"Furthermore, the radical elements are certain they are recapturing land that should belong to Mexico anyway. If they feel that way and voice that openly, why do you deny that it is real?"
There are some people that think we should give the land back to the Indians ... so ?
With the millions of illegals up here ( all of whom should be tossed out BTW ) a few hundred wave flags and protest for the hungry TV cameras and I should get worried they are invading to conquer us ? ...Hardly
Bud, this is only the start for you. Here in occupied California, the whole thing takes on a different flavor. Wait until your local stores start replacing english signs with Spanish. You'll get religion.
"With the millions of illegals up here ( all of whom should be tossed out BTW ) a few hundred wave flags and protest for the hungry TV cameras and I should get worried they are invading to conquer us ? ...Hardly"
What some here fail to understand is there are two seperate communities of what are refered to as Mexican in the Southwest, and both are deeply resentfull of each other.
One community consists of families that have been in the Southwest for 400 years. The other consists of families that have come here illegaly. The resentment stems from the illegals seeing these American Hispanics doing well, the fact that they have assimilated into American society, the fact that they are proud to be Americans, and the fact that these families feel no connection to Mexico. The American Hispanics resent the illegals because their failure to obey our laws, and their failure to assimilate causes Anglo Americans to paint a broad stroke on all Hispanics in the Southwest.
This resentment is very real. My grandmother helped me to realize just how real it is when I was in Junior High. My American history teacher said that we were Mexican Americans and we should be proud of that heritage. I told my grandmother this when I got home, and she gave me a lecture I will never forget, but one that took time for me to see what she was talking about. She told me that we were not Mexican, we were Americans and that our heritage was Spanish. She said we have nothing in common with Mexicans, except for our 2nd language, and that she wanted nothing to do with "being Mexican". I thought this was harsh at the time and didn't understand what she was saying. I just filed it away as the ramblings of an old woman and left it at that. Later on in life after living in Ca, and Az for awhile I realized that she was right.
The Hispanic culture I grew up with as a kid in Northern New Mexico was very different from the Mexican culture I was witnessing in Ca, and Az. I realized that I had grown up with the remnants of Spanish Colonial Culture, and this difference I think also fuels the resentment between the two communities.
My grandmother was a wise woman, and she based her lecture to me on New Mexico History. I just wish she was here today so I could thank her.