Spanish Automatically = Illegal Immigrant

[Becks]

:frantically digging out CDs in Bulgarian:

[protege]

Hmm. I think next time I'm at a self-check, I'll start singing E Nomine lyrics and see if I get accused of being a Nazi

I've already been accused of being a Nazi...mainly because of my German-sounding last name. Never mind that it's a *Norwegian* name

[Jester]

Thought I'd contribute my thoughts to all of this...

I've had staff here at work, and when out and about make comments, then be shocked when I respond en Espanol. C'mon, there are lots of us white kids who know exactly what they're saying.

I used to work with a girl in Arizona who looked like the total gringa. Fair skin, blondish hair, etc. But she spoke perfectly fluent Spanish. And she would take the bus to and from work. And in Phoenix, let me tell you, there are a lot of Hispanics, both legal and illegal, and both American and non-American. And she used to have her own evil brand of fun with them. For instance, one time a couple of Mexican guys were talking amongst themselves in Spanish, easily within earshot of her, but assumed (wrongly) that she couldn't understand a word they said. And she just sat there blank-faced, letting them talk. And then they started talking about her, in rather crude terms. At which point she turned to them and in absolutely perfect Spanish told them in no uncertain terms where they could stick it. And gave them precise instructions as to how to go about it.

They went silent for the rest of the bus ride.

I REALLY want to learn more Spanish than I know (which is just a little). I mean, I live in Florida, and I am from Arizona (and planning to move back there), so it really would be a useful language for me, don't you think?

Oh, trust me, I know as well as anyone that skin and hair and whatnot is not an automatic indicator of race or anything.

I have a very good friend who is Puerto Rican. And her last name is Rodriquez. And if you met her, you would NEVER KNOW IT! She looks just like any other gringa, and amusingly, speaks less Spanish than I do. Heck, some people would say I look more Hispanic than she does! (I once was confused for a Mexican by a Mexican IN MEXICO! I can get pretty dark, I guess...)

My best friend has a first name that could be considered Spanish, but is very common in non-Hispanic circles. And she has dark hair, but at least to me, doesn't look very Hispanic. But people ask her all the time if she is. Amusingly, she is freakin' Irish, and a distant cousin of American icon Jim Henson (of Muppet fame).

I too am trying to learn japanese.

I want to learn it just so I can use it in all the sushi restaurants I go to. But first I must learn Spanish, damn it!

What's funny is that unless I'm mistaken, legal Hispanics are a large minority here in the states, so to assume one is illegal is kind of ridiculous. To assume that to the point of making a scene is appalling.

You are not mistaken. Hispanics are actually the largest minority in the U.S., andm many projections have them becoming the MAJORITY in not too long a time. That women would really be erring to make that scene in Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, or California, among other places. Because yes, we have lots of illegal aliens in those places. We also have a lot of legal aliens and (shocking!) Hispanic citizens, both naturalized and American-born.

Hmm. I think next time I'm at a self-check, I'll start singing E Nomine lyrics and see if I get accused of being a Nazi

I once got accused of being a Nazi because I made some stupid off-color joke.

I am of Jewish descent. As in 100%. I only don't describe myself as BEING Jewish because I don't practice the religion whatsoever.

I turned to this nitwit and introduced myself, using my cousin's extraordinarily Jewish name. It went something like this (though this is not my cousin's actual name):

JESTER: (makes off-color joke)
IDIOT: "Oh, real funny there, Mr. Nazi! I hope you realize how some people would feel if they heard that joke."
JESTER: "Oh, I'm sorry. We haven't met. Hi. My name is Irving Rosenthal."
IDIOT:

(Amusingly, another cousin of mine is named Ken Brown, which is such a common name as to be ridiculous. Proving you can't always tell a thing by names.)

On a side note, and I have mentioned this in other posts, with some truly racial white supremacist idiots, I have been told to "go back to Israel." My family never came from Israel, and until recently, none of them even lived there. And more to the point, I am a fourth-generation American, with my ancestors having come over here from 1886-1901. Which means my family has been here longer than a lot of people that these fucktrumpets would describe as "true" Americans.

By the gods, I hate stupid people!

Sorry if this was all too ranty!

