Ask A Mexican

Gustavo Arellano

Insulting Mexico

Dear Mexican: Mexico is truly an amazing, beautiful country! Huge oil reserves, mineral deposits second to none, tourist potential unparalleled!
And yet Mexicans have turned it into a backwater, undeveloped narco-ruled Third World cesspool of corruption and poverty. Are you and other Mexicans just that stupid? How could you take such potential and turn it into a steaming pile of dung?
Firstly, how can a people totally piss away such potential? Secondly: with that track record, why should Americans expect you to achieve anything greater here in the States?

—Someone Who Sees You for What You Are? Failures!

Dear Gabacho: Gracias for your amazing insights. You’re a funny guy, and by “funny” I mean “drunk off your cabeza.”
Mexico, a third-world country? I established last year that Mexico is firmly in the bottom rung of the First World, thank you very mucho.
Mexico, undeveloped? You obviously think Mexican skyscrapers are limited to saguaro cactuses and Aztec pyramids.
Mexicans, piss away such potential? Sure, we can always improve, but I think Americans are hardly in a place to criticize given our self-made Great Recession.
And finally: Mexicans, achieve anything greater in el Norte? Already doing that, and if you don’t believe me, talk to all those undocumented college students who graduate every year from college, pinche puto pendejo baboso.

Reconquista

Dear Mexican: It seems like the Reconquista is simply just the 21st-century version of Mexico’s Manifest Destiny, complete with the 21st-century’s version of the white man’s burden. Aren’t those who support the Reconquista just saying that it’s Mexico’s Manifest Destiny to re-conquer America?

— Neither a Xenophobe nor Hegemonist Be

Dear Gabacho: Key difference is that the United States never previously possessed the lands it forcibly took from Plymouth Rock to Tacoma, while Mexicans at least at one point occupied the American Southwest. At least we have a justifiable excuse for taking back what was ours; y’all were just unashamed thieves in stealing from the Indians and nosotros. But gracias asking!
I’ve been living in California my entire life. I’m the grandson of East European immigrants, and quite frankly, there is no proof that my family came here legally. Furthermore, all evidence points to the contrary.
It was before World War II, and my family has no documentation of entry whatsoever. Half of my friends are Latino; my ex-wife is Mexican. Hell, my Scoutmaster was a third-generation Mexican-American cop when I was a kid, and it doesn’t get much more patriotic than the freaking Boy Scouts.
Point being? I am a pale-assed, white (and possibly illegal) resident, and I’m sick to death of the hypocrisy, racism and vitriol directed at my Mexican friends and family. So sick, in fact, that if Congress repeals the anchor-baby amendment, I will voluntarily hand over my own citizenship. What the hell does “citizenship” even mean anymore if we’re going to taint it like this? We should all be ashamed.

▲ Ask the Mexican by Gustavo Arellano  at themexican@askamexican.net, be his fan on Facebook, follow him on Twitter or ask him a video question at youtube.com/askamexicano!