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Tom Brokaw Says 'The Hispanics Should Work Harder at Assimilation'
Splinternews.com ^ | 1/27/2019 | Sophie Weiner

Posted on 01/28/2019 7:11:55 AM PST by Red Badger

It seems one of the iconic figures of broadcast journalism has put his foot in his mouth again, this time by making a puzzling and racist statement about the Latinx community.

On Meet the Press, in a discussion about the fallout of Trump’s government shutdown that included vile cretin Hugh Hewitt, former anchor Tom Brokaw set forth some... interesting ideas about the power of Latinx voters.

Brokaw: "The Hispanics should be working harder on assimilation." pic.twitter.com/D4QGQhSRZh — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) January 27, 2019

“A lot of this, we don’t want to talk about. But the fact is, on the Republican side, a lot of people see the rise of an extraordinary, important, new constituent in American politics, Hispanics, who will come here and all be Democrats,” Brokaw said. “Also, I hear, when I push people a little harder, ‘Well, I don’t know whether I want brown grandbabies.’ I mean, that’s also a part of it. It’s the intermarriage that is going on and the cultures that are conflicting with each other.”

Just your regular anti-miscegenation fears! Normal 2019 stuff.

He continued.

“I also happen to believe that the Hispanics should work harder at assimilation. That’s one of the things I’ve been saying for a long time,” Brokaw said. “You know, they ought not to be just codified in their communities but make sure that all their kids are learning to speak English, and that they feel comfortable in the communities. And that’s going to take outreach on both sides, frankly.”

Ah yes, if only the immigrants would work harder to assimilate to our culture by learning “our” language and feeling “comfortable” in the communities who want them to go back to Mexico.

It may be obvious, but it’s worth noting that white Americans’ ancestors didn’t try very hard to “assimilate” to the indigenous culture when they first came to the U.S. How’d that work out for them?

PBS correspondent Yamiche Alcindor pushed back on the idea that “Hispanics” need to try harder to assimilate.

“I would just say that we also need to adjust what we think of as America. You’re talking about assimilation,” she said. “I grew up in Miami, where people speak Spanish, but their kids speak English. And the idea that we think Americans can only speak English, as if Spanish and other languages wasn’t always part of America, is, in some ways, troubling.”

Yeah, no shit.

After the predictable reaction online to his comments, Brokaw has now responded on Twitter.

“i [sic] feel terrible a part of my comments on Hispanics offended some members of that proud culture,” he wrote. “i’ve worked hard to knock down false stereo types. in my final comment in Meet i said ALL sides hv to work harder. at finding common ground - which i strongly believe dialogue not division”

Brokaw apparently still hasn’t learned that the Latinx community doesn’t respond well to being referred to as “Hispanics.” Furthermore, he still has no idea how to tweet.

Last year, Brokaw was accused by three women of sexual harassment while working at NBC. He denies the claims.

Update, 9:45 pm:

my tweet portal is whack i hv been trying to say i am sorry i offended and i so appreciate my colleague — Tom Brokaw (@tombrokaw) January 28, 2019


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; US: California
KEYWORDS: 2late
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1 posted on 01/28/2019 7:11:55 AM PST by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

Boy, Tom is just shoving his foot in his mouth every time you turn around these days.


2 posted on 01/28/2019 7:13:32 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Red Badger

Go Away, Tom......


3 posted on 01/28/2019 7:14:35 AM PST by EagleUSA
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To: Red Badger

that guy will soon be checking in to a nearby rehab center for some sort of substance abuse that caused him to utter those criminal words.


4 posted on 01/28/2019 7:14:39 AM PST by JohnBrowdie
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To: Buckeye McFrog

The Left is erupting is self-righteous indignation......................


5 posted on 01/28/2019 7:15:46 AM PST by Red Badger (We are headed for a Civil War. It won't be nice like the last one....................)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

Brokaw needs to spend more time in the tanning booth.


6 posted on 01/28/2019 7:17:13 AM PST by Paladin2
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To: Buckeye McFrog

It’s not his foot his is shoving in his mouth. It’s his female co-worker’s feet.


7 posted on 01/28/2019 7:17:34 AM PST by BushCountry (thinks he needs a gal whose name doesn't end in ".jpg")
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To: Red Badger

They think they have a right to most of the western states, in spite of cashing the $15,000,000 check the USA paid for the land in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo after the Mexican-American War, which the USA won. That’s the kind of people they are.

Mexicans and Muslims both feel entitled to our country.


8 posted on 01/28/2019 7:18:03 AM PST by txrefugee
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To: Red Badger

In a country as diverse as the USA, English is a strong unifying factor. And what other language should be? The writer seems to suggest that because we worship diversity, a polyglot is just fine.


9 posted on 01/28/2019 7:18:19 AM PST by luvbach1 (I hope Trump runs roughshod over the inevitable obstuctionists, Dems, progs, libs, or RINOs!)
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To: Red Badger
He's making that miscegenation crap up! He must have watched the movie Giant one too many times.
10 posted on 01/28/2019 7:18:26 AM PST by miss marmelstein
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To: Red Badger

“Latinx” is an abomination of a neologism. You can’t make Romance languages gender neutral.


11 posted on 01/28/2019 7:19:30 AM PST by Shadow44
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To: Shadow44

Are Eunuchs and Linics gender neutral?


12 posted on 01/28/2019 7:21:53 AM PST by Paladin2
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To: Red Badger

I would encourage more Democrat politicians to follow this author’s lead: Be open about your position that expecting immigrants to assimilate and learn English is “racist.”


13 posted on 01/28/2019 7:22:21 AM PST by The Pack Knight
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To: miss marmelstein

Perhaps he is just projecting his own biases...


14 posted on 01/28/2019 7:22:26 AM PST by kosciusko51
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To: Buckeye McFrog

“Brokaw: ‘The Hispanics should be working harder on assimilation.’”

What’s wrong with what he said? The Hispanics absolutely SHOULD work harder on assimilating. Am I missing something?


15 posted on 01/28/2019 7:22:36 AM PST by MayflowerMadam (Jeremiah 1:5 - "Before I formed thee ... I knew thee.")
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To: Red Badger

In my experience, legal immigrants do try harder to assimilate. they learn the language and comply with the laws.

Illegal aliens don’t because we have made it too easy to colonize our country.

BUILD THE WALL.

DEPORT THEM ALL.


16 posted on 01/28/2019 7:22:46 AM PST by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizen Means Born Here of Citizen Parents_Know Islam, No Peace-No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: The Pack Knight

It used to be a ‘requirement’..................


17 posted on 01/28/2019 7:23:50 AM PST by Red Badger (We are headed for a Civil War. It won't be nice like the last one....................)
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To: Red Badger

The browning of America is the downing of America.


18 posted on 01/28/2019 7:24:40 AM PST by Rennes Templar (Heaven has a wall and gates. Hell has open borders.)
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To: Red Badger

Brokaw just shows his towering stupidity.

The best consideration I’ve read on the need for immigrants to assimilate in America is D’Sousa’s book: “What’s So Great About America.”

It’s actually a totally positive experience; you bring your culture with you and we all grow.


19 posted on 01/28/2019 7:25:51 AM PST by budj (combat vet, 2nd of 3 generations)
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To: Red Badger

Poor Tom is one of those “old school” Liberals who just hasn’t kept up with the times. They tend to be the ones who “put their foot in it” the most.


20 posted on 01/28/2019 7:26:04 AM PST by Opinionated Blowhard (When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.)
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