I was looking at several videos which focused on the Latino Community and I got very confused. There were many blue eyed blonde haired people in the presentation. I was shocked when they began their presentation in Spanish. These folks are not what I stereotype as Latinos. But indeed they are.

My point of this article to point out that in the US the Latino community has assimilated itself into what I call white privilege. I have no problem with that in that the opportunities maybe much better for those whom have blended into the WASP demographic. (White Anglo Sexton Protestant). Then there was the flip side. The stereotypical look of African Americans who like-wise begin a presentation speaking perfect Spanish and are indeed Latinos.

Is there advantages by Latinos assimilating into the African American Culture? I have a loved one that would rather be attached and connected to that culture. They are Latinos but prefer to live on that side of the color spectrum and why not? There are many advantages available there.

In the process however Latinos have lost our roots and also the price that our forefathers paid to get us where we are today. Personally am very fair skinned and I am married to a very fair skinned Scot-Irish Lass which pigeon holes me into a demographic easily considered White. But, I am a fourth generation Mexican. I won’t distract now but invite you to read the history of Spanish, Mexicans and Texans of the middle to late 1800’s evolution of south Texas. “Tejano” that is my most recent root. That is the root of The League of United Latin American Citizens.

I am as guilty of discrimination of other Latinos as anyone. The dark skinned Latinos with the rich heritage of the Aztecs and Indian tribes of Mexico were not of equal value per se. Yet indeed they are, as we are all today, equal in all sense of the word. We may be politically oriented as well as religiously oriented by the color of our skin and the way we were raised or the way we think. (Aside: I cautioned my children as my parents cautioned me). Dark skinned cultures are at a disadvantage due to this underlying notion or racism that only fair skinned people are human. We all know that is not true but it made for a good excuse to separate ourselves from them and perpetuate the fair skinned blood line. We have been taught to look upon dark skinned folks as a lower class. Shame on me and shame on the people of earth who feel that way today. To create the perfect bloodline and rule the world disappeared with many historical cultures, most recent the Nazi’s.

But in my crystal ball the future generations will transform into darker skinned individuals across the board. No doubt the colder climate inhabitants staying lighter if the science is correct. But discrimination is defined as the unjust or preferential treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex. Things? Everything is a thing, right? So somethings should be discriminated against. Name some of your own. I discriminate against the consumption of street drugs and those who distribute them. So to discriminate in itself is not the problem but who or what we discriminate is.

To cut to the chase and speaking to the Latino community; the elephant in the room is the division of our own culture. White black brown or what ever other color you want to label a culture it is imperative that we stop the discrimination of humans. But fellow Latinos “DON”T DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANOTHER LATINO” We must come together all around the world but lets start in Kansas City. I propose a “United Latino Way” One organization made up of all Latino Organizations in this area. You know who the most dynamic players are. Lets start by nominating a leader we can all respect and that works hard to bring us together. LULAC 11085 is for a “United Latino Way” Join our local council in Shawnee Mission -Call 913.269.4450

Ref: “We Can do it Better Together” http://www.LULAC.org