FAMOUS LAST
nosotros e by Manuel De La Raza
WORDS
(Editor’s Note: Heard among and about our Mexican-American people. Some funny, tragic, and erroneous but all voiced. Read them and see if you have ever heard them before.)
“You sould see my cousins. Boy! are they light! They have blue eyes and blonde hair too.
“Even though he is a Mexican, he certainly is bright.
“A los mejicanos no les dan chanza.”
“Oh . . . me? Pm half-Spanish.
“Do you speak Mexican?”
“I could tell that you were ‘Spanish’ by your .accent.”
“El se quiere hacer gringo. He doesn’t hang around con la plebe.
“Just think, if I would have kept going to school like you have, I d be a college graduate too.”
“What’s the use of planning for the future? I’m going to be a soldier anyhow.”
“The last hired and first fired . . . the Mexicans.”
“I just love to work with the Mexicans, they are so quaint.
“Oh . . . you should be an expert in crafts, you are Mexican.”
“Oh . . . a Mexican? You don’t look like one.
‘‘My mother was French.”
“Why do the pachucos do those things?”
“What’s the use of encouraging the Mexicans to go to college. What could they do anyway?”
“Yeah . . . yeah . . . I know, Lincoln did come from the poorest people, he studied hard and all that . . . sure, but he was no Mexican!”
WOULD YOU?
Have-, you enjoyed this copy of the Mexican Voice?” Would you like to see more issues of this magazine? Do you think it is worthwhile to continue printing more news of the accomplishments of our Mexican-Americans?
If you do, and we hope you do, we would like your help to continue publishing this magazine. We would appreciate any help from you in the way of ideas, subscriptions (50c yearly) or donations. > our aid may be sent to the Business Manager, Mr. Steven A. Reyes,
S. Raymond, Pasadena, California. [hank you.
This may be our last column for the duration. For five years we’ve been in every issue of our Mexican Voice. At times we have written with a message; other times, gossipy, sometimes humorously, but always with one thing in mind: our Mexican-American youth.
The purpose of this column and our magazine has been to inspire our Mexican-American youth. It has also been our desire to broadcast to our readers the problems and the honest achievements of our Americans of Mexican descent. We have always encouraged our youth to equip themselves in such a way that they would contribute more fully to our American culture.
Whether we have succeeded or failed, who knows? Nonetheless, we have been unique, for what other columnist in the Southwest has been interested in the problems of our Mexican youth?
A Trend
Rather discouraging has been a trend we have nbticed among both our Americans of Mexican descent and others not of our national descent. A trend that is insulting to our group, although at times it is used without this intention. The trend is towards calling any accomplished Mexican - American “Spanish,” or anyone well-to-do, above average, either in professional or trade circles, ‘‘Spanish” or “Spanish-American.” Oft-times when people who are curious of our national descent because of our complexion or our name ask us, “Are you Spanish?” They really mean to ask us, “Are you Mexican?” They are afraid to do so because they think it is not polite or that they are paying us a compliment.
You ask, “Where is this insult you speak of?”
The whole inference, reader, is THAT NOTHING GOOD COMES FROM THE MEXICAN GROUP. The inference is ^hat only the talented, the law-abiding, the part-Mexican, the fair-complexioned., the professionals and the tradesmen are Spanish.” The drunkards, the de-linqunts, the very dark, the manual laborers, the pachucos, the criminals and those in the lower socioeconomic scale are the Mexicans. F you don’t consider this an insult, then you don t have any pride in your background! »
Newspapers carry this trend, prominent politicians like to make this difference in deference to our “better group” Anglo-Americans in general Dre guilty of this, but worst of all, our own Mexican-Americans are making this distinction!
Let’s have more pride in our own group. We are all the same, whether we have been here ten generations or one. We have common goals, we have community problems, we have a war to win, we need the leadership of those of our group who are equipped to help and guide us. Yes, we need the leadership of those who have broken away from our group and who call themselves “Spanish-American or assorted other Latin nomenclatures.” For they all know, if they were poor, regardless of how many generations they had been here, they would be just “plain Mexican.”
Whether we want to admit it or not, we have been partially guilty cor the rise of rowdyism among on* youth. For, where have the prominent Mexicans been? What civic part have they taken in the community life? What have they done in promoting more playgrounds, settlements, better housing, _ and other worthwhile projects?
Some have helped, but the majority have just been basking in the sunshine of being called ‘“Spanish,” and happy that they have been called superior to the common peon from Mexico!
So let’s be careful . . . let’s be American first. Then Americans of Mexican descent. Let us proud of our heritage.
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