the new blak/brown unity

the final battle for sotomayor to wear her robe is underway. now all the republicans and nay-sayers are to attack and find ways to block her. i was cool with it, from the jumpstart. was happy for her. she's more than qualified. resume's pedigree. did u hear her speech? the parts about her mom? we all could relate: blak, white or other. we all love our mothers. 

what did move me was the constant reminders about the state of relations between blaks and latinos. i mean, i know it's there. i just dont know when it got there. i would agree with my conspiracy friends and say, it was a calculated plot to keep us from uniting. guess what? it worked.

when i was growing up, i was exposed to latinos two ways: one, my uncle the drummer, who found himself in afro-cuba/salsa worlds and (2) the latinos that lived in my neighborhoods in texas. there were no latinos in new orleans that i can even recall. it's safe to say, they (in texas) are mexicans. i met more latinos in chicago. in texas, mostly mexicans and salvadorians. anyhoot, we were cool as a fan in school. no beefs between us. i was interested in how come the whole world knows that blaks and latinos hated each other and i never got the memo.

here's what i know so far:

• some of blak america feels that latinos are riding the coattails of the civil rights movement. they had none of the pain, blood, sweat, and tears but benefit completely from blaks being killed and hung to have equality.
• latinos dont share a desire to uphold affirmative action the way blaks do 
• latinos think blaks should care more about immigration laws.
• Latinos resented the notion that they were merely junior partners in minority politics
  

by the 90s, things turned violent and the blak/brown divide grew wider than grand canyons. i think it's ridiculous. especially when u start tracing genetics/lineages/and history. how two groups of people who are more connected could be at such odds, is beyond me.

and the beef is bad: in california and texas the youth kill each other strictly b/cuz of skin color. both groups dont spend money with the other. no trust whatsoever and the racist remarks and cold glares at each other, up and down the street speaks to the challenges. all of this to jockeying for who is america's favorite minority group? what an honor:(

some say obama owed sotomayor's nomination to the hispanic vote, seeing as how they churned out a remarkable 67% of their vote to him. not a bad trade, if u ask me.

will obama and sotomayor be a soothing balm on the racial tensions of the two groups? maybe. maybe it just takes a little time and the right two leaders to help ease a sore spot. but sotomayor deserves this. she worked her buns off and she holds her own. it is a proud day for women as well as people of color. for now, i choose to be happy in that.