Obama and McCain Are Making Me Punch Myself!
by Miguel Perez
Sen. Barack Obama challenges America to learn how to speak Spanish, and Sen. John McCain challenges Obama to deal with Latin America -- and my dual national personalities, Miguel and Michael, are fighting again. I'm at war with myself!
As a Cuban-American, I suffer from what I call a "split-nationality syndrome," a condition that affects me, as well as many other hyphenated Americans, mostly during presidential elections and international sports competitions. It's probably the main ...
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Posted by: R. Angelica Perez Espaillat
Comment: #1
Fri Aug 15, 2008 8:28 AM
I can truly identify with Miguel Perez in all of his articles. The article about his dual identity American (Michael) and Latino (Miguel) definitely hits home. The question is legitimate, I ask myself whether I should sign this comment with my American name R. Angelica Redpath hyphened Perez or use my true Latino name Rosaura Angelica Perez Espaillat de Redpath. Just recently I have been debating with myself whether to change my x-husband's name with my maiden name and never change it again even if I re-marry. But then again it is rather nice to be in cloak and pass as an American with my ex.'s name Redpath; it is a true advantage—you'd be surprised at what Americans say about those people. Have I become a sort of Latino spy, a witness to bigotry expressed in round perfect tones by respected members of our society? People are shocked when I repeat out load for all to hear the nastiness that came out of their mouths.
I must confess with the name Redpath most people ask me if I am American Indian, shouldn't it be Native American? The name Redpath is actually Scottish. It is important to note that most of the times I can get away with swapping heritage syndrome and camouflage as a true American? Aren't the true Americans Native Americans? Question, if one is from South America isn't that person an American too? Anyway…But then again sometimes people ask are you Italian-American? That is when I say wow; they think I am European American? Should I feel proud to be impersonating an American or sad because I feel the need to be in disguise or is it a shield? So the question is whether I should be a moth or turn into a multi colored butterfly that uses such colors to her advantage? Isn't that the American way?
By the way the Microsoft spell check for this article prompted me to change Rosaura to Rosaria, and it also does not accepts the accents on Perez or Angelica—it categorizes these as incorrect. I will leave the accents on the letters for now, it gives the name character….funny even Microsoft chose not to include common Latino names with their accents in the spell check; typical.
P.S. When I previewed this article, I had to remove the accents on Perez and Angelica because they show up as é that is hilarious.;)))))))
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Posted by: R. Angelica Perez Espaillat
Comment: #2
Fri Aug 15, 2008 8:37 AM
By the way R. Angelica Perez Espaillat will go to the poll.
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Posted by: tom werman
Comment: #3
Sun Jul 20, 2008 5:07 PM
How absurd for you to say that Europeans showing enthusiasm for Obama will turn American voters off. You think that after Bush has made us the mmost despised, disdained and vilified nation in the world, we are going to be turned off by people like the French warming to an American politician? Pure, unadulterated bullshit.
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Posted by: davd w pennington
Comment: #4
Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:02 PM
Where did this notion of voting for the guy who's going to do the most for me and my favorite subset of the population come from? What about the business of electing the candidate who is going to look out for the best interests of the country as a whole? (On that topic, can you explain to me how "pardoning" 12 million illegal aliens is in the best interest of the US? Perhaps when we do that, we can also refund all the money paid to the US government, and give tax credits for fees paid to lawyers by legal immigrants, and then top that off by apologizing to them for letting the illegals cut in line ahead of them.) I recognize that in this election, those of us who have the interests of the whole country at heart will have to settle for the best foreign policy, but that's something, at least. I hope Miguel wins the race to the poll.
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