Ron Harris : Marines' diversity offers puzzle for Iraqi guessing game

STLToday ^ | updated: 04/05/2003 05:07 PM | By Ron Harris Post-Dispatch

[11th_VA]

TWENTY MILES SOUTH OF BAGHDAD, 7th MARINES - The Marines were less than 48 hours into their invasion of Iraq when Pfc. Michael Lara of Raymondville, Texas., was first asked the kind of question that he and some other Marines would hear repeatedly from civilians.

[11th_VA]

Funny stuff !

[eddie willers]

Now THIS is a diversity story I can dig. : )

[Clemenza]

I have been mistaken for Arab whenever I decide to grow facial hair. Yesterday, I went to an Arab store in my neighborhood to buy fava beans. The Egyptian owner asked me if I was Syrian!

[rageaholic]

It must boggle their minds that we can basically get along, when ethnic cleansing by mustard gas was the order of the day in Irak.

Like the Marine Captain said, "there's a new sherrif in town."

[bucephalus]

Good post. I agree that this is the kind of diversity story to be relished. I think we call it "e pluribus unum."

[fightinJAG]

When I am in Germany, people think I am German. Ugh.

[cyborg]

Finally a GOOD diversity story on FR. YES!!!!

[Young Rhino]

Wait until the congressional delegations head to Iraq for fact-finding missions a.k.a. campaign photo opps.

When asked if they're American, Kerry et al. will respond, "No. We're Democrats."

[John H K]

I believe there was an article stating that much of the CIA assassination teams in Baghdad are comprised of Hispanics and mixed-race African Americans.

[Green Knight]

I've gotten the same thing a couple times. When I worked as a Bag Boy at Publix a woman who had been to the Middle East a couple times asked me if I was Iranian. Told her nope, I'm Cuban.

Then in a Driver's Ed. class, I was driving the car with another student and we were talking. She asked me if I was Israeli. Told her nope, I'm Cuban (I, BTW, guessed her ethnicity accurately, being Nicaraguan). Should've said yes, though. Heh. Next time someone asks me what my ethnicity is, I'm gonna give them a BS name.

"Are you Israeli?"

"Yes I am! I'm Eleazar Goldberg. Nice to meet you." LOL!

[pfflier]

For one brief difinitive moment they were Americans, without the hyphens.

[Clemenza]

LOL. Of course, when I lived in Miami, everyone took it for granted that I spoke Spanish. I do, despite being of Italian and Polish ancestry!

[cyborg]

I've been mistaken for everything except Oriental. Now I'm ready for them when they ask.

Yes I am indeed the spawned love child of Capt. James T Kirk and an unnamed Klingon woman.

[Floratina]

I love it! I was just thinking about this very thing this morning, for some reason. I wondered if they would notice our variety! Kinda like in the Olympics. The team from, say, China is probably 99.9% Asian in appearance. But with the American team, you never know what you're gonna get. Very cool.

[PokeyJoe]

ya know, If somebody asked me "Syrian?" I would have said, "Hell no, I'm a Texan" and grinned really big.

[cyborg]

When my dad went to Trinidad, the kids thought he was Kenny Rodgers the famous American singer.

[thatdewd]

Great post! I love this article. Everybody should read this one. BTTT!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[JennysCool]

This is a great story. The miracle of the U.S. is that in spite of our diversity, we have achieved unity -- and unity, as in united, is what we should strive for. The advocates of "diversity" simply wish to highlight our differences for their political gain. It's the United States, folks. Live with it.

[mylife]

You said it man