[RammsteinGirl]

I just don't understand racist (racist isn't really the correct term, as RACES don't truly exist.. ethnic-ist?) people. We're all HUMAN, we can all breed with each other, we have the same EVERYTHING, except for different variations in eye, skin and hair color and facial features.

Americans have absolutely NO room to say anything about illegal immigrants - since most Americans' ancestors were IMMIGRANTS! Even the majority of those with Native American blood in them, like me (though to look at me, you couldn't tell), have at least some European or African in them. Most (not all, I know, duh) fair-skinned Americans, like me, are nothing but Euro-mutts.

I think some people are just major xenophobes. I, however, am a Xenophile. I love foreigners, especially cute male ones with sexy accents!

[Jester]

Americans have absolutely NO room to say anything about illegal immigrants - since most Americans' ancestors were IMMIGRANTS!

I would like to respectfully disagree here.

Yes, most people bitching and moaning about illegal immigrants are small-minded racist assholes.

But there is a major difference between being the descendant of immigrants or being an immigrant yourself, and being an ILLEGAL immigrant.

There are a lot of intelligent, non-racist people who are not against immigrants, but are against ILLEGAL immigrants. And frankly, I see a lot of their points. I mean, yes, I am the descendant of immigrants, but Max and Louis and the rest of my ancestors came here LEGALLY. They went through proper channels at (probably) Ellis Island, and were admitted by the US government to this country. That is very different from people who sneak across the border in the dead of night, cutting through fences to do so.

Yes, their MOTIVATIONS may be in a good place, and yes, the system SUCKS, but there is still a huge difference between legal and illegal immigrants.

And now I shall return the soapbox to its proper location in aisle 12, with all the other nonperishables.

[JustADude]

Americans have absolutely NO room to say anything about illegal immigrants - since most Americans' ancestors were IMMIGRANTS! Even the majority of those with Native American blood in them, like me (though to look at me, you couldn't tell), have at least some European or African in them. Most (not all, I know, duh) fair-skinned Americans, like me, are nothing but Euro-mutts.

I think some people are just major xenophobes. I, however, am a Xenophile. I love foreigners, especially cute male ones with sexy accents!

Actually, RG, we have plenty of room to talk about ILLEGAL immigrants. If they come in without following the proper immigration procedures, they are breaking the law. It has nothing to do with me being a xenophobe, and everything with me expecting people to respect the laws of the country they want to live in. A study interviewing a bunch of illegals found most of them didn't even bother trying to get an immigration visa before hopping the fence. LEGAL immigrants, on the other hand, are just fine and dandy in my books.

The fact that we came over a few hundred years ago has no bearing on the fact that the USA is the globally recognized governing body for the middle hunk of the North American continent and we get to decide who comes into our country or not, to the limits of our ability to enforce that decision, the same as any other country on this ball of dirt.

[Jadedcarguy]

I'll get the popcorn. This could get interesting.

[ParkingWitch]

Hmmm

Does anyone know where the term "Hispanics" came from?

[Gurndigarn]

Does anyone know where the term "Hispanics" came from?

I believe it's from Hispana, one of the alternate forms of the Spanish word for "Spain" (it should have a tilde over the "n", but I can't get this thing to make it).

[lineswine]

Me too, but I got to wonder what she is going to say about a black man with a British/Jamaican accent sing a J-Pop song.

er, "Konnichiwa, aw'right, mate? W'appen now, me bredren!"

[CancelMyService]

Isn't "Hispanic" derived from Hispanola (again, a tilde should be there somewhere) which is the name of the island divided between the Dominican Republic and Hati?

[JustADude]

er, "Konnichiwa, aw'right, mate? W'appen now, me bredren!"

[Rapscallion]

Memory tells me that the Romans called what we know as Spain 'Hispanola' or something like that. Can't be bothered googling for confirmation, and I know for a fact that I don't know why they call it that.

Rapscallion

[Andara Bledin]

I just don't understand racist (racist isn't really the correct term, as RACES don't truly exist.. ethnic-ist?) people.

I'm always confused when people call being Jewish a race as opposed to a religion. Shouldn't the race be Hebrew?

^-.-^