Posted on 07/15/2008 3:47:38 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO – The National Council of La Raza spends most of its time protecting and advancing the rights of Latinos through advocacy and community work. But as it wraps up its convention downtown, it has found itself defending its name.
That's because activists who oppose illegal immigration are saying in e-mails, during street protests and through the media that “La Raza” means “The Race,” and have been calling the organization a hate group.
The accusations have prompted soul-searching among NCLR supporters as to what the name actually means and stands for. Most say the situation is the result of a word lost in translation.
In the past few days, organizers have addressed the issue at news conferences and on their Web site, where they explain their interpretation of the name.
“While it is true that one meaning of 'raza' in Spanish is indeed 'race,' . . . words can and do have multiple meanings,” reads the statement. “ 'La raza' means 'the people' or 'the community.'
“Translating our name as 'the race' is not only inaccurate, it is factually incorrect. 'Hispanic' is an ethnicity, not a race. . . . Hispanics can be and are members of any and all races.”
Still, raza can mean different things to different people, even Spanish speakers. For some it means family and community, while for others it represents the language and customs of Latinos.
During a speech Sunday, Sen. Barack Obama described “la raza” as “big enough to embrace the notion that we are all part of a greater community.”
“It's a very subjective term,” said Bernardo Ferdman, a professor at the Marshall Goldsmith School of Management at Alliant University, who teaches about diversity in the workplace.
“The concept of race that people use in the United States is not the same as the one used in Latin America. People talk about the human race, the human races, and the race meaning the people, or el pueblo, so it has several meanings.”
Several Latin American countries celebrate Oct. 12 as Dia de la Raza – Columbus Day in the United States – commemorating the beginning of a mixture between Spaniards and the native populations.
The interpretation of the term among protesters outside the convention center was that “raza” stood for exclusion and divisiveness.
“It's flat-out racism,” said Dominique Harkay, who opposes illegal immigration. “If they want to change that perception, they should change their name.”
The NCLR's president, Janet Murguía, has acknowledged that there have been conversations about changing the name. It has been difficult because of the name's historical weight, Murguía said.
The organization was born in 1968 under the name Southwest Council of La Raza during a time when Latinos had little social representation and their issues were mostly ignored.
Many members feel they should be true to their roots and stick with the name.
Let me get this straight. This group has a name that in it’s essence generates skeptisism and doubt in peoples minds as to their motives...and will continue to do so.
Many conservatives on FR are opposed to the aims and goals of this group and would like to minimize their influence in any way they can.
So, many FReepers are therefore demanding they change their name to something like “Cute and Fluffy Hispanics for the Well Being and Happiness of Everyone”.
I just don’t get it. Why is that so many conservatives can’t think strategically or long term? “La Raza” is a gift that will keep on giving for a long time and they turn sommersaults to make it go away.
Because “La Raza Cosmica” is a uniquely Mexican concept developed by Jose Vasconcelos nearly a century ago. The concept came out of the cultural portion of the Mexican Revolution, and asserted that the Mexicans possessed both the rational values of the European, and the spiritual values of the Indians, hence “the cosmic race/La Raza Cosmica.” Ever since, the term “La Raza” has been synonymous with “the people” in the Mexican public sphere.
“La Raza” is a gift that will keep on giving for a long time and they turn sommersaults to make it go away.”
Yeah they will give like crazy, especially with big ole pander bears like Juanito, huh?
So your strategy to defeating them is getting them to change their name?
Jackass liars, that LA RAZA.
"THE RACE"...>"THE RACE"...>"THE RACE"...>"THE RACE"...>"THE RACE"...>"THE RACE"...
No. My strategy for defeating them is to elect a POTUS that counts them as part of his F***ING BASE!
ping
The Left is not a monolith by any means it is comprised of cults and NCLR is but one of many, it just happens to larger and louder than some of the failing, faultering ones like feminism. None of these cults could withstand any scrutiny or inquiry beyond what a Chrissy Matthews could give.
Oh OK, So then by this logic having an advocacy group for whites that protects and advances the rights of whites should be just dandy to LaRaza or any of these other race based groups. I am beginning to wonder if many white Americans are just flat out stupid.
?? "pueblo" is town. "gente" is people.
Many? Where?
That's because, as it turns out, the United states is NOT Latin America.
If they want to be here they've gotta' learn to use the language we use. Otherwise, they can go down home and use their own darned words their own way in their own place.
Until they figure out what to call their organization the rest of us will rightly consider it to be a virulently racist organization that hates Americans.
“Pueblo” m people; common people; town or village
“Gente” f people; folks; race; nation
Switch gears to “town,” and you get poblacion; pueblo; villa in that order.
From my “The New College Spanish and English Dictionary”
Ever hear the chant, “!El pueblo, unido, nunca sera vencido!”? Google it, and get a million hits. There are semantic differences, but both pueple and gente mean people. And pueblo is also one of the words for town.
Pueple? That’s a new one. Language shifting mid word.
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