Answering the phone WAS: Licensing snafu

[Bill Akers]

John Esak wrote:
>>second and third generation Hispanics. I know second and third
>>generation Americans of Hispanic origin who speak English as well as
>>anyone and would expect the historical patterns to hold given time.
>>
>>Ron
>>
> 
> 
> I would guess that some historical patterns will hold and reoccur, but other
> influences, such as instant communication and new mediums and media every
> day are changing things. 
> 
> There is great cultural significance in 1st generation and 2nd wanting to
> divest themselves of their language and customs and become *Americans*. This
> precise goal is what, I think, has been lost. I spent most of my youth being
> extremely left wing, extremely liberal, and extremely naïve. I spent many
> cold and hungry days going to Washington, DC to march for the rights of
> black people. Nothing upsets me more these days when I see all the work and
> effort and pain and grief and spirit I put into that cause going to waste,
> to find that now, these people want to be "black" Americans, not Americans.
> This is the crux of the splintering factor that is going to destroy the
> great melting pot. It is happening within the Mexican crisis. They want to
> be Mexican Americans....

We have a large percentage, likely 50%, of our workers that are 
Mexican and speak primarily Mexican(not necessarily Spanish). Most 
of the workers are learning to speak American English, however they 
are certainly slowed down in learning English by the large number of 
their co-workers that speak the same primary language that they do, 
but most are coming around slowly. It is less often that a 
bi-lingual(Mexican) person is needed to interface with a worker who 
speaks no English(in theory). Actually, as to the hyphenated 
version, (i.e. Italian-American, etc.) that was a very prevalent 
description of the first generation of Italian immigrants who became 
citizens, according to my son-in-law's father who is second 
generation, but speaks English as a primary language and just barely 
speaks Italian, but does understand it quite well I gather. He in 
fact, as well as his son's are quick to inform one that they are 
full blooded Sicilian. The hyphenation was a way of maintaining ties 
to the old country although there was no intention of returning. The 
  situation with the Mexican/South Americans is a little different 
because, of the ones I have talked to, almost all expect to return 
permanently to their home country some day, although reality is that 
once they are used to this way of life it won't be willingly for most.

> Our parents and theirs did not want to be Irish
> Americans, Italian Americans and so on... true, that is what they are, but
> ask *any* one of them who and what they are, and to a person they will say
> "I am an American"... and they will be so proud of that
> fact/achievement/standing.  Ask most blacks today even the most
> free-thinking of them and they will undoubtedly call themselves black
> Americans. It almost makes me regret all the fighting and pain I went
> through on behalf of that cause. (almost... I said...)  Would I do it all
> again, knowing what I know now?  I don't think so. I never wanted a
> splintered, sectional America. I thought I was fighting for equality and
> unanimity, not Al Sharpton or Oprah's viewpoint of we are black and we are
> separate.... and nothing you can ever do will change that. Well, they seem
> to be right about that... and are actively perpetuating it.
> 
> Give me back the time when I could just say Bill Cosby is a brilliant, funny
> man, without having to say Bill Cosby is a brilliant, funny black man. He at
> least, I know, would want the former and not the latter.

Being raised a Southern white boy, it took a tour of duty in the 
Navy and exposure to different cultures to convince me that the way 
of life I was raised in did no one a good turn. I didn't get 
involved in any of the activities you describe, but I cannot believe 
I ever failed to hire or help someone because of ethnicity or 
attempted to cause harm to someone because of ethnicity. I have seen 
the situation in the country, including the South, go from almost 
everyone trying to be, as you point out, only an American to the 
current militant atmosphere where everything, including enforcement 
of laws, is looked at as an attempt to hurt some hyphenated group or 
to make a point to some hyphenated group or suppress some hyphenated 
group. It is actually somewhat disheartening to think that 50 years 
of effort has lead us to this point.


Bill Akers