Dear Mexican: My question is simple: can you please
confirm the fact that there are doctors, lawyers and other
professionals living in Mexico? I'm a Mexican American woman living in
Chicago who had a heated discussion about that topic. My friend who is
a teacher at a local school was of the opinion that there really aren't
any. Her point was when we see immigrants on television, none are
doctors, lawyers or any other professionals, for that matter. She
believes that the only wealthy Mexicans are drug lords. There seems to
be a lot of ignorance and confusion about this topic. Please enlighten
her and those who think like her.
Incensed in Chicago
Dear Brazer: Por supuesto there are doctors, lawyers, accountants, scientists and other professionals in Mexico — who do you think sews up the narcos after a gun battle, fights off American extradition efforts, launders their money and devises nuevas ways to smuggle?
Dear Mexican: Why do all Mexican restaurant workers
cram the napkin dispensers so full that you can't possibly remove a
napkin without a pair of pliers?
Messy Eater
Dear Gabacho: It's called "refilling a napkin dispenser."
Dear Mexican: Something I've never understood about
other Mexicans, as I am one...when speaking to other Mexicans about
higher education and its importance, they always interrupt me to place
an emphasis on the Associates Degree. I've wanted to slap a
primo/prima/amigo silly. Why the low standard? I've asked educators
about this before and been told it was a low achievement standard that
was placed on Mexican American students in the 1960s and 1970s by
mainly high school counselors. True?
Párate and Deliver
Dear Wab: Instead of giving your primo/prima/amigo a cachetada, why don't you help them transfer to a four-year university? Heaven knows America needs more of its Mexicans at institutes of higher learning — on top of our abysmal high school graduation rates, not enough of us go on to get a college diploma. The 2008 U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey's Annual Social and Economic Supplement found that only 28 percent of Latinos who finished high school went on to earn at least a bachelor's degree — and the percentage for Mexis is undoubtedly smaller (the Survey didn't break down its figures by Latin American nationality). Why the low standard? Ignorance, silly! Not just limited to Know Nothings! Oh, and I don't think there was a widespread gabacho counselor conspiracy in the 1960s to funnel Mexicans of that generation into community college — most encouraged their charges to not bother with education, period.
Dear Mexican: Why are Mexicans so...laid
back?
Crazy and Lazy
Dear Gabacho: Mañana, mañana. Que será, será. Mexicans sleeping under a cactus. All iconic American commentaries on our inherent relaxed nature. La verdad is, Mexicans are more neurotic than Woody Allen's onscreen persona — and if you don't believe me, you try living life avoiding la migra or knowing that if white teens in a Pennsylvania hick town murder you, they'll get off with simple assault.
Dear Mexican: I recently worked security at a
Tumbleweeds concert here in Albuquerque. I guess they are a very
popular musical group with the Mexicans, but anyways: As I was checking
IDs and letting people into the beer area, I noticed that almost all of
the Mexican guys held onto their wives/girlfriends/lady friends IDs.
The women don't hold their own IDs, the guys hold them, show them, then
put the ID back into their own wallet. What's up with that? I asked a
coworker about this and she told me it's a power thing. So what's the
deal?
Curious Gringo
Dear Gabacho: Could be a power-trip macho thing, but probably is that the chica didn't want to carry a purse and would rather let her man carry the ID than stick it between her chichis. Sometimes, Mexicans aren't rocket science.
Ask the Mexican at [email protected], myspace.com/ocwab, find him on Facebook, Twitter, or write via snail mail at: Gustavo Arellano, P.O. Box 1433, Anaheim, CA 92815-1433!