Kids and Education II (For Suki)

[JaneMas]

Stanley:

You made one statement that was a little shocking to me.

You said:

*****The only thing white people there "which was 90%" saw was another raving lunatic Puerto Rican. They barely notice the hard working ones cause they don't make noise.*******

I rather call these people Anglos instead of white. At this point I really don't know what white means anymore. I find that Anglos are mixing with non-Anglos at such a fast rate that soon white in the US will have the same meaning as in PR. However, that is not important.

Your right. If you have read my prior posts on the subject of white, you would know I've used other terms. I keep thinking Anglos is someone from Norway or Sweden, so it's hard to me to use "Anglo." White is still a dominiant word to describe English speaking Americans in this country and when I was writing last night I didn't feel like being politically incorrect. This area is a working class area. In the past people would always smile to anyone who was black or PR who shopped alongside them, but lately with the increase of violence and loud public behavior they rarely smile anymore or simply roll their eyes if someone acted out in public.

What bothers me is that I get the feeling that there is some sort of superiority associated with being called white and that is wrong. I have met too many Anglos that are extremely cafre.

Of course, but this section of Allentown (Whitehall) is an area where less than 10% of the people are Rican or Black. That 10% of Rican or Black were always seen as hard working people by the other 90%. Further down about a mile is where all the newcomers are settling. It also was the place were everyone first settled in the past. We have all kinds, blacks, anglos and Ricans mixed in that area, but most of the Anglos who are poor and live and mingle alongside them don't make the kind of noise that girl and the rest of them do in public. All the other poor PRs and Blacks who use to live there moved out because of the noise and increase in violence. The cops are always around the main supermarket on 7th st. Why? A fight breaks out everyday in that place.

If it helps---------- in PR I never referred to these people as white. I simply called them gringos.

I usually use "English Speaking Americans". Some members of my family, and friends are offended by the word Gringo. Stanley I'm aware there are a lot of riff raffs in all ethnic groups, but this generation is not a happy one. They are extremely boisterous in public, ready to bark at anyone who walks by. These people are the "squeezed out" people of NY, NJ and Philly area who could not afford the high cost of housing, refused to make changes in their lives to live better, etc.

From your words I assume you are in the middle of a major change in direction regarding your life. I suggest you consider Maryland or Virginia near DC. You will see a whole lot less cafrería.

My ex husband's family is from Silver Springs. I took our son there for a visit years ago.

Let me give you an example: Years ago when my kids were little I used to take them to an amusement park once a year. My choices were Six Flags in New Jersey or Kings Dominion in Virginia. The difference between these two was highly significant. Six Flags was cafrería heaven whereas Kings Dominion was more like Middle America with no loud mouths.

For the most part Boricuas are known for being full of life who could make you laugh, tell you wonderful stories, or dancing up a storm, but in some areas that is just a dream. Now it's all about reggeton, "what your looking at B", and jala jala. The Copa, once a classy place to dance, experienced violence with this new jala jala generation a few years ago. Walking into the Copa today is like walking into a high school with metal detectors! Who wants to frequent a place like that? Where does one find the serious, yet down to earth Boricuas socializing? About a few years ago I received an e-mail to join a private club where Boricuas were the main members. The membership fee was $500.00. Local business men here are always thinking of opening up some club. One day I told one of the men, "Why don't you open up a cafe/bookstore with a social cultural theme and provided performances twice a month?" He thought it would not make money. When one walks in to his insurance company you are welcomed with a "Yeah...what do you need" by his employers dressed in jeans and t-shirts. My insurance company calls me to remind me of any upcoming changes, better deals, or to simply say hello. When I walk in the office they are the sweetest people in the business. Stanley since it was she who wandered into this neighborhood with a levittown Lic # it was an unfortunate incident which I'm sure won't happen again, but will to others. 80% of the homes are up for sale in that area. I feel sorry for those who have to live alongside them day to day.

[JaneMas]

Suki:

I graduated from Anthropology undergrad and grad and both times, wanted no one around. I hated all that stuff. Just send me the diploma in the mail.

