Living La Vida Latina
Salud to NEWSWEEK for being one of the first major English-language publications in the United States to portray accurately and honestly what it’s like to be Latin in this country (“Latino America,” Society, July 12). I’m a Generation N Latina, and my parents felt that teaching us Spanish would lead to discrimination for their children. Speaking only English did help me to “fit in” with my Anglo peers in school. But, to this day, I have felt robbed of my heritage because of the overwhelming pressure I faced trying to “act white” to fit into American society during the ’70s and ’80s. Thanks to mainstream publications like NEWSWEEK that choose to celebrate the rise of the Latin population in our country, there will be countless kids who will take pride in their heritage and not feel ashamed of their ethnicity. ¡Gracias! Rene Agredano Eureka, Calif.
“So the rest of America must learn to adapt” to the increasing Hispanic influence in the United States? As a 19-year-old white female, I find it difficult to be totally optimistic about this trend. Entire streets in my town have become wholly Spanish-speaking and cater overwhelmingly to the Hispanic community. Back in my predominantly Hispanic high school, the national anthem was often disregarded, replaced with shouts of “¡Viva Mexico!” And, inquiring about potential summer jobs, I have been told by employers not to bother applying unless I’m bilingual. I’m all for preserving and celebrating individual cultures, and I honestly love the diversity and ethnic richness of the United States, but is it such a terrible idea for someone to move to a new country and actually learn the language? What happened to preserving America’s culture? Name Withheld Cicero, Ill.
As a Latina who grew up in the United States, I was disappointed with Christy Haubegger’s article, “The Legacy of Generation N,” (Society, July 12), and her view that it’s us versus them–Americans versus Latinos. America is a garden with flowers that represent peoples from all corners of our planet. Slogans of vaunted Latino “Destino” should give way to a clear-headed approach to making the American Dream a reality for many of the Latinos and Latinas still struggling against poverty. Nielsen Q. Fernandez Bronx, N.Y.
The recent spotlight on the huge Latino population in the United States is exciting, but long overdue. Our aim now, as Latino Americans, should not be to “overwhelm,” as Haubegger said, but to enlighten people. Yes, we do exist, in many colors and in many realms. It would be unrealistic not to view Latinos as a very much existent and integral part of U.S. society. We’ve been here for many generations–contributing and working to help make this the great country that it is. Whatever you choose to call us–Latino, Hispanic, Chicano–what we’ve been for a long time is American. Elizabeth Sandoval North Whittier, Calif.
Safeguarding Our Waters
The “down arrow” in your July 12 (Periscope) for the U.S. Coast Guard’s actions in blocking illegal Cuban migrants from swimming ashore was undeserved. The young men and women in the U.S. Coast Guard are faced with a daunting task of enforcing complex and politically sensitive immigration laws not of their own making. You should criticize those who make the laws, not those sworn to carry them out. Every day U.S. Coast Guard personnel place their lives on the line to safeguard life and property at sea, protect the environment and enforce laws and treaties. In 1998, the U.S. Coast Guard saved some 4,000 lives, responded to 12,500 reports of pollution, prevented 82,623 pounds of cocaine and 31,390 pounds of marijuana from reaching America’s streets, assisted 50 nations in developing their own coast guards and, yes, intercepted 3,648 illegal migrants at sea. Todd Adams, Chief Warrant Officer U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office New Orleans, La.
Correction
In Robert J. Samuelson’s July 12 column, “The Seduction of Surpluses” (Judgment Calls), the number of Americans described as being between 35 and 54 years old in 1998 should have been 79 million, not 9 million. The “7” was accidentally deleted during the processing of the article.
