Hispanos, latinos o lo que sea… ¿nunca vamos a llevarnos bien?

He estado escuchando y leyendo acerca de los interiores de las relaciones entre los grupos en nuestra hispana / latina o lo que sea de la comunidad y, después de pensarlo, tengo que decir…. Estamos realmente jodidos!

No importa lo que tratamos de hacer, hispanos, latinos o lo que sea todavía no entendemos el mensaje. Permítanme presentar algunos puntos que creo que son válidos.

1. Hay millones de nosotros en los Estados Unidos. De Puerto Rico. Colombia. Cuba, Ecuador, Venezuela, Perú, y otros. Algunos se consideran a sí mismos latinos, algunos no lo hacen. Algunos hablan un español perfecto, algunos no hablan una palabra o tienen miedo de hablar en español. Algunos bailan a la música reggaeton, y algunos no saben cómo bailar salsa, merengue, bachata o el jarabe tapatío.
2. Debido a nuestras diferencias culturales y los sistemas políticos en nuestros países de origen, no podemos asumir y no se debe suponer que los latinos deben llevarse bien porque hablamos español o por escuchar música similar. Los latinos tenemos problemas para unirnos porque estamos compitiendo por los mismos recursos con antecedentes diferentes. Un “latino o hispano” de Chiapas, México tiene poco en común con un “latino o hispano” de Buenos Aires, Argentina, al igual que un “latino o hispano” de Sao Paulo, Brasil tiene poco en común con un “latino o hispano” de San Juan, Puerto Rico. Usted ve, los términos “latino o hispano” son problemáticos. Sirven para agrupar un conjunto diverso de personas, con diversas lenguas, etnias y culturas. Eso no nos da poder, nos debilita.
3. El problema es que todo el mundo quiere tener su propio “pedazo del pastel”, bajo sus propios términos. Debemos comenzar por reconocer las diferencias mutuas. Si empezáramos por ahí, se puede coexistir de manera más armonizada. Esto es lo que realmente nos separa.
4. Mientras esto sucede, las personas que viene de trasfondos de países en opresión o dictadura,  tienden a tratar de “imponer” un estilo de liderazgo, mientras que otros utilizan métodos más tradicionales, como los sobornos con el fin de obtener un puesto, otros que vienen de otros países y son muy floridos en el idioma español utilizan a veces una “verborrea” inusual, como si fueran realmente elocuentes, pero no pueden hablar una palabra de Inglés. Un consejo: Si eres joven, trabajar o estudiante, o si usted no lo sabía…. en este país la gente habla inglés y si no están dispuestos a aprender el idioma, tendrán que sentarse en un rincón…. y se quedan atrás. Algunos vienen de países muy obstinados, estos son divertidos, porque hablan tanto de todo, sin embargo, no han sido capaces de resolver sus propios problemas. Otros vienen de países más liberales, y se les critica por no ser lo suficientemente fuertes. ¡Y todo esto es entre nosotros mismos!

5. Algunas organizaciones que tienen la intención de encontrar un terreno común están teniendo problemas tratando de permanecer juntos por el ambiente político y la “falta de entendimiento cultural y de posesión” entre sus miembros. Una vez me dijeron, “No hay nada que se puede hacer con esta comunidad. Ellos son su peor enemigo “. Yo tiendo a diferir.
Creo que es hora de dejar las “pendejadas”. Vamos a dejar de ser tan tontos.

Un extracto de un blog no podría decirlo mejor:

Lo que los hispanos, latinos o lo que sea no entienden es que para los americanos blancos – para que el gobierno y el censo –  es que todas las minorías, todos somos descendientes de españoles y todos hablamos el mismo idioma, sea que lo pronuncia correctamente o no. Cuando las iniciativas nuevas se desarrollen para los latinos o hispanos, el gobierno no separa a los puertorriqueños de los cubanos o los salvadoreños de los mexicanos, o los profesionales de los menos educados. En su lugar, nos ponen juntos como los hispanos o latinos porque no ven ninguna diferencia entre uno y otro. Sin embargo, nosotros no separamos a nosotros mismos todos los días por nuestra ignorancia y nuestra arrogancia.

Imagínese lo que nuestra comunidad sería como si tuviéramos una comunidad que se une como hermanos y hermanas, ayudando y apoyando a los demás. Mejor aún, si fuéramos a tomar las riendas y  demandar que se nos trate con igualdad y justicia muchas cosas cambiarían. Imagínate si fuéramos a celebrar nuestras similitudes y abrazar nuestras diferencias. Y en vez de mirar hacia abajo o bajar uno al otro nos mostramos un amor genuino por los demás.

