Puerto Ricans Are 2nd Class Citizens

[laplaya]

by Wallace Matthews
Newsday

October 7, 2006

It has taken all of us far too long to catch up to Carlos Delgado, as
a ballplayer and as a man.

While most of the rest of the country was marching in lockstep to war
drums, Delgado quietly went his own way. While stadiums full of
people dutifully mouthed the words to "God Bless America" every
seventh-inning stretch, Delgado tiptoed back to the clubhouse, not
wanting to participate but not wanting to make a spectacle of it,
either.

He didn't believe in the war in Iraq and he had been angered by U.S.
military exercises in Vieques, not far from where he grew up in
Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. He wasn't doing anything wrong, just
exercising his rights, and in fact, his duty, as a citizen of the
United States.

For that, some foolish people in ballparks around the country booed
him and questioned his patriotism, including more than a few right
here in what is supposed to be the nation's capital of sophistication.

While much of the baseball world, including more than a few media
toadies, were cheering on phony home run hitters such as Mark
McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro and some guy in San Francisco,
Delgado was flying under the radar with his puny 35 to 40 homers a
year.

Just being able to make it through this tainted era as a power hitter
whose name has never been mentioned in the same sentence as the S
word is quite an accomplishment.

Now the word is out on Delgado. A lot of the same people who booed
him for not standing in reverence through five minutes of Ronan Tynan
or the recorded voice of Kate Smith now realize that his misgivings
about world events had some validity.

Those who ignored him through 13 largely anonymous seasons in Toronto
and Florida are catching on to the fact that even without a playoff
appearance on his resume, he must be one hell of a ballplayer.

Still is, I might add, and it's not too late to catch his act. After
he waited through the longest string of games without appearing in
the playoffs, Delgado's postseason debut was a killer: 4-for-5,
including a monstrous home run off a scaffold beyond the centerfield
fence in the Mets' 6-5 Game 1 victory over the Dodgers. Even with his
quiet 1-for-4 in Game 2, Delgado's .556 average is second only to
Albert Pujols in NLDS play.

He has had much to teach his teammates about the art of observing
opposing pitchers and about tracking tendencies, strengths and
weaknesses, which he does religiously during gamdar with his puny 35 to 40 homers a
year.

Just being able to make it through this tainted era as a power hitter
whose name has never been mentioned in the same sentence as the S
word is quite an accomplishment.

Now the word is out on Delgado. A lot of the same people who booed
him for not standing in reverence through five minutes of Ronan Tynan
or the recorded voice of Kate Smith now realize that his misgivings
about world events had some validity.

Those who ignored him through 13 largely anonymous seasons in Toronto
and Florida are catching on to the fact that even without a playoff
appearance on his resume, he must be one hell of a ballplayer.

Still is, I might add, and it's not too late to catch his act. After
he waited through the longest string of games without appearing in
the playoffs, Delgado's postseason debut was a killer: 4-for-5,
including a monstrous home run off a scaffold beyond the centerfield
fence in the Mets' 6-5 Game 1 victory over the Dodgers. Even with his
quiet 1-for-4 in Game 2, Delgado's .556 average is second only to
Albert Pujols in NLDS play.

He has had much to teach his teammates about the art of observing
opposing pitchers and about tracking tendencies, strengths and
weaknesses, which he does religiously during games in a black
notebook.

And he has much to teach the rest of us about how to maintain one's
individuality in a world that seeks to discourage and intimidate
those who dissent.

In an era of rampant look-at-me-ism, you can't help but admire that
rare celebrity who balances the courage of his convictions with the
dignity to keep them to himself.

How rare is it to find a ballplayer who has toiled in the relative
obscurity Delgado has, while putting up his kind of numbers, without
squawking or turning himself into some kind of public martyr?

Delgado doesn't hit anyone over the head with his political beliefs,
nor has he resorted to any "I told you so's" now that much of the
country has come around to his point of view. He never engaged in the
public self-pity so many others have when nearing the end of a career
minus that elusive championship ring.

Nor has he, as I feared when I first met him last year, turned his
back on those beliefs in exchange for a big contract. When he signed
with the Mets last November, the Wilpons and Omar Minaya asked him to
join his teammates on the top step of the dugout whenever "God Bless
America" is played at Shea Stadium, which is Sundays and holidays.

Delgado agreed - then quietly went his own way, altes in a black
notebook.

And he has much to teach the rest of us about how to maintain one's
individuality in a world that seeks to discourage and intimidate
those who dissent.

In an era of rampant look-at-me-ism, you can't help but admire that
rare celebrity who balances the courage of his convictions with the
dignity to keep them to himself.

