| Just how old is this rampage? Where did it | | | | reputation for pervasive sensuality ... |
| come from? Is today's Minuteman Project, and | | | | Adding to all this was the Anglo-Saxon's |
| programs like it, the innovation of clever, | | | | contempt for a people who had lowered |
| brilliant, and "original" thinkers who would | | | | themselves to a state of general cohabitation |
| convince you their mission is to "Save | | | | with the Indians and had thus forfeited the |
| America"? Or, is some of this rampaging the | | | | right to be considered "white." (Robinson, |
| result of something else? | | | | 1977)"[3] |
| | | | |
| Could some of today's rampaging be the result | | | | What do you think of that last clause "and |
| of "some" people squeezing facts and figures | | | | had thus forfeited the right to be considered |
| (alleged proof) into a mold of a personal | | | | "white"? Interesting, isn't it? |
| bias-no matter the veracity or legitimacy of | | | | |
| that bias? | | | | Therefore, this demonization of the Mexican |
| | | | justified in the minds of the American |
| Americans against Mexicans rampaging began in | | | | imperialists that it was ok to take what did |
| the years following Mexico's hard-earned | | | | not belong to America. |
| independence from Spain in 1821. As more | | | | |
| Americans began forays into Mexico, they | | | | French scholar Marcienne Rocard wrote this: |
| encountered members of a society for which | | | | |
| they had (Oh my, shall I say the "X"-word?) | | | | "Everything about Mexican-Americans went |
| held not just Xenophobic attitudes but | | | | against the American mentality," she wrote, |
| downright bigoted contempt. | | | | "...everything thus reinforced the pioneer |
| | | | writers' sense of superiority and encouraged |
| It was American's xenophobic hatred for | | | | them to look down upon the Other and see him |
| Mexico that set the eventual stage for | | | | as nothing more than a 'greaser'" (Rocard, |
| America's imperialistic designs for the | | | | 1989). Weber, in his analysis of the |
| thievery of the property of a sovereign | | | | development of stereotypes, reflected on the |
| nation-Mexico. It was also American's | | | | same genre of American literature and |
| xenophobic hatred that aided them in the | | | | concluded that "Mexicans were described as |
| demonization of Mexico to justify in their | | | | lazy, gambling, cruel, sinister, cowardly, |
| hearts and minds their rationale for simply | | | | half-breeds" (Weber, 1979).[4] |
| stealing what did not belong to them-Mexico's | | | | |
| Sovereign land. | | | | What will the current rampage (demonization) |
| | | | of Mexicans bring in the 21st Century? I just |
| "Several scholars have written on the subject | | | | wonder what the leaders of today's rampage |
| of American attitudes toward Mexicans during | | | | (demonization) have up their sleeves. |
| the mid-nineteenth century and these studies, | | | | |
| taken together, illuminate the evolution of a | | | | Someone once said, "Past behavior is often |
| set of ideas that justified the actions of | | | | predictive of future actions." I just wonder. |
| the U.S. against Mexico and that supported | | | | |
| the belief in the inferiority of Mexicans as | | | | Don't you? |
| a race."[2] | | | | |
| | | | Disclaimer |
| Isn't that how it always ends up with an | | | | |
| imperialist power? They go through the | | | | I do not believe that every person, without |
| rampaging (demonization) process against a | | | | exception, who wants to close the borders, is |
| people, (from whom the imperialist want to | | | | un-American or holds a xenophobic position. I |
| take something) until that people is so | | | | do feel that there is credible evidence that |
| demonized that everyone in the imperialist | | | | "some" who lead "some" of these |
| nation becomes convinced that he has the | | | | "let's-close-the-border groups", who are in |
| "right" to take what is not his. | | | | the limelight of this controversy, do not |
| | | | have altruistic motives that could be |
| Here is how America did it with Mexico before | | | | characterized as holding a racist position. |
| and during the Mexican-American war: | | | | Sadly, I think that there are those who have |
| | | | been hurt by evil people who happened to be |
| "Pioneer America could find little to approve | | | | Mexican who were illegally in America-just |
| of in the Mexican society it collided with, | | | | like the hundreds of thousands of Americans |
| being affronted in all its major convictions | | | | who fall victim to evil criminals who |
| by Mexican attitudes, real and alleged. | | | | happened to be Americans of all colors and |
| Americans, in their Protestant individualism, | | | | stripes each year . |
| in their ideas of spirit and hard work, in | | | | |
| their faith in progress through technology, | | | | [1] See my last column: An Old, Old Theme: |
| in their insistence upon personal hygiene, in | | | | Xenophobic Americans |
| Puritanism and racial pride, found Mexico | | | | |
| much to their distaste because of its | | | | [2] EXPERT REPORT OF ALBERT M. CAMARILLO |
| priestly power, its social stratification | | | | Gratz, et al. v. Bollinger, et al., No. |
| with a pronounced sense of caste, its | | | | 97-75321(E.D. Mich.) Grutter, et al. v. |
| apparent devotion to pleasure and its | | | | Bollinger, et al., No. 97-75928 (E.D. Mich. |
| indifference to cleanliness, and its | | | | |