No nos podemos quejar de cómo nos tratan los americanos blancos, si no hemos aprendido a tratar a los demás. ¿Cómo podemos conseguir el respeto de ellos si no hemos aprendido a respetarnos a nosotros mismos?  Así que la próxima vez que usted se encuentre acusando a un blanco americano de ser racista, pare, piense y reflexione, porque usted también puede ser considerado como uno dentro de su propia comunidad.

¡Nos vemos la semana que viene!
Luis López

Hispanics, Latinos or whatever…will we ever get along?

I have been listening and reading about the inner-relationships between groups in our Hispanic/Latino or whatever community and, after thinking about it, I have to say….WE ARE REALLY SCREWED UP!

No matter what we try to do, Hispanics, Latinos or whatever still don’t get the message. Let me make some points that I think are valid.

1. Puerto Rican. Colombian. Cuban, Ecuadorean,  Venezuelan. Chicano. Mexicano. Dominican, Peruvian, Panamanians and others…There are millions of us in the United States. Some consider themselves Latino, some don’t. Some speak perfect Spanish, some don’t speak a word or afraid of speaking Spanish. Some dance to reggaeton music, and some do not know how to dance salsa, merengue, jarabe tapatío or bachata.
2. Due to our different cultural backgrounds and political systems in our native countries, we cannot assume and should not assume that Latinos should get along just because we speak Spanish or listen to similar music. Latinos struggle to unify because we are competing for the same resources and we are from vastly different backgrounds. A “Latino” from Chiapas, Mexico has little in common with a “Latino” from Buenos Aires, Argentina, just as a “Latino” from Sao Paulo, Brazil has little in common with a “Latino” from San Juan, Puerto Rico. You see, the very term “Latino” is problematic. It serves to lump together a diverse set of people, with different languages, ethnicities, and cultures. That does not empower us; that weakens us.
3. The problem is that everyone wants to have their own “piece of the pie, under their own terms. We should start then by acknowledging each other’s differences. If we start there, we can coexist more harmoniously. This is what really divides us.
4. As this happens, people who come from oppressive or dictatorship backgrounds tend to try to “impose” a style of leadership; others use more traditional methods like bribes in order to obtain positions, others that come from other countries and know a great deal of Spanish use unusual verbiage, like if they were really eloquent, but can’t speak a word of English. A word of advice: If you are young, working or studying, or if you did not know….in this country people speak ENGLISH and if you are not willing to learn the language, go sit in a corner….you will stay behind. Some come from extremely opinionated countries; these are funny, they talk so much about everything, yet they have not been capable of taking care of their own problems. Others come from more liberal countries, and they are criticized for not being strong enough.
5. Some organizations that intend to find common ground are having problems trying to stay together because of the political atmosphere and this “lack of understanding “between its members. I was told once, “There is nothing that can be done with this community. They are their worst enemy”. I tend to differ.

I think it’s time to stop “las pendejadas”. Let’s stop being so foolish.

An excerpt from a blog could not say it better:

What we fail to understand is that for White Americans–for the government and the census–we are all minorities; we are all of Spanish descent and we all speak the same language whether we pronounce it correctly or not. When new initiatives are developed for Latinos, the government doesn’t separate the Puerto Ricans from the Cubans or the Salvadorians from the Mexican, or the professionals from the uneducated. Instead they clunk us together as Hispanics because they see no difference between one and the other. Yet we separate ourselves everyday by our ignorance and our arrogance.

Imagine what our community would be like if we were to unite like brothers and sisters; if we were to help and support each other. Better yet, if we were to take charge and demand that we are treated equally and fairly. Imagine if we were to celebrate our similarities and embrace our differences. And instead of looking down or putting down each other we would show genuine love for one another.

We can’t complain about how white Americans treat us if we haven’t learned how to treat each other. How can we get respect from them if we haven’t learned to respect our own? So the next time you find yourself accusing a white American of being racist, stop, think and reflect, because you too may be considered one within your own community.

See you next week!

