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