I almost did that because my brother and family who were so proud of me could not make it, but since I was the first in the family I thought I'd go, if only, for me. My other brother and my sister attended, but they sort of take after my mom. Here, take a look.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AZs3LJm3aNw

She still moans and groans about that one---since she likes, loves and adores her son in law so much!!I am thinking of maybe having something just so she is happy. Some kind of twenty something year anniversary. Just so she can have her 'ceremony'.

A 20th would be a good idea.

I thought about inviting people to our wedding and it gave me chills!! If you can't have excellent food, music, flowers, and make everyone happy with cocktails and dancing and spend some real dough---EL BOCHINCHE will follow you forever!! Boricuas bochincheros en las bodas mal hechas son una pesadilla.

LOL, ain't that the truth!


Cafre? Lol. Jane I have seen people of all sorts and more. And you know the parking lot incidents seem to bring out the worse in people. I think people get behind the wheel of a car and they automatically think they can become aggressive.

That's true, but in this case, she was just plain ghetto.

Women with vulgar language and violent behavior has always been for me a real turn off. No hay nada peor que una mujer mal hablada y violenta---and they come in all ethnicities.

What's sad is when a child has to witness such ugly behavior from the one their suppose to look up to.

My uncle Wilfredo married a woman who was physically very pretty---but she had the most vulgar mouth and was violent and would put him down terribly. He remarried and I noticed he marries women who are pretty on the outside but dumb as a fencepost and vulgar to boot. You should see my mother trying to cope with her younger brothers spousal choices....LOL. She can't stand those cunadas for anything.....but she has to cope with it for her little brother's sake. I don't think my mother can take more than ten minutes of the dumb fencepost wives with the vulgar mouths. Se esfuma de la casa rapido!! I got to laugh though. What one goes through for a brother or sister. And all those siblings Mom has are CLOSE. I don't know about some men---they aren't thinking sometimes. Talk about being superficial. It is incredible how some people are with their personal choices in life. I think you handled it well Jane.

I tried to compose myself and not let the blood boil. I kept thinking she's so lucky we're not in Brooklyn and I'm at a point in my life where I value my reputation more than anything to allow her to suck me into her ugly world and have something of that nature in my record even if it's self defense.

My brother, the one in the pic above is such a sweetheart but at the same time a hyperactive-simpleton. When he was on his second marriage his wife's cousin came from India. She was Indian from Trinidad. Anyway, my brother choose to be his tour guide and took her cousin to 42nd street. As they were walking down the great white way a Nuyorican approched the cousin offering him a closed box. My brother, the big protector, said, "Come here, be careful with these crazy people on the street. I'm from here so I know who to watch out for", then my brother hears the words "a new color tv set for 40 dollars" very clearly the 2nd time. Joey never misses a great deal! So he stopped and turned around to the guy with the closed box.

Brother: "What you got?"

Nuyorican: "Yo man this is a color tv set. We just took it off some truck, but I gotta sell it quick before they catch me. I had 3, this is the only one left! $40.00 man!

Brother: Yeah, for real? OKAY!

So off goes my brother with the cousin totally confused as to what happened and Joey tells him, "Sometimes you can get a good deal on the streets." He carries the box with cousin in tow, boards the A train to Brooklyn and decides to open the closed box. He opens it only to find a rectangular rock in styrofoam! lol...

Indian cousin: You pay $40.00 for rock?


Probecito, he hates it when we tell the story of Joey and the Box!

[Yujike]

I grew up and was educated in Puerto Rico in the public schools and graduated from the University of Puerto Rico in 73. Then I came to the US and got a Master's Degree and in 91 my Doctorate. The education I received in PR was priceless and solid and prepared me very well for the world, there was very little I "learned" in my graduate education, that I had not learned in Puerto Rico, including English!! Yes, with the old black and white books without nice pictures and photos. Then in PR they started imitating the bandwagonistic crappy touchy feely self-esteem bull of educational theories they teach in this country and abandoned the old methods and now PR experiences as much failure in their schools as in the US. Besides, when you can make 300 dollars a day as a "velon" for the "punto" and you are only 15 years old, who the hell wants to go to school and experience some success?

[JaneMas]

i'm So Proud Of You Yuyike!