And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Organization: The University of Michigan - Flint >To: John Doe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 12:32:59 EDT >Subject: Re: inquiry >CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >X-Confirm-Reading-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >X-pmrqc: 1 >Priority: normal >X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.53/R1) > >Ish: > >This question came to me yesterday and I thought everyone might be interested >in it and in my answer. > >Catherine Davids >Flint, Michigan > >**************************************************************** > >Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 07:03:17 -0800 (PST) >From: John Doe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: inquiry >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Please pardon me for taking up your time, as I >am sure you must receive many e-mails and junk mail >every day, I have but a question. Do you beleive >that natives of the continent known today as >'america' should be refered to as American Indians >rather than Native Americans? >___________________________________ > >My Response: > >I do not know you and you don't identify yourself, but the John Doe caught >my attention, and you have asked a good question. So I hope this helps: > >I only speak for myself and not for any other American Indian people. This >topic has come up in our discussions and we have covered many aspects of >identification. I myself am Eastern Cherokee/Irish/Scottish. I rarely use >the term "American Indian" because it is too generic. I would like to see each >American Indian person identify themselves by tribal name only. The "American >Indian" term should only be used to describe all Indian people of the North, >Central, and South American continents. I absolutely despise the term Native >American because people of other ethnic backgrounds are using the term against >American Indian people. They say, "well I was born here and therefore that >makes me a Native American." To further add to this discussion: I do not like >the term Hispanic either. The terms Hispanic and Native American were created >by government bureaucrats trying to diminish identity of particular groups of >people. They say it is for census purposes but if that is true then create >enough places that people can identify themselves correctly. If the government >paid as much attention to the details of ethnic and cultural identificiation as >they do to the miniscule details of our financial records then perhaps we could >be avoiding many of the racist issues so prevalent in this country. The term >Hispanic covers everyone from Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Peru, Cuba, and all the >Spanish speaking people in the United States and Canada. But...there are many >problems with this overall way to identify because...the very great majority of >the population of Central & South America are Indians...not Hispanic but >because they speak Spanish they are taught that they are not Indian. Most of >this is purposefully done to remove people from their traditions...take away >their identity, assimilate them, turn them into the nearest thing to a white >person. Then there is the class problem...Spanish and Portugese people have a >hatred for the Indians who fall under the blanket identification term of >Hispanic. Most Mexican people I know do not like being called Hispanic because >they know who they are. Mainstream USA people actually believe that Hispanic >is an ethnic group of people. Ignorance thrives in the good ole USofA. > >When people say "Buy American" I say...hell, if it was made anywhere in Canada, >the US or Mexico or Honduras or Guatamala, or Brazil or Argentina...then I am >buying American and I do so proudly. Only people in the United States >arrogantly identify themselves as being "American" and I especially love it >when they identify themselves as a "True American." Duh!!!!! People from >Canada identify themselves as Canadians, people from Brazil identify themselves >as Brazilians, people from Cuba identify themselves as Cubans. Only the people >in the US identify themselves as Americans as if nobody else on these 3 >continents are entitled to be designated as a "true American." It is truly >amazing. > >*** > <<<<=-=-=FREE LEONARD PELTIER=-=-=>>>> If you think you are too small to make a difference; try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito.... African Proverb <<<<=-=http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ =-=>>>> IF it says: "PASS THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW...." Please Check it before you send it at: http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/library/blhoax.htm
