WARNING: The opinions expressed in this megablog are strictly that of the writer's. It's not the writer's intent to
offend anyone who may or may not identify with the following blog, nor does he side with any extremist group.
I work in Downtown LA. In the garment district where it's safe to say that the population of workers is 90% latino. The other 4.93% and 4.06% is made up of Middle Eastern and Asian (Korean/Chinese mostly) respectively.
Then there's 0.0007% African men and the final 0.0003% is African American men and women.
I'm in that last percentage...probably making up most of it.
In the specific area where I work, I am the only black person holding a position in a business in the area. Yes, seriously the only one. Everyone knows who I am. They see me everyday. I AM SAMBO. (That was a black joke if you didn't get it.)
All of that been said to say that in 2008 I am still looked at as if I don't belong there. A couple of people are cool, some are polite, but I constantly get akward following stares and once overs daily.
Growing up amidst a mix of Latin people for most of my life, I know that there's a certain tension between some types of Latin people and black people.
I've heard the stories that were lightly smattered with prejudice from both sides:
...I take that back. It's possible. Prejudice is a helluva drug.
I also grew up with heavily prejudiced ideals being put into my head about all people...even my own; however, as a child, I saw too much possibility for difference to be held down to one person's belief of who these people were.
What I remember from High School is that my friends and I suffered the most abuse from Mexican guys who were immigrants. I have no idea why they didn't like us, but they didn't. They'd always throw bottlecaps at our hangout while we ate lunch...cherry bomb us...even start lunchtime brawls that shut down the quads for days at a time.
What killed me the most was, the same kids who harrassed us were the same kids who wanted to dress like us, listen to our music, and even use our slang... but they didn't want us in the picture.
Was it jealousy? Were they mad because we had what they didn't have? Did they want to just "erase" us and take our spots? Surely they didn't want that because then they'd have to go through the history that we have...that they wouldn't want.
I honestly don't understand the tension between the two groups...who started it and why is it still going on to this day. That's something I'd rather know than the possibility of living on the moon and depleting another precious resource.
offend anyone who may or may not identify with the following blog, nor does he side with any extremist group.
I work in Downtown LA. In the garment district where it's safe to say that the population of workers is 90% latino. The other 4.93% and 4.06% is made up of Middle Eastern and Asian (Korean/Chinese mostly) respectively.
Then there's 0.0007% African men and the final 0.0003% is African American men and women.
I'm in that last percentage...probably making up most of it.
In the specific area where I work, I am the only black person holding a position in a business in the area. Yes, seriously the only one. Everyone knows who I am. They see me everyday. I AM SAMBO. (That was a black joke if you didn't get it.)
All of that been said to say that in 2008 I am still looked at as if I don't belong there. A couple of people are cool, some are polite, but I constantly get akward following stares and once overs daily.
Growing up amidst a mix of Latin people for most of my life, I know that there's a certain tension between some types of Latin people and black people.
I've heard the stories that were lightly smattered with prejudice from both sides:
Black people look at latin people as lazy "border hoppers" who took their jobs and take up space...
Latin people look at black people as lazy drugged out alcoholics who are only taking up space and killing people for no reason...
and so on and so forth.
While in some cases, some of the stereotypes ring true, I can't believe that an entire group of people can be so one-sided with their beliefs towards another group of people.Latin people look at black people as lazy drugged out alcoholics who are only taking up space and killing people for no reason...
and so on and so forth.
...I take that back. It's possible. Prejudice is a helluva drug.
I also grew up with heavily prejudiced ideals being put into my head about all people...even my own; however, as a child, I saw too much possibility for difference to be held down to one person's belief of who these people were.
What I remember from High School is that my friends and I suffered the most abuse from Mexican guys who were immigrants. I have no idea why they didn't like us, but they didn't. They'd always throw bottlecaps at our hangout while we ate lunch...cherry bomb us...even start lunchtime brawls that shut down the quads for days at a time.
What killed me the most was, the same kids who harrassed us were the same kids who wanted to dress like us, listen to our music, and even use our slang... but they didn't want us in the picture.
Was it jealousy? Were they mad because we had what they didn't have? Did they want to just "erase" us and take our spots? Surely they didn't want that because then they'd have to go through the history that we have...that they wouldn't want.
I honestly don't understand the tension between the two groups...who started it and why is it still going on to this day. That's something I'd rather know than the possibility of living on the moon and depleting another precious resource.