I am writing in reference to the letter to the editor from Nov. 2 entitled "Hispanics are now seen as white".
First of all, I think it is very important to clarify the misconception that Latinos/Hispanics represent a racial group. Latinos can be white, black, indigenous or a blend. The "white/non-Hispanic" category on the Census reflects this reality. While light-skinned Latinos may be able to assimilate more easily, the same is not true for black and indigenous Latinos, which represent the majority of Latinos in this country.
Personally, I don't see any strong evidence that Latinos are assimilating. In fact, what I see is a growing number of Latinos and continued immigration into the United States from Latin America and the Caribbean that will serve to strengthen the culture and the language.
To say that, "Hispanics have immigrated and assimilated to the point of joining the American mainstream" is to totally negate past and present history of the United States which is filled with examples of racism towards Latinos
In the present, evidence exists that clearly demonstrates that racism towards Latinos is still alive and well in this country. These examples include Proposition 187 in California, the resumed bombing of Vieques, Puerto Rico with complete disregard to the lives and the environment of Puerto Ricans, vigilante groups in the Arizona border menacing both legal and undocumented Mexicans and the growing number of incidents of vigilantes in NY State beating up Latinos as they walk the streets on their way to work.
Unfortunately, most of what we know about Latinos today comes from the media and from the entertainment world. To say that we understand Latinos from watching Ricky Martin is like saying that we understand blacks by watching the Cosby show. Most people in the United States have never had the opportunity to take a course about Latino history because Latinos have been historically excluded from the curriculum. I invite the Tufts community to come by the Latino Center to read books about the real history of Latinos in this country. The history is not pretty and it certainly isn't welcoming.
Rub?©n Salinas Stern
Director of the Latino Center