Luis Lopez

REF:

http://www.beinglatino.us/uncategorized/latino-drama-cant-we-all-just-get-along

http://www.rochesterlavoz.com/site/index.php/component/content/article/34-columnists-opinions/200-racism-among-our-own

 There are a lot of stupid supremacists that don’t get it. Other idiots s cry “bilingual discrimination” (maybe that is why they are idiots in the first place). This nation is changing to a bilingual nation, like it or not. Yes, we speak English in this country, but let’s be realistic; you can’t and won’t stop the growth of our diverse population, especially Hispanics. According to a 2010 survey from CareerBuilder and USA Today, employers are looking to hire a diverse workforce in the interest to appeal to an assorted consumer base. Job candidates who are bilingual in both English and another language prove to be appealing to broadening companies, and many of these jobs have bilingual pay differentials, which, according to Salary.com, range between 5 and 20 percent more pay per hour.

So, if you want to get ahead, maybe you need to learn a second language. But, let’s look at on the bright side, according to an article from Academia21.com, learning a second language has many other advantages:

Aside from the general travel and career advantages that can come with a person’s ability to speak more than one language, there are particular psychological and linguistic benefits that are simultaneously found. These include enhanced cognitive flexibility (including divergent thinking and the ability to think conceptually), as well as improvements in verbal abilities and reasoning.

Additional benefits of learning another language are:

• A heightened sensitivity to language
• Greater flexibility in thinking
• An improved ear and propensity for listening
• A greater understanding and appreciation of the native language
• Greater exposure and insight into other cultures

So, there is only one way to go, you must accept the fact that learning another language is for your own good. Otherwise, you will stay behind. Its time you open yourself to the reality of a global market, be smarter, and unleash you potential. Believe me, it works!!

See you next week.

As you well know, every week we try to make you think about the important things that happen around us.  Very few have commented about this, I think it’s important…

Did you know that on April 30^th (this date could change), a new rule for all businesses that fall under the National Labor Relations Act (including states like Florida) must display an 11 x 17 inch poster that states that employees have the right to form unions in order to obtain fair benefits. Think of this, unions have been a fixture of our “supposed democracy” for decades. They have somewhat faded, especially in the South, but apparently, things are about to change.

In this era of supposed freedom of speech, of religion and others, we now have added to the freedom of assembly the right to form unions. This could represent a whole new way of seeing business and how hiring and firing procedures, as well as other matters will be managed in the future.

Does this mean that the big labor unions will take over workers everywhere, even those that do not want to be part of it?  Think about it…is this good or bad?

My 2 cents on this matter: I believe that unions are formed due to management greed, there lack of capacity and poor management. If you as a business owner are fair and just to your employees, promote teamwork, treat them with respect and benefit all equally, you have nothing to worry about it. If you are a selfish businessperson, greedy, disrespectful and only believe in your personal gains and never in the other families you help support;  good luck negotiating with the unions or get ready to close your doors. It’s a matter of self-justice to all and others, not only to you.  For more information, visit www.NLRB.gov.

See you next week.

THE NEW DEFINITION OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN THE CONSTITUTION…

YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT…….BUT BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU SAY?

It looks like we have to start changing the Constitution in terms of freedom of speech in this country. Apparently, expressing your opinion can cause a national catastrophe. You know what I am talking about. One of the best things of the Constitution is our freedom to speak, in favor or against anything; this is guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States. That said, we all recognize that a lot of people say stupid things, as it happened some weeks ago. The wrong words came out in the wrong place. That is a given. But, suggesting that someone should loose there livelihood for expressing an idea, no matter how stupid or idiotic, is even more stupid and it is a violation of the most important principle: LIBERTY OF SPEECH. Yes, you can agree or disagree, you can express you opposition to something that was said, which is the beauty of living in a democracy. Apparently some people don’t understand this and are so blind sighted that they are willing to put in front of a firing squad anyone that doesn’t agree with them. This is sad. When we come to this land we have an expectation of liberty, progress and the right to pursue happiness.  That we must respect at all times and without considering where we come from.  We should respect dissident opinions, or just ignore them. But one thing is clear, this country guarantees freedom of speech no matter how stupid or out of line, and if some of us cannot understand what that means, maybe we don’t deserve to live here.

Just think about a world where you only have to have it you way…….doesn’t that sound stupid?

Yes, try not to be offensive, but say what you want and respect the liberty of others to say what they want…even if you don’t agree with it. So, do you think we need to amend the Constitution? I think not.

So where are you in all of this?   See you next week.

Luis Lopez

I read an interesting article about how Hispanics want to be identified and the majority (51%), stated the preferred to be called by their country of origin, fair enough**. According to this article, the term “Hispanic” was officially adopted by Congress in 1976 as a law to collect the information of U.S. residents with Spanish-speaking country origins. The Office of Management and Budget added the term “Latino” in 1997. Even worse, someone stated that Puerto Ricans are not Hispanics. Sounds confusing? It is. Let’s see if we can make some sense of it.

