak argument that "Those immigrants don't want to learn English, just look at the signs in the discount stores with Spanish!" As if the immigrants are the ones who put up the sign! Yes, it's moronic but fools say what fools say.)

I try to point out to people that stores try to sell to their target population. If I store has a lot of Spanish speaking people in the neighborhood then it makes sense to put up signs in the store that speak to those people.

Many years ago I worked selling radio commercial air time for a Spanish language radio station here in Santa Clara CA. I worked for Radio KNTA 1430 am radio. Radio Canta.
I was in Hayward CA talking to the owner of a supermarket and he joked that in his neighborhood he should advertise in Farsi because he had a majority of Afghanistani people living there. As I looked around I could see the Middle Eastern looking people and women in bright scarves etc. It was hard to disagree with him.

So, if a store wants my business then they should speak my language and ostensibly I speak Spanish. In San Francisco CA, many stores and banks have signs in Chinese; maybe 'cuz there are alot of Chinese folks over there.

Now, governmental offices with Spanish translations etc.
I do think people who are American citizens should be able to speak English. I think few people would disagree with that. But the reality of American immigration policiy crushes this otherwise logical perspective. If America allows refugees from Cambodia or Somalia to enter this country and then gives them welfare and other services then it makes sense to publish pamphlets in their language. Of course these immgriants should and will learn English but that takes time.

(The cruel reality that no one wants to say is that most immigrants admitted as refugees are illiterate in their own language so they cant' read those pamphlets in Cambodian or Somalia language; neither can many Mexican immigrants read Spanish either but let's not go there. Ironically, the immigrants who can actually read their own language are the ones who will benefit most from these foreign language materials. These educated immigrants would have benefited the most if they had stayed in their country too. The illiterate immigrants are the ones who need the most help but it'soften too difficult to help the most needy so the govt helps those whom it can help the most easily. More on this in another post.)

American immigration policy or lack thereof and Mexico on the other side of the painted line, makes the flood of Spanish speakers inevitable. How can you keep them down on the farm when they can just run across the border?

Consider also that along that broder it is common form Mexican citizens to work in the USA or get daily shopping permits that allow them to come and spend money over here. Franchise stores that sell along the border quite rightly post signs in Spanish and use those signs in other cities far from the border. Makes sense to me.

"Okay it's time to learn Spanish"

2008-12-27T07:27:00Z

Yes, Mexican immigrants must learn to speak English. I work as an ESL teacher with adults so I know adult immigrants do want to learn English. Unfortunately most of them don't know how to learn English. Just showing up at the class and occassionally writing down a few words is not the way to learn anything. Education and learning are a complicated subject.

But just as most people would agree that immigrants should learn English, we, their children should learn and master Spanish. I absolutely hate hearing a Pocho speak lousy Spanish. The American accent is okay; to this day I can't roll my "rr's" but proper use of Spanish grammar is essential.

This is a many pronged issue.
If we as Chicanos can't speak Spanish then we are diluting and discrediting our contribution to American Society. As a Chicano I like to think I am trying to promote the image of Latinos. I like to think I am trying to improve myself and to take advantage of the education and career chances that exist in this country etc. Yet if I can't speak Spanish then what kind of Mexican am I?

If we say American Society should allow us Latinos a place in high level jobs because we can offer alot then I would say we should offer bilingualism. If a Chicano can't speak Spanish then how different is he from a non-Latino American applicant? I don't want to be just a "Brown American".

(NOTE: a corollary to this discussion discusses buisinesses posting signs in Spanish or government offices printing info in Spanish. That's a different issue and I'll address that separately)

Also, if you as a Chicano can't speak Spanish then you may see a Mexican immigrant get a job you wished you had. Far too many Chicanos can't speak Spanish but they protest the need for affirmative action etc. Ironically when protests to hire Latino people succeed in increasing the hiring of such people, too many Chicanos can't get the job 'cuz they don't speak Spanish well enough to do the job.

In the past I applied to be a city cop for a large Calfias city. I applied as a bi-lingual police cadet. I had to go through a Spanish interview where an elderly Mexican man, a Spanish teacher, quizzed me in Espanol. I passed the test but I was sweating there for a few long minutes. The fellow before me, a light skinned Chicano, a little chubby, a little tapado looking had failed the oral test. The elderly maestro was consoling him but the look of disdain in the maestro's voice, and face was obvious. He must have been thinking, " Ay mijo, por favor aprende su idioma!"

I also applied for the California Higway Patrol which was also looking for Spanish speaking officers. I drove up to San Francisco and was interviewed by two Chicanos who could barely speak Spanish! I passed the test but when I walked out I vowed I would learn la idioma de Cervantes!

Along this line I watched with amusement a news story on TeleMundo television. There was a community event to encourage kids to finish high school etc. The reporter interviewed a female teenager who spoke Spanish and said until she had entered this mentoring program she had alot of bad influence in her life and she was in a "ganga" and now she was more confident in her success in life etc.
I almost fainted when I heard ths because the word "ganga" means a discount sale at a store. The poor kid meant to use the word "bandilla" ( "bandilla-bandito", remember the Frito Bandito?) But hey! At least she was trying to speak Spanish!