I was working on my metal journey blog entry. Then I made the mistake of checking my social media. Before I knew it, I was in a dumb argument with another Latina claiming that "Nazis" don't exist anymore. My comment was left days ago on a Wearmitu Instagram post yet this person felt the need to argue and sway every single commenter to their ignorance. I should have left it alone. Like Natsu from Fairy Tail I was "fired up." Like Natsu I will stand for justice.
Here is a clip of what I quoted in case the reader has never seen the anime Fairy Tail.
Let's address el elefante in the room that no one wants to talk about, racism found in our cultura. In addition, to the alarming number of Latinos who are suddenly siding with fascism and Nazis. When I say, "Nazi" I don't mean someone who upset you and you called them a name. I don't mean the person who feels guilty for their White Privilege while still saying racist things. An example: In high school I didn't qualify for any scholarships even though I am Latino because I lived in a "rich" county in Illinois. When I told someone that, they said, "Well it's because you're better off than someone in Chicago." What does that even mean, person who lives in a mansion with their parents in Itasca while my Dad only made 30 grand a year. Implying that Latinos can only live in a city and not in a suburb. People throw the word "nazi" around, but don't understand the meaning. What I mean is anyone who idolizes Hitler, is a Holocaust denier, or hates Jews. It's pretty simple to me. The most American thing we can all do is punch a Nazi in the face or at the very least not give them any attention. Shut them down immediately. These people see anyone not fully White as inferior. But yes, sucking up to Nazis is what will give you immense power?! Not!
I will begin by saying that I am a White Latina. I am Mestiza. I am proud of both my lines. For more information on my ancestry please see my previous blog post on my Latinidad. I cannot speak about the Afro-Latino experience or any other types of Latinos. That's not who I am. What I can speak about is the racist comments that Latinos constantly say and think it's normal. Don't let centuries of colonialism brainwash you like it did with me. Racism is still racism. I had to learn about my own racist ways when I said something I deeply regretted to a friend all because of a lie and hearsay. It made me want to examine how I was raised. What I could do, to undo all the years of toxic comments made by my Mom's and Dad's family.
Growing up, I was constantly made fun for my ADHD, reading too much, loving comics, fantasy and science-fiction. You know, being a nerd. I constantly came home crying. I was sick of being bullied for having interests. I made it my mission to always be kind, but take no shit. I was a quiet kid until I couldn't take it anymore. The rage I kept bottled up, came out. I was constantly given detention for defending myself. I was no longer silent. I turned into a passionate, human rights defending teenager. I then discovered feminism through the writings of Mary Wollstonecraft and Virginia Woolf. Is it any wonder I love grindcore so much? Their literature has influenced me for the rest of my life.
Kathy make your point? What does your upbringing, taste in literature or music have anything to do with racism? I'm getting to that. Trust the process. It's all connected!
And that is, that White people are not the only ones capable of stomping all over human rights! All humans are prejudiced. It is our nature to categorize and put objects or people into groups. Then those groups will fight for resources and make up lies about other groups of people to scare others. It's all just fear tactics. Now you know why I call myself a changeling and am a misanthropist. Humans suck. We should study history. Not glorify it. Humans keep committing the same damn mistakes instead of learning from it. I don't want to say that I am better than everyone else. Because I am not. I am still learning. I still make a lot of mistakes. But I have made it my mission while I am alive to call out hypocrisy and to fight for human rights.
Below are some comments made to me or observations:
1. "Tenemos que mejora la raza". Translation: "We need to improve our race."
What race?! We don't have a race. That is why on the census is says White-Non Latino. Black Non- Latino. Asian-Non Latino. Native- Non-Latino. We are a hodgepodge of cells and cultures. This quote comes from Colonial times when being paler was seen as better. I think it's absolutely despicable that my brother is considered "lesser" because he has more melanin than I do.
2. On other side of the spectrum being called a "gringa," "blancita," "race traitor," and "acting white" because I like nerdy things. I didn't ask to be born a medium fair or cool neutral. That's just what I am. Let me get my magical wand that fast forwards to summer so I am the correct shade of brown for you. Being that I am part White, I am not betraying anyone. I date people who see me as a human and that I find attractive. That's it.
3. My Mother said this to me when I started dating, "No me triagas un Negro a la casa." Translation: Don't bring a Black man to my house. It's not rocket science. This is racism. So for all the social justice warriors who say, "Minorities are not capable of being racist"; spend a day with my Mother and you'll change your mind. Also, please see all the gangs wars in La Villita and Lawndale. Latinos fighting Blacks. Or calling each other slurs. It's stupid. You're all humans living Chicago.