First of all, if someone was born somewhere in the Western Hemisphere, you are an American, period. The United States is not America, it’s part of the Americas. Second, the word “Hispanic” as defined in the United States is correct. Third, according to the survey, Hispanics are very aware that you need to speak English if you want to be successful in this country. The most recent Census states that there are more Hispanics that speak English than ever before, but want the Spanish language to be part of their heritage. After all, we grew up speaking Spanish and bilingual persons are supposed to be “smarter than the rest” (NY Times, March 17^th 2012, Why Bilinguals Are Smarter by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee). Those that want to define Puerto Ricans as “Americans that speak Spanish” are reaffirming that they are in fact, Hispanics, according to the laws of the United States.

The next time you are involved in some kind of discussion, the correct way to address your identity would be: I am a (your country of origin) American (you were born in the Americas) who can speak English. Or just say I am Hispanic. It’s the same thing.

At the end, names are not important. It’s what the name represents and how to gain the respect of all who live in the Americas. That is the most important part. If you want respect, no matter who or what you are called, unity is the best way to obtain respect. Names are just names. See you next week

** (April 4, 2012 CBS http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/04/04/study-most-hispanics-prefer-describing-identity-from-familys-country-of-origin/)

 A sociologist considers the origin of the existential void to the extent that the individual finds limited its ‘will to meaning’ (Frankl) or natural search of a rationale for his life and the things that happen. Last week we talked about our society and how distant and disconnected are some people with  the rest of society. However, if we go by the definition described above, power, shame, lack of respect for others, consumerism, superficiality and little sense of community that exists is what has led us through time, producing this limitation of the will to meaning. Supposedly we are a country of laws but for whom? Who benefits from the laws? Is there equality? I think if there is equality, we would not speak of an existential void. We constantly strive in finding solutions and do not resolve most problems that plague our communities. Most people make and do what others do. However, the existential void remains and deepens, because the more you want to “fill”, the bigger it gets. Indeed, we are “victims of the system in doing what anyone else says” … Think about it … All systems point to a society that does what someone else says and the other agreements “hide” in an event called the elections. But in reality, you choose, and they do what they want, not for you or me, but for them. It has come to a point where one of the most important values in life is afected: family. You read in the press every day about death, murder, suicide, drugs, racism and other events denoting the existential emptiness of society caused by the interests of a few.
Psychologist Dr. Marco Eduardo Murueta believes that lasting change requires the implementation of other measures which involve society as a whole. For example, speaks of creating a new work culture in which the worker is seen  as a human being with emotions  needed in order to  live more with his family, not to mention the value that would help people learn to enrich and respect relationships, and to make intelligent use of emotions.
The philosopher and psychologist concluded that it would be useful for society to create “viable and also uplifting ways to reach the political arena, where debates are reduced to looking for ‘who is the worst.” I think that instead of this, we should begin to generate proposals as to the creation of “schools for parents’, where parents are taught how to deal with their problems and develop new educational models that make the kids be more participatory in their community, or by which couples learn to be better and work together in our workplaces. Yes there is possibility to make a difference, and although not easy, at least we must try. ”
That is why if we don’t work together, 99% of our existence is an existential void.

I will leave it there. Until next week.

EL VACÍO EXISTENCIAL DE UN PUEBLO

Dice un sociólogo que se puede considerar el origen del vacío existencial en la medida en que el individuo encuentre limitado su ‘voluntad de sentido’ (Frankl) o búsqueda natural de una razón de ser de su vida y de las cosas que ocurren. La semana pasada hablábamos de  nuestra sociedad y lo distantes y desconectados que están las personas con poder del resto de la sociedad.  Sin embargo , si nos dejamos llevar por la definición que describimos anteriormente, el poder, la afrenta , la falta de respeto a otros, el consumismo, la superficialidad  y el poco sentido de comunidad que tienen algunos es lo que nos ha llevado, a través del tiempo, a esta limitación de la voluntad de sentido. Supuestamente somos un país de leyes pero ¿Para quién? ¿Quiénes se beneficial de las leyes? ¿Existe la igualdad?  Creo que si la igualdad existiera, no tendríamos que hablar de un vacío existencial. Constantemente luchamos en la búsqueda de soluciones y no se resuelven la mayoría de los problemas que aquejan a nuestras comunidades.  La mayoría de las personas se conforman y hacen lo que los demás. Sin embargo, el vacío existencial permanece y se ahonda, pues mientras más se quiere “llenar”, más grande se hace. En verdad, somos “victimas del sistema de hacer lo que otro diga”…Piénsalo…Todos los sistemas apuntan a una sociedad que hace lo que otro dice y los acuerdos se “disimulan” en un evento llamado las elecciones. Pero en realidad, tú eliges, y ellos hacen lo que quieren, no es para ti ni para mí, sino para ellos. Ha llegado al extremo que el vacío afecta a la sociedad en su raíz más importante: La familia. Lees  en la prensa todos los días de muertes, asesinatos, suicidios, drogas, racismo y otros que denotan el vacío existencial de la sociedad causado por los intereses de unos pocos.

