Mexican-American,

Unfortunately, it appears that for most people part of the human condition is to make themselves feel better at the expense of others. It happens here, Mexico, EVERYWHERE. "Imagine all the people living life in peace".
I have taught English as a second language for 16 years and continue to do so, and I have NEVER heard anyone refer to any of my black students born in Africa, living in the US (and not a naturalized citizen) as an African-American. If they choose US citizenship, they may also choose how they want to call themselves.
My parents were born and raised in Mexico, and referred to black people as negroes. Today ALL my Mexican students refer to them as morenos or morenitos. That's what my parents called me (con carino), because they were so white, and I wasn't. But they NEVER meant that I was black. It's also interesting that you indicated that you "feel American", because none of my Mexican students ever refer to themselves as such. My mother was an educator in Mexico, and became a naturalized US citizen, but she always referred to herself as Mexicana. She became a US citizen in order to work within the system and help change things she saw as injustices. She was quite successful. My father, on the other hand was apolitical.

"Oh beautiful, for SPACIOUS skies, for amber waves of grain..." It's not an easy song to sing. Alice

--- mnavarrovillalobos@yahoo.com.mx wrote:

From: victorianonavarro
To: research@lists.nuestrosranchos.org
Subject: Re: [Nuestros Ranchos] Mexican-American,
Date: Sat, 12 May 2007 23:49:36 -0700 (PDT)

Hi Emilie, Linda, Efrain;
A few thoughts on your messages.
I'll have to say when I was living in the USA I felt l was part of the most unwelcome group in América:
For Blacks I was White; for Whites I was Latino; for Latinos I was Mexican; for Mexicans I was Chilango; and for Chilangos I was, well... another Chilango.
Part of my problem with US racial designations is why should I use the "politically correct" term "African-American" to describe black people when most of my black fiends and my roomate were not American at all. I remember I once saw somebody on a TV program (I think it was Jay Leno's wife, at Jay Leno's Tonight Show, NBC) who was talking about Human Rigths violations, and she mentioned the apartheid against "African-Americans" in South Africa, I could not believe what I was listening to! (black Africans are NOT African-American).
I do know many US citizens of Mexican descent, a big chunk of my family has lived in the US for over a century and we stay in touch and see each other whenever possible.
Náhuatl was just one of the many languages spoken in what we now call Mexico, and if it happened to be predominant it was only because it was the language of the Mexica Conquerors, later it ws replaced by the Spanish of the Spaniard Conquerors. Eventually the whole identity of the country focused in the Mexicas since the name of the country itself and our national flag have Aztec origins, but sometimes we forget the Aztecs were defeated thanks to the help of the Tlaxcaltecas and other local tribes who fought with the Spaniards against against the Aztec Conquerors.
Yes, the official name of our coutry is "Estados Unidos Mexicanos", part of the fad of naming everithing "United" just like the original US of A: United Kingdom, Unted Arab Emirates, United Nations, USSR. In many official documents it is also called República Mexicana, and strangely in international affairs the government doesn't use the official name of the country, but just México instead: in the United Nations, Olympics, Football World Cup, etc.
I like to sing in English "Oh beautiful, for precious skies, for amber waves of grain...!", but when I sing it, I sing it to my whole América, of which I am very proud. And I take offense when people form other continets speak aginst Americans, for although I know they are talking about the US for whatever reason, as a Mexican I feel American.
It seem to me our "Americanicity" has been taken hostage by the USA, and for me the term Mexican-American is not just redundant, but another way to keep it so. For we Mexicans, are Americans, and being the first one automatically means you are the second one.
I once read that the border is a culture between two cultures. I guess within a family of Mexican descent i the US some may feel like they live in this cultural border. Some closer to one side, some closer to the other, some just stuck in between. As far as I am concerned, you are always welcome in my side of the cultural border
Saludos cordiales.
VN