Posted on 08/11/2014 5:04:20 PM PDT by Altura Ct.
“I can count the number of Latinos in this state in one hand, and most work in my restaurant,” he said jokingly of the Hispanic population in Maine. But the real cultural shock for Diaz, who lives with his wife and 12-year old daughter, wasn’t that he couldn’t find an eatery that carried his favorite delicacy when the craving hit. His big culture shock involved soccer, his favorite sport.
“In my old neighborhood I could walk to almost any public park on any day of the week and pick up a game of futbol,” he explained. “Since moving here, I’ve yet to see one player kicking the ball around,” Diaz said somberly. And this is coming from a man who managed a soccer league of twenty teams.
“But it’s worth the sacrifice," he added. "There are more financial opportunities here for me and my family.”
Diaz is part of a growing number of Latino professionals who are moving from traditional Hispanic settlements to states and towns with very little Latino presence. Maine and Vermont, among the whitest states in the nation--both have less than 5 percent of Hispanic residents, combined. Yet these states have seen a six percent increase in the Hispanic population in the last decade, according to the U.S. Census.
“I can count the number of Latinos in this state in one hand, and most work in my restaurant,” said jokingly a Honduran who moved from Washington, D.C. to South Portland, Maine to open a business in the area.
Joan Zelaya used to live in West New York, New Jersey, a densely populated urban metropolis that feels more like Bogota and Havana and boasts a 95 percent Latin American population. When she moved to Athens, Ohio her culture shock was intense.
“I went from listening to merengue, salsa, and other Latin music blasting from cars, and stores, to crickets,” she said. But the 38-year old South Bronx born educator welcomed the change.
“The slower pace and quality of life taught me that there were different ways to live besides the loud busyness of an urban center that sometimes threatens to split your head open,” said Zelaya, who is part Dominican and Honduran.
Living in a place with few Latino neighbors and colleagues taught Zelaya to build a community with the small number of people of color she did find, she said. Yet even with a strong sense of comunidad that Zelaya was able to build, the feeling of otherness never went away.
“You can’t escape that otherness when you are the only Latina or woman of color in the office or in the supermarket,” she said. Zelaya recently quit her job as Co Director of Tutoring Services at Ohio University to move to Dallas. She confessed that part of the allure of Dallas was that it was more Latinocentric, even if she moved there without a job.
“It wasn’t that I experienced overt racism in Athens,” explained Zelaya, a community college teacher, but more subtle "micro aggressive moments."
Some examples, said Zelaya, was when she would be told, 'oh you are so articulate, you speak English so well,' she said. “What they are implying is that only white people are articulate," said Zelaya.
Something that happened a lot in Athens, Ohio was the fascination with Zelaya’s ethnic hair.
“A lot of people asked me about my curly hair and even asked to touch it,” she said. “I’ve had an evolution where ten years ago that would have been fighting moments,” she explained. “I never thought it was my responsibility to teach white people and others about Latino heritage but now I use those incidents as teachable moments--moments to connect."
Saying that she came to see some of these comments came out of ignorance or curiosity, “I realized too that some white people are genuinely interested in my hair,” she said, laughing. “And why not—it’s big and gorgeous. Heck, I’m interested in my hair,” Zelaya added.
Migdalia Diaz, 38, was born in Puerto Rico, but moved with her family to the culturally homogenous coastal town of Old Saybrook, Connecticut when she was four years old. She now lives in "lily-white" Arlington, Massachusetts, and said she understands what it’s like to be the only Latina in her school and town. But a lifetime of encounters toughened her up, she said.
Migdalia Diaz, who is Puerto Rican, grew up with her parents and brother in Old Saybrook, Connecticut.
“Oh I've got stories--when I was a cheerleader in high school some of the girls would ask if all Puerto Rican girls were as flexible as I am,” she said, laughing at some of the comments.
“You wouldn’t believe the ignorance. Once I was walking to get ice cream with my little brother who is seven years younger than me and someone shouted from a car window, “you shouldn’t have had kids so young! If I had been a white teen, instead of assuming he was my son, those same ignorant folks would have assumed that he was my little brother,” said Diaz.
Rather than being defeated, Diaz said she developed cultural dexterity, a skill she employs working as a project manager for an international construction company.
“Living in an all white town taught me how resilient I am,” she said, "and it gave me the perspective of seeing the beauty in all people. There was a point where my friends went beyond the color of my skin and saw me as one of them,” said Diaz.
