Thanks,
Liliana

On a hot June day in a Colombian fast food joint in Queens, I expressed my preference for a mocha over a cafesito colombiano con leche.

“You a little bit kinda white.”

On another occasion, I explained I was doing research for my masters degree and what cultural anthropology was all about.

“Now Colombia has everything. Cause there’s some niggers, charcoal niggers. … And then there’s white girls. I know some Colombian white girls. And then there’s us, tanned.”

A youth explains to me the diversity that developed in Colombia since the slaves were brought over, resulting in a mixed Colombian culture.

All of these statements were made by young Colombian Americans growing up in New York City. They vary in skin color from dark to light. They vary in academic achievement from dropout to NYU scholarship recipient. They know what it means to break a stereotype and the pain of being made into one. They proved this to me over and over throughout the course of my research. Yet, they make racial associations that cause a social scientist’s eyebrows to go up.

Ghetto behavior and African American alleged “self-sabotage” are hot topics these days. Cosby is ranting and educated blacks are calling for the end of affirmative action. I found much African American influence among this group of Hispanic youth, perhaps more so than white American. Some social scientists, politicians, leaders and others would have you believe that such counterculture minority behavior leads to downward mobility among new immigrants and minorities into the dreaded, so-called underclass.

There was no malignancy in calling me white, however. In fact, I was often a good example of why you should do well in school. There was no condemnation of “being charcoal.” Mestizaje and being tanned are sources of pride. The phrases above do reveal how deeply the race issue remains embedded in the American psyche (and elsewhere in the world for that matter). Race still plays a significant role, which only supports the continued need for anti-racism and affirmative action programs. Yes, things have changed, but no, we are not finished with this project to create color full, democratic societies.

These youth refer to the civil rights movement when discussing social change and political rights for new immigrants. They find self-esteem and positive self-identification in reppin’ for Colombia and New York City. African American behaviors and values far from being self-destructive, are in fact sources of inspiration and empowerment.

These cries over self-sabotage and self-destruction must be seen for what they are: mechanisms to disguise a new insipid form of racism.”They are destroying themselves, therefore we are not to blame.” Can we really blame children, or even adults, who have been so indoctrinated with the “white = success” (= intelligent) and “black = failure” (= primitive) paradigm for committing acts of self-destruction? Are brainwashed child soldiers responsible for the acts of atrocity they commit? Hardly. The comparison is perhaps extreme, but the idea is similar.

Education and awareness are the tools for pushing the necessary changes further. The point should not be to eliminate color or racial or ethnic identifications. The point is to value such identifications as equal to “white” (i.e. WASP), to value the differences, to respect the Other. The point is to erase the majority-minority dichotomy and recognize a horizontal continuum.

Academics and other elite have much to learn from those closer to the bottom of the so-called social ladder. I found more open-mindedness among a group of working class minority youth than in many elite circles. It is time to stop postulating and listen to the youth who survive and thrive under tougher circumstances than many of us, writing their own scripts, breaking the boundaries imposed on them.

Well St. Nick is of course also the basis for Santa Claus, Father Christmas and more. Inquisitive Dutch minds however cannot understand why Santa brings presents on Christmas. After all, Sint was a generous man who on his own birthday gave gifts to poor children and that is the “historical” basis for gift-giving. And duh of course his birthday was on Dec. 5th!

I can’t seem to convince some Dutch though that Santa and Sint are manifestations of the same myth. “Those silly Americans have messed it all up!” Curious, I looked up St. Nicholas and discovered that his feast day is December 6th. So besides the red and the fur and the little helpers, Santa and Sint also share that “night before” thing, since Dec 5th is the eve of St. Nicholas’s feast day.

Now having been raised Catholic I know that a saint’s feast day is like a birthday and has historically been celebrated in a similar fashion. If you are named for a saint, you may even be congratulated on that day, in addition to your actual birthday. At least I have some distance memories of such things happening in my South American family. Not named for saint myself, I sadly missed out on this extra birthday.

So apparently the sober, Calvinist Dutch have morphed a Catholic icon (the irony is too good to be true) into a central childhood belief. But it is also quite apparent that even adults haven’t quite realized that the performance of Sint is make believe, just a story. Eventually kids realize Santa is make believe, but Sint is somehow “real,” an example of make belief performance.

What I find amazing is that an old white man with his goofy black sidekicks can convince a modern, well-educated nation to believe such a lie. Oh, but wait we have an even bigger and dumber example!! George Jr. was re-elected. Sigh. Powell, African American and popular among the people, presented the now infamous lie, doing the dirty work for his venerable boss. “Here, here what an exquisite performance. Well done, well done.” Come now Condoleeza, you’re all alone now. Take center stage. Your adoring fans await.

People of the world, it is time to stop accepting those lies wrapped up in pretty packages. Read between the lines of those tired old scripts. Embody truths. Embody the Other.