4. Too often I hear South Americans saying they're not Latino. I shit you not. I am not making this up. At my old apartment building, my neighbor was from Argentina asked me what I was. I said Latino, Mexican, Mestiza. He said, "You're not Latino. You're Mediterranean like me." "Sir, I have zero Italian or Greek ancestry in me, therefore I am not Mediterranean," I replied. I understand that the events in Chile, Argentina, and Venezuela has made you all flee. Since we're discussing human rights, let talk about centuries of dictatorship, murder, false imprisonment, freedoms of speech being denied, starvation, and forced pregnancies. I don't fault South Americans for wanting to leave. But, now many South American have to prove how European they think they are to get a European passport. In turn, this action only reenforces the colonial narrative that "White is right". It doesn't change the fact that you and your ancestors lived and raised children in Latin America. You are Latino. I am related to royalty and I don't call myself a princess. That's like people who say that Arwen and Aragorn are cousins. They are not. 62 human generations and only one was half Elf. Whereas Arwen is full Elf because her Mother was a full Elf. Only Elrond is half. Do any of you know how biology or history works?!
5. This one really takes the cake. I only discovered this because NSBM is a joke to me. NSBM stands for National Socialist Black Metal. For those that do not listen to metal, black metal is a genre of extreme metal that was started in Sweden and Norway. Real black metal is about nihilism, nature, and antireligion. None of those topics have anything to do with fascism or hating Jews. Hating on monotheism, I understand that. Because monotheism is a cancer to this world in my opinion. I still respect Jews, Muslims, and Christians because they have as much right to exist and live in peace. I can separate my disdain for religion and my need to defend human rights. But there are people who claim to call themselves "indigenous" and write music about how Jews are going to take over the world and replace them. Excuse me?! It was European colonizers who killed the Indigenous people of the Americas. Not Jews. Take your hate somewhere else. It is misplaced. Guess where these bands are from? Some are from Mexico. The rest are from South America.
6. I will always identify as Latino or "Hispanic" because my ancestors are from Spain and other European countries. I understand why people do not like that word especially if they're Black Latino, Asian Latino, or Indigenous Latino. The same can be said about the word Latinx. Let Latinos choose what they want to be called. No one else should make the titles. I'm genderfluid and I still hate the word Latinx because it was not made by us. I've asked many of my queer, nonbinary, and trans Latino friends their opinions of the word Latinx and we all hate it. Do not speak for us, if you are not Latino.
7. I don't watch novellas. They're too much for me. Everyone is always crying or screaming. Miss me with that. Why does everyone look like me or Ryan?! Would it kill Univision, Telemundo, or Televisa to use different types of Latinos in novellas or their media? We don't all look the same! Same goes for Hollywood. Quit typecasting the same actors. How sad is it, that it took until last year for the Addams family to be the Latino family they've always been. Can you imagine being a Latino goth girl reading and watching the Addams Family only to have them all be whitewashed? Because for some reason, American media doesn't think that different types of Latinos exist either. As a little girl I wanted to see more people who looked like me, acted like me, and dressed like me. This is why representation matters!!! Nothing against the gorgeous Eva Green or any of the previous actors in previous incarnations, but now it's our time to shine.
8. If I have to see another TikTok on Instagram about why as a Latino this person cannot marry out of their culture I'm going to go find them and slap them. Yes, you can! You just don't want to! Because you are racist. I was raised by my Dad's friends who were Russian, Polish, and Ukrainian and I can assure you that they also party until the crack of dawn. Not to mention, they have an area for sleeping kids at their parties. Likewise, Filipinos also have sleeping kids at their parties. And our foods are similar and very tasty thanks to the Spanish taking over the island. I've made tamales and pozole and all my friends pitched in. Because food crosses cultures and borders. Do you like to eat? Cool. That's the only requirement I have. Many of my friends who are half Latino have had the same experiences that I have. And my friends that are half-Latino and Asian or half-Latino and Black or half-Latino and White speak better Spanish than I do. Both my parents were born and raised in Mexico yet I still speak Spanglish. I think that's awesome. Shouldn't we want our kids to know many languages? Let's not be like my royal ancestors on my Dad's side and continue marrying their siblings and cousins. That's how we get inbreeding! That's how I have so many rare diseases. So maybe, just maybe don't be a racist p.o.s.
9. I hope and pray to the Gods and science that if I have kids they won't forget that their grandparents are Mexican. I cannot stand 4th and 5th generation Latinos who forget that their ancestors came to the United States to achieve a better life and now vote against legal immigration. These ungrateful bastards are spitting in the face of their ancestors. I want to see them pack their whole life away in a backpack and go to another country where they don't understand the language. See, how fast they come running back home. In addition, I hope my kids know that they can marry anyone they love regardless of race, sex, or identity.
10. My Mother used to limit my play time outside so I could stay pale. That's fucked up! I agree. Meanwhile my brother could do whatever he wanted because he's darker than I am. She would also make me walk around with an umbrella or slather so much spf that I looked like the moon from the show, "Mighty Boosh." It's a British show so it's not politically correct. So please don't breathe down my throat about it. As always use your discretion.
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