Six Words

It was asked in class to say six words that related to race and encompassed your sentiments as much as possible. I said, "Don't call me Latino. I'm Mexican." I think it is still important that the distinction be made. After coming up with my six words I remembered watching a program where they were interviewing a Mexican comedian named Paul Rodriguez, and he recalled how many Mexican and Mexican American entertainers were perplexed that a new major television show entitled Chico and the Man starred a Puerto Rican in the main role as a Mexican when their were already competent and trained Mexican entertainers that could have filled the role. This trend of seeing Cubans, and Puerto Ricans as adequate to fill the role of a Mexican, excludes the Mexican. Whereas in shows like the Sopranos, it appears that the creators go out of their way to find authentic Italians and Italian Americans to feel the roles of Italian characters in the show. The same can be said of altered lowrider vehicles as they are more commonly associated with black entertainment and hip hop when there original incarnation was the result of the Chicano movement.

While my example may be occurring only in the world of entertainment, I feel it still establishes a practice of exclusion and as discussions in class have illustrated, media is a powerful tool at shaping how we view ourselves, others, and the world at large. I think it would be reasonable to ask why this occurs. Is it because Cubans are more readily embraced by the US establishment as the establishment looks to send a political statement to the communist regime in Cuba, and thereby exclude the Mexican artist? Does the establishment more readily embrace Puerto Ricans because Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the US and Mexico is seen as merely that problem to the south? Do white business men lack the respect and knowledge of the Chicano movement and its contributions to this culture and simply label it a hip hop style solely for profit? Is it a trend and practice that only I see?