Being Latinos
My close friends and family know that I don't like the word Hispanics and frankly find it to be too soft a word for me. I like the word Latinos because I feel as though it is in your face and one that suits me much better. I admit that when one uses the word in Spanish I like the sound better but still not adequate for me like the word Latinos.
I love being a Latino and everything about it. I love my language, my food, my customs and my history. As a man who is part Puertorican, Spaniard, Italian and Indian I feel a kinship to every aspect of who I am as a Latino man. I especially love my music, whether boleros, Spanish guitar, salsa, merengue, bachata and even requeton. I feel like I have a rich history and a beautiful culture that I can be proud of. My grandmother and great grandmother taught me to be a gentleman and to honor who I am, dark brown skin included. Every day for me is an opportunity to share the unique person that I am with others who are open minded and would like to receive it. Admittedly I don't like anyone telling me who I am or defining me as a Latino yet all of my life that has been my battle. But this blog is more about being Latino and proud and my concerns about some of our people.
My most serious concern is that there are many of our children who do not speak Spanish because in my opinion some of us no longer felt this of importance. Yet it is likely one of the most important things we can teach our Latino children. Our language is what makes us different and it is a beautiful one that many non-Latinos have learned. Somehow we got this message that we don't need to teach that important aspect of our culture to our children. It is mind blowing to me that so many of our children don't speak Spanish in a country that professes to be a "melting pot". Although Dual Language schools teach in both Spanish and English they are now the exception and not the rule. While some of our children are speaking Spanish there are many who don't and this my friends saddens me. Why would we not teach our children their mother tongue? I can speculate yet I think the bottom line is about shame and a feeling that in order to be assimilated in this country we must only speak English. Still I think it to be a horrible mistake not to teach our children to speak a language that is the second most spoken language in the United States.
Like our language our history and our heroes are not being given their due. We are not giving people like Lolita Lebron and Albizus Campos their due honor as leaders and as radical leaders much like Blacks honor their leaders like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. We may give some attention to Puerto Rico and the fact that it is an associated state but unfortunately we know little else. The history books don't include Latinos in any sort of detailed manner and we seem to be OK with that, allowing ourselves to be ignored and non-existent other than what we promote ourselves. We have let our culture take a back seat to the anglo culture and the emphasis on Caucasian leaders, even though we have a rich history and many contributions to this country we call America.
Latinos are everywhere and our numbers are huge yet we seem to have the least awareness and attention as a group. It may be our tendency to be polite, quiet and less likely to brag on ourselves in part but much of it has to do with our being much too complacent and much too accepting of what we get versus claiming what is our right. For a president to deport Latinos out of the country who have been here most ot their lives and talk about Puerto Rican's as if they are no citizens is concerning and insulting. We must decide that we are not going to be quiet, nice, polite Latinos and become more militant in our voice and in our stance. We cannot buy into this notion that we don't belong in the USA or that we have less prestige or rights than others. It is what is keeping us down coupled with the fact that we are not teaching our children to own their beauty and their uniqueness as Latinos. We must decide that teaching our children Spanish is a gift we pass on and a way to maintain our wonderful qualities as a people.
I would love to hear all of your thoughts about this subject and invite your comments at the bottom of my blog. Some of you may ask me why this subject and I want to respond with: because it is of great concern and importance to me as a Latino.
Coach Elliott Maximo Collazo
I love being a Latino and everything about it. I love my language, my food, my customs and my history. As a man who is part Puertorican, Spaniard, Italian and Indian I feel a kinship to every aspect of who I am as a Latino man. I especially love my music, whether boleros, Spanish guitar, salsa, merengue, bachata and even requeton. I feel like I have a rich history and a beautiful culture that I can be proud of. My grandmother and great grandmother taught me to be a gentleman and to honor who I am, dark brown skin included. Every day for me is an opportunity to share the unique person that I am with others who are open minded and would like to receive it. Admittedly I don't like anyone telling me who I am or defining me as a Latino yet all of my life that has been my battle. But this blog is more about being Latino and proud and my concerns about some of our people.
My most serious concern is that there are many of our children who do not speak Spanish because in my opinion some of us no longer felt this of importance. Yet it is likely one of the most important things we can teach our Latino children. Our language is what makes us different and it is a beautiful one that many non-Latinos have learned. Somehow we got this message that we don't need to teach that important aspect of our culture to our children. It is mind blowing to me that so many of our children don't speak Spanish in a country that professes to be a "melting pot". Although Dual Language schools teach in both Spanish and English they are now the exception and not the rule. While some of our children are speaking Spanish there are many who don't and this my friends saddens me. Why would we not teach our children their mother tongue? I can speculate yet I think the bottom line is about shame and a feeling that in order to be assimilated in this country we must only speak English. Still I think it to be a horrible mistake not to teach our children to speak a language that is the second most spoken language in the United States.
Like our language our history and our heroes are not being given their due. We are not giving people like Lolita Lebron and Albizus Campos their due honor as leaders and as radical leaders much like Blacks honor their leaders like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. We may give some attention to Puerto Rico and the fact that it is an associated state but unfortunately we know little else. The history books don't include Latinos in any sort of detailed manner and we seem to be OK with that, allowing ourselves to be ignored and non-existent other than what we promote ourselves. We have let our culture take a back seat to the anglo culture and the emphasis on Caucasian leaders, even though we have a rich history and many contributions to this country we call America.
Latinos are everywhere and our numbers are huge yet we seem to have the least awareness and attention as a group. It may be our tendency to be polite, quiet and less likely to brag on ourselves in part but much of it has to do with our being much too complacent and much too accepting of what we get versus claiming what is our right. For a president to deport Latinos out of the country who have been here most ot their lives and talk about Puerto Rican's as if they are no citizens is concerning and insulting. We must decide that we are not going to be quiet, nice, polite Latinos and become more militant in our voice and in our stance. We cannot buy into this notion that we don't belong in the USA or that we have less prestige or rights than others. It is what is keeping us down coupled with the fact that we are not teaching our children to own their beauty and their uniqueness as Latinos. We must decide that teaching our children Spanish is a gift we pass on and a way to maintain our wonderful qualities as a people.
I would love to hear all of your thoughts about this subject and invite your comments at the bottom of my blog. Some of you may ask me why this subject and I want to respond with: because it is of great concern and importance to me as a Latino.
Coach Elliott Maximo Collazo
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