El psicólogo Dr. Marco Eduardo Murueta opina que un cambio duradero necesita de la realización de otras medidas que involucren a la sociedad en su conjunto. Por ejemplo, habla de crear una nueva cultura laboral en la que se contemple al trabajador como un ser humano con emociones que necesita convivir más con su familia, sin olvidar el valor que tendría ayudar a que las personas aprendan a establecer relaciones enriquecedoras y respetuosas, así como a hacer uso inteligente de sus emociones.

El filósofo y psicólogo concluye que sería de gran utilidad para toda la sociedad crear “alternativas viables y edificantes que alcancen también a la esfera política, en donde los debates se reducen a buscar ‘quién es el peor’. Considero que en vez de esto es posible empezar a generar propuestas como la creación de ‘escuelas para padres’, en donde se enseñe a los progenitores cómo enfrentar sus problemas, así como desarrollar nuevos modelos educativos que hagan que los chicos sean más participativos en su comunidad, o gracias a los cuales aprendamos a ser mejor pareja y a trabajar en equipo en nuestros centros laborales. Sí hay posibilidad de lograr un cambio, y aunque no es fácil, al menos podemos intentarlo”.

Es por esto que si no nos unimos todos, el 99% de nuestra existencia será un vacío existencial.

Te la dejo ahí. Hasta la semana que viene.

Cada vez más se nota en nuestra sociedad lo distantes y desconectados que están las personas con dinero y poder del resto de la sociedad.  El famoso 1% se nota mucho más, y su fuerza contra el 99% es cada vez más arrolladora. Ahora yo me pregunto, ¿Por qué sucede esto? La contestación puede interpretarse de varias formas:

1. El que comenzó sin nada, trabajó duro, fue justo con sus empleados y con su comunidad y a todos les ha servido con honor. Este merece disfrutar de sus riquezas al máximo. Se lo ganó de forma honorable. ¡Bravo por este!
2. El que lo heredó y siguió el ejemplo de la familia anterior. ¡Bravo también!
3. El que se ha hecho de dinero a través de la politiquería
4. El que en su afrenta y avaricia atropella a otros hasta sacarles la última gota de sangre y sudor, mientras sus arcas se llenan sin importar las consecuencias de los demás.

Como verán, hay dos clases de unoporcentistas, unos honorables y otros, no tanto. Si el mundo tuviera más ricos del tipo uno y dos, el mundo sería mejor. Desgraciadamente la mayoría de los ricos caen en las categorías tres y cuatro donde no hay consideración para el pobre del país. Lo único que les mueve es el dinero y viven solo pensando en como ganar más, a cualquier precio, destruyendo vidas oprimiendo a la sociedad sin ningún tipo de respeto por los seres humanos (aunque lo parezca) y lo peor de todo, se  acreditan el éxito que logran a través de sus influencias y no reconocen al que verdaderamente pasó el trabajo de conseguir el resultado. Nuestro mundo está lleno de estos “cerdos de la afrenta”. Debemos descubrirlos y denunciarlos.

Afortunadamente, el miedo del 99% está cambiando paulatinamente. Hace unos meses, no se hablaba del tema. Ahora hay todo un movimiento que continúa organizándose y definiendo las injusticias de los “riquitillos”. Algunos de estos ricos han comenzado a abrir los ojos y ver que el 99% tiene el mismo derecho de tener una vida decente. Aplaudimos estos esfuerzos. Si eres parte del 99%, escribe a tu congresista, al jefe opresor, al terrateniente que te trata como esclavo y haz vales tus derechos. El que tengas menos no debe hacerte diferente. Al contrario, tu puedes lograr todo porque estás dispuesto a trabajar, no a manipular, a abusar, comprar influencias  y politiquear. Tú vales, eres decente. Ellos, si no están dispuestos a considerar el 99%, seguirán siendo “los cerdos de la afrenta”

Piénsalo, te la dejo ahí hasta la próxima semana.