There was another benefit to cultural isolation--it made Diaz a better cook.
“My mom created little Puerto Rico in our home—she constantly played salsa music, and taught us how to cook boricua (another name for Puerto Rico) dishes from scratch,” Diaz said. “She also showed us our cultural beauty.”
Diaz might have grown up in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, but she is not only bilingual and a good salsa dancer but can cook alcapurrias, arroz con gandules, pernil and pastelillos among other traditional Puerto Rican dishes all made from scratch. She recently discovered a small Latin market forty minutes away and was elated; the closest one was an hour away.
“It’s not a bodega in [New York's] El Barrio, but it will do,” she smiled.
“Gringo” is a racial slur.
Racist puta....
“Some examples, said Zelaya, was when she would be told, ‘oh you are so articulate, you speak English so well,’ she said. “What they are implying is that only white people are articulate,” said Zelaya.”
With all due respect, f**k you, you little ungrateful pig. You are welcomed into the most non-racist society on earth and given a compliment. And you can only revert to your racialism training. How about YOU SHOW THE SAME RESPECT for the people who apparently welcome you into their communities. I hate this crap. Like you’re some kind of hero.
I live in Indy, it seems these people in this article, especially theat woman. is the one who seems to not want to blend.
Here, I find Latino hair often beautiful, as beautiful as white person hair or black person hair can be.
If I would go to live in Mexico, or south of the border in small communities, I would be considered odd gal out and an object of interest for awhile.
It isn’t unusual. There is no reason at all that anyone in this country has to make her feel good. I would guess she is not a citizen here either.
“She confessed that part of the allure of Dallas was that it was more Latinocentric, even if she moved there without a job.”
And yet when white people move to the burbs....they are racists.
” “It wasn’t that I experienced overt racism in Athens,” explained Zelaya... but more subtle “micro aggressive moments.”
Some examples, said Zelaya, was when she would be told, ‘oh you are so articulate, you speak English so well,’ she said. “What they are implying is that only white people are articulate,” said Zelaya.”
When I hear how other minorities get treated, like the Palestinians in Gaza, the Coptic Christians in Egypt, or the Yazidis in Iraq, I come across an article like this and I realize it’s happening to the Latinos here too. [/sarcasm]
““Gringo” is a racial slur.”
I’ve been around lot of Hispanic people, and I’ve heard them using the word “Gringo” (m) and “Gringa” (f). It’s basically a nickname, not a slur.
What you said.
Agreeing with you twice in the space of minutes.
It happens! Don’t get comfortable!
so they make the choice to live in a self-described “lily-white” town and then they complain about the town.
how pleasant. i don’t move to another country and then start bitching how it isn’t like america.
No worries there.
If I happen across you again, I’ll try and give you hell.
That’s funny. I hope they move to the New England states by the millions. In fact, if I had the money I’d go down to the Texas border, pick me up a bus load of Mexicans and drop them off on Martha’s Vineyard.
Heaven forbid that you try building a community with the other people live there, WHITE people, and yet you have the nerve to call others racist.
What they are implying is that she speaks English well.
It’s a racial slur.
It dates back to either the Mexican-American war or the invasion of Mexico before WW1.
The Mexicans mocked Americans by calling them “Green Coats” - but with their accent it came out “Gringo”.
So, she wants to self-segregate, is that it? If we tried to do that, we'd be accused of not appreciating diversity.
"Some examples, said Zelaya, was when she would be told, 'oh you are so articulate, you speak English so well,' she said. “What they are implying is that only white people are articulate," said Zelaya. "
No, they're surprised that you actually took the time to learn the language. So many of your Latin compatriots do not. Take it up with them.
"Something that happened a lot in Athens, Ohio was the fascination with Zelaya’s ethnic hair.
“A lot of people asked me about my curly hair and even asked to touch it,” she said. “I’ve had an evolution where ten years ago that would have been fighting moments,” she explained. “I never thought it was my responsibility to teach white people and others about Latino heritage but now I use those incidents as teachable moments--moments to connect."
Fighting moments? I have news for this chick---Latinas haven't cornered the market on curly hair. I have it myself, and I have the same experiences she describes. When people compliment my hair, I thank them---why would I be angry?
The chip on her shoulder is the size of Montana.
“Micro aggressive moments?” Wha? This idiot is mining for racism and strains to detect it, but find it she will.
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