I stopped referring to Mexicans as "Hispanic" a long time ago.
Why? If you are from Mexico, you are Mexican—I don't even know what Hispanic is supposed to mean. [Well, at least not the way newly-elected LA Mayor Villar-rrrrrrraigosa seems to apply it…]
Hispania, from what I gather, is a part of the former Roman Empire, so it seems a bit unlikely that all Spanish speaking people in the U.S. are "Hispanic."
According to the U.S. Census Bureau there are more Hispanics [40+ million] living in the U.S. than the entire country of Spain so call me a skeptic if you must.
Besides, what is so bad about the label "Mexican" that it needs polishing??
And don't get me started on the "Latino" alternative. Talk about an indistinct ethnicity! Sort of like people who have never even seen the African wing of their local museum let alone the continent yet they are considered "African."
If one is from Peru, one is Peruvian not Latino. If one is from Cleveland, one is American not African.
[Is it sacrilege to suggest I might be channeling the spirit of Sam Francis?]
What I am getting at is this: Can't we just call a spade a spade? Can't we for once shelve the PC window-dressing and tag people for what they really are?
For example:
[VDARE.COM note: A high proportion of our readers are either Right-To-Life or Irish nationalists. All complaints should be addressed to Miss Bevens directly].
Earlier this week an Amber Alert was issued for two missing children in Arizona.
According to AP [Two children missing from Arizona home Grandparents, uncle found dead at site southeast of Phoenix, 7/11/05]
"Eighteen-month-old Bryan Cervantes and his 3-year-old sister, Jennifer, were believed to be with their father, Rodrigo Cervantes Zavala, who may have been headed for Mexico, officials with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said."
AZCentral.com describes Cervantes as an "undocumented construction worker." [June 11, 2005]
And just to add insult to injury, if Cervantes makes it across the border all hope for justice is lost. Mexico will not extradite him back to Arizona to face charges if the death penalty is sought.
If we do not seek the death penalty for triple homicide and kidnapping on a man with a history of violent crimes, on whom can we reasonably seek it?
Umm, see "religious fundamentalists" comment above because—no he isn't!!
When I last checked, there were 182 related news stories on this topic. While most were the reproduction of a single AP article, none of them described Cervantes with any accuracy.
But he was consistently described as an "undocumented construction worker."
Here's another example from yesterday's Los Angeles Times: Killing of Toddler Hostage in Shoot-Out Probed by Alicia Wittmeyer and Richard Winton 7-11-05].
This is a story about a 34 year-old man named Jose Raul Pena who fired 50 rounds from a 9 mm pistol at police officers while holding his 19 month-old daughter in front of him as a human shield.
Both father and daughter were killed in this tragedy and an LAPD officer was shot and taken to a local hospital.
The LA Times article focuses, of course, on whether law enforcement used an appropriate amount of force during the stand-off.
However, in nearly 1200 words, Wittmayer and Winston neglected to mention that Pena was an illegal alien. [Ask their ombudsman, and Michael Kinsley, why not.]
(I learned it from Fox News's Bill O'Reilly during his Talking Points on Monday night.)
Of course, Pena's status does not make the death of a little girl any more or less terrible—but that doesn't mean it is irrelevant.
Why were these facts overlooked?
My guess:
BECAUSE THE MSM IS NOT WILLING TO PUBLISH THE TRUTH ABOUT ILLEGAL ALIENS!!
(While we're on the subject, were we ever permitted to learn the legal status of Manuel Alvarez, the Glendale train derailer?) [VDARE.COM NOTE: One reporter says that he's a US citizen, like, say Michael Corleone was in the movie.]
Yes, there are a certain number of illegal aliens who migrate to the U.S. in search of work. But a significant number of them are just good old-fashioned criminals.
(I could get technical here and describe all illegal immigrants as criminals—based solely on their not-exactly-lawful mode of entry. But I feel like throwing the Raza folks a bone tonight. Hey, I'm a giver.)
I remember reading a quote from a pro-immigration writer who said that just because a politician showed up at mariachi festivals "to munch tacos and say 'buenos días,'" it didn't mean he understood the Hispanic community.
Well, just because an illegal alien is employed doesn't mean he isn't a criminal.
The MSM might want to look into it.
Bryanna Bevens [email her] is a political consultant and former chief of staff for a member of the California State Assembly.
