PLATFORM : We’re Not the Enemy

As a Hispanic-American, what I found disturbing was the little amount of press that the more than 200 Mexican-American businesses that were burned (received). I noticed that the Korean-Americans (whose businesses were burned) received a lot of press for that, and yes, the burning was unfortunate.

Some black businesses were respected when they had signs that read “black-owned,” but I’m not aware of any businesses being respected that said “brown-owned.” And my black American friends, I want to hear their voices; I want to hear them adamantly disturbed about that because Mexican-Americans, who are almost the majority in the county of Los Angeles, are still not getting their due, simply because we come from a culture of people of passivity. I mean, wrong is wrong. Black Americans should realize that Latinos suffer from the same problems that they’re angry about, and we’re angry, too. But burning the few businesses that hard-working Hispanics have made and have given to that community really upsets me no end. And I want to hear the Arsenio Halls and the Jesse Jacksons say that it was wrong. Hispanic-Americans have marched with black Americans, we have fought along side them. This is also not to imply that only blacks burned Mexican-American businesses; unfortunately Mexican-American gang members themselves looted, and that’s akin to shooting yourself in the foot. That’s a scene that really disturbed me.

Mexican-Americans are sorely, sorely needing a leader. We need a Henry Cisneros to come back out of retirement, wherever the hell he is, and educate us. We don’t have someone to rally us.