“If you kick every Latino out of this country, then who is
going to clean our toilets Donald Trump?’
Kelly
Osbourne / The View
It takes a lot….a whole lot, to ruffle my feathers.
As a Hispanic, I know firsthand what it’s like to be
mistreated on account of being Latina. I know what is like to be ignored at
restaurants, being paraded around the worst neighborhoods by a realtor that
told me inner city living is where I belong, or have my daughter harassed at
school for being Latina/American. I also know how to know keep my cool because
contrary to popular believe, Latinos know better than to stoop down to some
levels.
That said, I will be the first one to admit that cool got
real hot this morning when I saw the video of Kelly Osbourne’s statement about
Latinos in her show The View.
Because I have just about had it with those Americans who
believe the only things Latinos are good for is cleaning toilets and being
nannies and cooks. Nothing wrong with that! Except that when it is portrayed in
a demeaning and degrading manner it is bound to upset a whole lot of people! And
rightfully so!
Thanks to Hollywood, the only impression Americans have of Latinos
is that of the low income, struggling immigrant who can only find work serving
the American elite. I would like to find a movie that portrays Puertorricans,
Mexicans, Bolivians, Argentinians, Peruvians etc, as something other than the
live-in nanny or maid who does not speak English and whose name for some insane
reason is always Consuelo! What the heck!
Well, since so many Americans have apparently missed the
memo, let’s have a little history class to
bring them up to date!
LAW & POLITICS
Luis Munoz Marin – Puerto Rican poet, journalist, politician
educated at Georgetown University in Washington, D.D. Founder of the Democratic
Party in Puerto Rico.
Luis Munos Rivera – son of Luis Munoz Marin. Poet,
journalist, politician and former Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico in
Washington, D.C. (1910-1916) who obtained U.S. citizenship for Puerto Ricans.
Died just before the Jones Bill was passed, which he fought for.
Mari Carmen Aponte – former Assistant Secretary of State for
Western Hemisphere Affairs under former President Obama.
Sonia Sotomayor - First Hispanic Justice appointed to the
Supreme Court of the United States!
SCIENCE & MEDICINE
Mario Molina – Mexican. Received the Nobel Prize in 1995 for
his research on the effects of man-made compounds in the ozone layer.
Severo Ochoa – Spanish-American biochemist and molecular
biologist co-awarded the Nobel Prize in Psychology for discovering the enzyme
that enables the synthesis of RNA (for those of us with a background in Science
you know what that is all about)
Bernardo Houssay – Argentinian. Another Nobel Prize
recipient for his research on the role of the pituitary hormone in regulating
blood sugar. (diabetic Americans owe a debt of gratitude to him for figuring
out the best way to treat them!)
James Escalante – Bolivia.
Math educator. If you want to know more about him, watch the movie Stand
and Deliver.
Dr. Helen Rodriguez Trias – Puerto Rican. First Latina
president of the American Health Association.
Dr. Jorge Martinez Traval – Puerto Rico. Vascular Surgeon
responsible for developing the groundbreaking procedure to treat abdominal
aneurysms as ambulatory surgery instead of invasive and more dangerous
procedure. I am lucky this will be the Doctor my father will see this week to
treat his aneurysms.
THE ARTS
Juan Morel Campos – Puerto Rico. Composer. One of the most
influential figures of the 19th century.
Julia de Burgos – Puerto Rico. Poet and journalist. One of
the leading 20th century poets influenced by Pablo Neruda among
others.
Francisco Oller – Painter. First Latin American impressionist.
As a side note, I will have everyone know this list does not
begin to scratch the surface of the many accomplished Hispanics throughout
history. But I do hope it opens the eyes of those who insist in labeling
Hispanics as ‘good-for-nothing.’
Read it and weep Kelly.
Sincerely,
OLGA HALYARD (nee Sotomayor Massini)
Puerto Rico. Entrepreneur, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Lee S. Halyard & Associates, Realtors®