"La Raza" = The Race... right?
Well that would be what pretty much every conservative talking point dittohead is spouting these last few days. She is a member of "La Raza" which means "the race" that must mean that theya are a racist organization... right?
They have also been saying that the motto is "Por La Raza todo. Fuera de La Raza nada" ("For the race everything, outside the race nothing"); As well as the idea that they support "Reconquista" which is the idea that some southwestern US territory should be returned to Mexico.
So let's set the record straight!
- Latinos & Hispanics are not a single race and therefore they don't use the word "raza" to directly mean race as in skin color. They are referring to "the people" and not "the race" as the dittoheads are saying.
- The Motto "Por La Raza todo. Fuera de La Raza nada" belonged to a 60s/70s radical Mexican/American student organization which did believe in returning land to Mexico. This group is not "La Raza" and has no affiliation with "La Raza". This group was known as "M.E.Ch.A." (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan).
- La Raza is not a Mexican organization but rather an organization for all Latinos in this country similar to the NAACP. I'm sure that there are many who are not always fans of the NAACP, I don't think there are many of sound mind who would claim that they are racist because their name doesn't say "& we don't hate white people too".
The craziness over aspects like "La Raza" are litterally drivining me nuts and by the way and not that this is important at all; I am a 30 something year old white guy.
Advertisement
From Dictionary.com:
la ra⋅za /lɑˈrɑsɑ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [lah-rah-sah] Show IPA
(sometimes initial capital letters) Spanish. 1. (used with a plural verb) Mexican Americans collectively.
2. (used with a singular verb) Mexican-American culture.
La Ra·za (lä rä'sä)
n. Mexicans or Mexican Americans considered as a group, sometimes extending to all Spanish-speaking people of the Americas.
[American Spanish, the people.]
June 2, 2009 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Interesting. So is Astral's comment.
June 2, 2009 12:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks Astral.. I think we have to go with "American Spanish, the people" since the group "La Raza" isn't a Mexican focused organization. My wife (parents from Colombia) has a couple of cousins who are lawyers and work with La Raza and are completely not focused on anything that is specifically Mexican at all. They are all focused on overall advancement for Latinos/Hispanics here in the U.S.; it's as simple as that.
June 2, 2009 1:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's difficult to even try to ponder the irrationality, inconsistency, and hypocrisy of the wingnut right. Are we now to assume that every ethnic organization, such as Polish-American supper clubs, Italian-American fraternal organizations, group that organize Oktoberfest celebrations, etc., are all fronts for rabid, racist, radical groups?
June 2, 2009 2:49 PM | Reply | Permalink