How rare is it to find a ballplayer who has toiled in the relative
obscurity Delgado has, while putting up his kind of numbers, without
squawking or turning himself into some kind of public martyr?

Delgado doesn't hit anyone over the head with his political beliefs,
nor has he resorted to any "I told you so's" now that much of the
country has come around to his point of view. He never engaged in the
public self-pity so many others have when nearing the end of a career
minus that elusive championship ring.

Nor has he, as I feared when I first met him last year, turned his
back on those beliefs in exchange for a big contract. When he signed
with the Mets last November, the Wilpons and Omar Minaya asked him to
join his teammates on the top step of the dugout whenever "God Bless
America" is played at Shea Stadium, which is Sundays and holidays.

Delgado agreed - then quietly went his own way, although he did
appear in the dugout on Memorial Day. Most days, it took a lot more
guts to be Carlos Delgado than many of us could imagine.

But no one asks Delgado about "God Bless America" anymore, because it
no longer is an issue. After his Game 1 explosion, he is about four
at-bats away from enshrinement in the New York pantheon of postseason
sports heroes, Joe Namath and Derek Jeter co-founders, Patrick Ewing
and Alex Rodriguez on the outside looking in.

But even if Game 1 is all he's got for us this October, Delgado
already has raised our awareness on many levels. It took us 13 years
to fully realize his value as a ballplayer. Hopefully, it won't take
nearly that long to appreciate his value as a man.

[Stanley]

Jane:


Puerto Rico is an aberration. The island is truly immersed in some heavy duty ambivalence; almost schizophrenic. By the same token congress has no idea about what to do with PR. The Americans also show a significant degree of ambivalence. In the end we are in limbo and have been in limbo form the very beginning.


Here is list of bizarre situations:

1. Unbridled nationalism: There is no ethnic group in the world that displays the flag with more fervor than PR people. This excessive behavior is seen mostly in those that want independence or the status quo. However, deep inside these folks also embrace the American way of life.

2. Others want statehood, but will not go for it because they want to have a PR woman compete in Miss Universe and they like the idea of a national team. Screw the fact that the island needs to resolve the status.

3. Many independentistas want the republic, but at the same time many live in the US and quietly enjoy the American way of living. SOme even relocated to the mainland.

We are too ambivalent, hence they don't take us seriously.

[Stanley]

Why are we ambivalent?


Foraker Act 1900

The Americans came up with the concept of Puerto Rican citizenship and many PR people saw that as a good thing. At that point PR people were Spanish citizens as Spain tried to hold on to its territories in the new world.



1917 Jones Act.

With this law PR people become American

English is decreed the official language of Puerto Rico.

1943 On April 2, U.S. Senator Tydings introduces bill to Congress calling for independence for Puerto Rico.

All of this in a very short time, no more than an eye blink in terms of history.


But, there is more; this ambivalence is deeply rooted in our past.




In 1809 Puerto Rico has the opportunity to choose a Puerto Rican to represents the Island, with right to a vote, in the Spanish Cortes ("Cortes de Cádiz" or "Junta Suprema"). At that point PR was considered a province of Spain. Something like the Canarias. We were on our way to provincehood (but with a different country).


However, in 1815:

Spain restored absolute power to the king, revoking the Cadiz Constitution and reinstating Puerto Rico to its former condition of a colony subject to the unrestricted power of the Spanish monarch.


Puerto Rican ambivalence was already brewing. This is very much like growing up with bad parents. We never had a steady situation.



n:

1845 A statistical commission was created, conducting a reliable census. The total figures are:

Whites........................... 216,083
Free colored......................175,791
Slaves............................ 51,265
Total............................ 443,139

The last census in PR stated that over 90% of PR people were white. If one looks at the census in 1845 whites (Spanish descent) were a minority). More schizophrenia and ambivalence.

[Stanley]

another false start

[laplaya]

I'm sorry to hear about the illness in your family and I'm sorry I didn't respond earlier to your post

Paul

[Stanley]

AR:

Good to see you are here.

Congratulations! I hope everything is well with the family and I wish you good luck in your future plans.

One of my hobbies is to collect guitars. I probably have over 25 guitars all over the house and they are all special to me. Apparently this is common among baby boomers that played guitar in the 1960s. I don't have a strat, but my youngest daughter uses her Mexican made strat when attending her guitar club in high school.

I will be posting more soon.

BTW, I noted la Suki is a moderator.

CIAO!

[laplaya]

Carlos Deldado just won the Roberto Clemente award for 2006
By the way, I'm not a Met fan, but a fan of great humans.