Ethnic slurs or putdowns drawing attention to speech, appearance or cultural differences are a feeble, weakminded attempt to show superiority of one race or ethnicity over another, or if within a single ethnic group, superiority over that individual. Such insults are not only ugly, but illogical as differences are just that, differences, not proving one better or worse. Could you prove yourself, for example, to be sharper than former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger or rocket scientist Werner Von Braun simply because your speech is more anglicized?
Yolanda Begum, candidate for Justice of the Peace, District 2-2, has come under a withering attack by supporters of another candidate, Erin Hernandez Garcia. The basis of those attacks is simple. Ms. Begum, although she speaks the English language clearly and distinctly, speaks with an accent identified with those for whom Spanish is their initial language. Ms. Hernandez' speech is more anglicized, reflecting a generation of hispanics for whom English is their first language. Both groups have adequate representation in our community with neither group being inherently superior or inferior to the other.
Another theme hammered home repeatedly by the Hernandez' camp is that Ms. Begum, unlike Erin, is not a lawyer. Notice that Erin's supporters do not describe her as an effective lawyer or even as a frequently retained lawyer, just a lawyer. Please notice the careful analysis of Juan Montoya of the El Rrun Rrun blog:
"It doesn't seem to mollify these critics that in the United States, the people, in their wisdom, have only elected lawyers to less than 5 percent of the total justice of the peace positions."
It goes without saying that simply being a lawyer does not guarantee one will act with compassion, common sense and integrity, three recurrent themes of the Begum campaign. The names Abel Limas, Jim Solis and Gilberto Hinojosa are illustrative of that.
As to the destruction or theft of campaign signs, those are criminal acts and the perpetrators have not been identified. A candidate simply can't control every supporter, only set the tone for their campaign.
Here is a video of Ms. Begum's brief statement at her last fundraiser:
Yolanda Begum, candidate for Justice of the Peace, District 2-2, has come under a withering attack by supporters of another candidate, Erin Hernandez Garcia. The basis of those attacks is simple. Ms. Begum, although she speaks the English language clearly and distinctly, speaks with an accent identified with those for whom Spanish is their initial language. Ms. Hernandez' speech is more anglicized, reflecting a generation of hispanics for whom English is their first language. Both groups have adequate representation in our community with neither group being inherently superior or inferior to the other.
"It doesn't seem to mollify these critics that in the United States, the people, in their wisdom, have only elected lawyers to less than 5 percent of the total justice of the peace positions."
It goes without saying that simply being a lawyer does not guarantee one will act with compassion, common sense and integrity, three recurrent themes of the Begum campaign. The names Abel Limas, Jim Solis and Gilberto Hinojosa are illustrative of that.
As to the destruction or theft of campaign signs, those are criminal acts and the perpetrators have not been identified. A candidate simply can't control every supporter, only set the tone for their campaign.
Here is a video of Ms. Begum's brief statement at her last fundraiser:
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In reality Kissinger and Von Braun were highly educated individuals in the field they employed. Their speech was not in question when it came to demonstrating their knowledge of said field. Your analogy is flawed in that sense.
ReplyDelete"In reality Kissinger and Von Braun were highly educated individuals in the field they employed. Their speech was not in question when it came to demonstrating their knowledge of said field. Your analogy is flawed in that sense."
ReplyDeleteWith that being said there were some who could not get past their accents to recognize their brilliance.
Jim
Juan Montoya looks like the quintessential Mexican, speaks like a Mexican but wants to write like an Anglo. You can't do anything but laugh at him.
ReplyDeleteYou made my point. You could have said he was "uppity".
DeleteJim
In an environment where lawyers and judges are being indicted at every turn, it should be Erin's strategy to move away from being a lawyer from Cameron County. The fact is, she has never been recognized as a successful or accomplished lawyer of any kind. Her aunt allows her to have a little space. She comes from the worse law school in Texas. How dare Erin criticize Hispanic accents. This pendeja forgets she lives in a 95% Hispanic community. What a racist elitist piggy.. Pitiful........
ReplyDeletedamn, she really struggles with the language. can she give a speech without it being written in front of her?
ReplyDeleteCan anyone tell us who gave Yolanda Begum the idea to run for J.P. What knowledge does she have in that area? She comes from a Matamoros Family with infulence in Matamoros, but how can that help in running for JP. Is it maybe that the people in Matamoros want a hometown lady running the JP office in the US? Just asking................
ReplyDelete"Juan Montoya looks like the quintessential Mexican, speaks like a Mexican but wants to write like an Anglo. You can't do anything but laugh at him."
ReplyDeleteEnlighten us Einstein....how does an Anglo write? Typical Jaiba comment.
Erin seems to ignore that our wonderful country is a democratic country, and anybody can run for office, regardless of place of origin, ethnicity, or accent. Questioning anybody's right to do it, is not only stupid, but it is anti American.
ReplyDeleteYolanda has lived in Brownsville longer than she ever lived in Mexico, she got married young to Mr. Begum, and she has been here serving the community in many ways ever since.
ReplyDeleteAminta