Understanding "La Raza"
By Al Giordano
Only someone in the most paranoid mindset - former US Rep. and 2007 Republican presidential also-ran Tom Credo is Exhibit A - would jump to the conclusion that the term "La Raza" as it is widely used across the hemisphere is somehow "racist."
The opposite is, in fact, the case.
In the CNN clip above (hat tip to Rikyrah at Jack & Jill Politics), Tancredo claims "if you belong to an organization called La Raza... which is from my point of view is just nothing more than a... Latino KKK without the hoods or the nooses." That was Tancredo's response to the anchor's question of whether Judge Sonia Sotomayor "is a racist."
Tancredo's reference was to the National Council of La Raza, the largest national immigrant-rights organization. And the whacky claims he made about the NCLR's logo were demonstrably false. Here, see for yourself:
The reasoning (if you can call it that) behind such a charge relies on an incomplete translation of the words "la raza," which in one set of contexts means "the race." But one need only venture as close by as Wikipedia to understand the cultural and topical use of the term as it applies in this hemisphere. It comes from a best-selling book published 84 years ago by an esteemed Mexican educator:
Published in 1925, La Raza Cósmica (The Cosmic Race) is an essay written by late Mexican philosopher, secretary of education, and 1929 presidential candidate, José Vasconcelos to express the ideology of a future "fifth race" in the Americas; an agglomeration of all the races in the world with no respect to color or number to erect a new civilization...
The phrase, "La raza cósmica", in English "the cosmic race", embodies the notion that traditional, exclusive concepts of race and nationality can be transcended in the name of humanity's common destiny. It originally referred to a movement by Mexican intellectuals during the 1920s who pointed out that Latin Americans have the blood of all the world's races (White Europeans, Asian-descended Native-Americans and Black Africans), transcending the peoples of the "old world".
Vasconcelos also used the term when he coined the National Autonomous University of Mexico's motto: "Por mi raza hablará el espíritu".
It has come, often in its shortened version "La Raza", to refer to the mixed race people of Latin America, i.e., primarily mestizos, mulattos, and zambos or all three combined. Vasconcelos also used the expression, "la raza de bronce" ("the bronze race"), in this same sense.
This shouldn't require too many brain cells to decipher: At the very time when the now disgraced philosophy of an Aryan "pure race" was gaining traction in Europe and other parts of the world, Vasconcelos came forward to debunk it. The Cosmic Race was also written as a tool to be used in the national literacy campaign he headed. Vasconcelos is quite literally the man who taught millions of Mexicans how to read and write. His legacy is still felt today as the economically poor population of Mexico enjoys a 91.6 percent literacy rate (better than those in other highly populated developing world countries including China, Brazil, India, Egypt and Turkey).
The big point of the term "la raza" is to say that no race is superior to any other and to suggest that humankind can only achieve its full potential if it rejects the theories of racial purity and pedigree and instead combines the cultures and DNA of all its races, as has occurred more rapidly in Latin America than in other parts of the world. Vasconcelos, in reality, formulated the highest expression of anti-racism for his era and including up to the present.
Tancredo's single-issue anti-immigrant hysteria didn't succeed in firing up the electorate, not even the GOP base. He had such paltry support that he had to drop out of the contest on December 20, 2007 - before a single caucus or primary was held - and threw his support behind Mitt Romney.
Tancredo's recent Cable TV show tour blasting Judge Sotomayor as allegedly "racist" begs more scrutiny onto Romney, too. Eyebrows were raised when the billionaire former Massachusetts governor received Tancredo's support given that Tancredo had raised only $774,360 for his presidential campaign whereas Romney had raised more than $60 million for his own, at least $8.5 million that came from his own pockets. It is an open question as to how Tancredo - who did not seek reelection to Congress last year - now makes his living, and whether there was a quid pro quo from Romney in exchange for his support. The question is: Who is now paying nut-job Tom Tancredo's bills so that he can go on TV and make such inflammatory statements?
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Demographics
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 10:16 am by Erik SchimekTheir problem is that the number of caucasians born before 1968 who consider race to be a determinative factor is decreasing every year.
But their echo chamber is filled with people who do consider it important, the rest of us 'just don't get it'. So they say it louder and louder in hopes of breaking through.
This probably won't change until the next generation takes over.
WTF?
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 11:11 am by Fred App (not verified)Saying La Raza is like the KKK "without the hoods and nooses" is like saying football is like baseball "without the bats and gloves." I mean, the hoods and nooses are what make the KKK the KKK. Especially the nooses. Lynching people isn't exactly a superficial distinction. A group that lynches people is markedly different from one that doesn't. You'd sort of hope that people could figure that out.
Pan Tan
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 11:35 am by jim in austin (not verified)Eventually the world will be universally tan. But until then we will have to endure the likes of Señor Tancredo. Basta!
On the lighter side
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 11:51 am by Lucidamente (not verified)The Rude Pundit offers his customarily hilarious take on the Republican freakout over Sotomayor today at http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2009/05/sotomayor-drives-gop-into-desert-...
On the even lighterer side of things
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 1:08 pm by Seb (not verified)http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/2/3/234153/9828
Tancredo went broke in the aftermath of a ponzi scheme that he was heavily invested in. Makes the question of who is paying his bills even more interesting.
Dying white tribalism
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 1:17 pm by Elie (not verified)I think of the behavior of the right as less about racism and hatred than the panic born of lost identity and relevance to the American reality that is suddenly more diverse. The America rising up before their eyes and symbolized by the election of Obama and nomination of Ms Sotomayor is threatening to their sense of supremacy and where they fit in. They have never had to think of themselves as "fitting in"...they made all the rules and determined how America was organized and its rewards allocated. Now they have to run with the rest of us. Equality was just a word and now that word is being made real and its not something that they have the tools to deal with, although some of them will adapt. The more pronounced and pervasive the changes seem, the more this will illicit the fear and aggressive responses - particularly of those with the most invested in the old paradigm. Its a reaction from deep in their midbrains and since there has been little thoughtful input or learning to modify this, they will have to be diluted over time -- like all tribal populations. If they choose not to be modified, they will necessarily have to become more and more isolated -- an anethema to political relevance and power. On a positive note, we should continue to try to include those of their "tribe" who can adapt. That inclusion will disarm their opposition and calm their alienation over time. Others will not adapt and will have to be ignored or functionally managed by being ignored.
Even better question...
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 3:11 pm by Norm W. (not verified)Who are the idiot editors and producers who continue to put Tancredo in print and on TV? He's a has been of has-beens!
Uh, oh
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 3:31 pm by Erin RosaIf he's this stuck on La Raza he's going to really go bananas when he finds out about the El Plan de Aztlán! Birthed in his home city no less!
Tancredo on TV again today..
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 5:05 pm by Scott KnoxJim in Austin: I categorically deny that I, or any of my descendants will ever turn that un-Earthly shade of Boehner. (George Hamilton is still okay by me.)
Aside from pigmentation, I've just established a new rule that says I will immediately turn off any program that has Tom Tancredo appear on said program. I turned on "Hardball", and first I'm subjected to the usually-reliable David Schuster pulling out his best "Rachel Maddow concern troll" impression by saying that the White House conceding today that Judge Sotormayor's "..would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male" comment needs walking back - means that there is "blood in the water" now.
Shuster, please - if this nomination process is a football game, the anti-Sotormayor team just pulled to within 28-3.
Anyhow, Shuster was giving Tancredo more of a battle than Matthews ever would, but the wingnut with no standing still was babbling on about La Raza giving some 'controversial guy' an award. 15 years ago. For putting on a bomb-thrower who has no purpose but to create conflict, MSNBC only gave me something better to do than watch their show.
It's like an article I saw stating that Romney hasn't made up his mind on the nomination yet - like he has a vote here???
When...
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 5:50 pm by bonkers (not verified)...a business venture I'm involved in gets sold and I make a ton of moolah, I'm SO funding the Fund for Authentic Journalism so that they have several more fulltime reporters and editors.
We'd know by now who's funding Tanscreecho, and all sorts of other details about the BigGame that's played by BigMoney on the electorate each and every day.
GW Bush, John McCain, and Karl Rove
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 6:03 pm by Allan Brauerare among the prominent US politicians who have addressed NCLR gatherings. I guess that makes them all racists too...
Well, you know what I mean.
: )
they DID NOT SAY that what she said was wrong did they?
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 6:20 pm by lamh31 (not verified)ya know I wouldn't be
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 6:21 pm by lamh31 (not verified)@Scott
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 6:55 pm by Laura M. PoyneerHaven't we been here before? Back with "bitter-gate", Obama apologize for clumsy wording but not for the meaning of what he said. As far as I can tell, the only apology for Sotomayor's "wise Latina" remarks is for the wording not the meaning. Some progressives seem to think you have to fight to the last ditch on every battle, no matter how small or inconsequential, without any regard to a larger strategy or a sense of proportion.
Acknowledge that the wording was clumsy and move on, with the meaning still intact.
Over the last several days, OFA has asked supporters to view a video about Sotomayor and share it, then to sign a petition and now to write letters to the editor or call their senators, and they also have a "I stand with Sotomayor" banner you can put on your blog. That doesn't seem like there is any lack of "shove" to get her confirmed.
@ Laura
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 7:51 pm by Scott KnoxI was knocking Shuster for the "blood in the water" comment he made, as if the media is trying to stir up an even bigger fight. The football analogy was meant to say that the nomination process was so far out ahead of the critics, any 'walking back' of the comment amounts to an insignificant point in the other side's favor, big whoop David.
Personally, I meant to say my opinion of this nontroversy is "point conceded, let's move along", I believe we're in agreement here. Apologies if that wasn't clear.
@ Scott
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 8:21 pm by Laura M. PoyneerYep, I think we are agreed. I should have made it more clear that it was a general comment and not directed at you! Too late on a Friday evening for my brain, apparently.
In other words, "la raza"
Submitted May 29, 2009 - 10:57 pm by Avery (not verified)In other words, "la raza" that this organization is named after... is the human race!
Tanton-->Tancredo-->Lou Dobbs-->C.I.S. etc
Submitted May 30, 2009 - 11:30 pm by Alexa (not verified)The question is: Who is now paying nut-job Tom Tancredo's bills so that he can go on TV and make such inflammatory statements?
Probably John Tanton. (Check out his bio and shenanigans at the SPLC.)
Tancredo-->Marcus Epstein<--Buchanan
Submitted May 31, 2009 - 11:26 am by Allan BrauerViolent hate crime against an AA woman<---Epstein--->palling around with Eastern European fascists
This is fun. I enjoy playing Connect the Dots.
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