Why I want Mexico to win the World Cup (of Soccer)

First. Mexico is cool. Ever heard "musica Norteña?" Every time my family goes on vacation, the closer we get to the Mexican border, I start to tune the radio to the hyper powered Mexican stations.

Malagueña salerosa!!!

Drives my wife and kids nuts (it's their personal tastes, not a political statement).

Screw that Taco Bell chimichanga shit.

More below the fold.

Like tacos? Burritos? Screw that chimichanga shit, I'm going with the classics. Refried beans and "tacos al carbon" and all the delicious food. Tamales? A holiday dish. If it ain't packed in corn husks, it's fake. Am I condescending by thinking that a "taco al carbon" with jalapeños and beans in a flour tortilla with flecks of pork isn't "haute cuisine?" In my book, nirvana is a spicy, home-made, Mexican, funky, explode in your mouth, bean filled, crispy, funky, mmmmm ... burritos ... peasant dish. Salsa. Home made salsa.

And music?

And those incredibly frikkin' workers killing themselves year after year after year?. I was told as a child that "Mexicans are lazy" yet I watched three generations of strangers break their backs picking asparagus in eastern Washington state for five to ten dollars a day. Right. Lazy Mexicans.

Ever read Sor Juana? (Juana Inés de la Cruz, Sister, 1651-1695.) Lots of great Mexican writers and artists, always discarded. Just Mexicans. Trash. Sub-humans. Inferior.

Who believes that? The Minutemen?

Ask Cheech Marin who's collected Chicano art for years. Can't figure why the St. Louis Science Center is carrying the current exhibition (can't complain, just don't understand).

Something wasn't right. Something didn't make sense. Took a while to note the similarities with "lazy and stupid micks" and "lazy and stupid chinks" and "lazy and stupid wops" and "lazy and stupid beaners." Ok then. Our ancestors were morons. All those Irish and Italian and . . . all lazy, illegal aliens. Let's just revoke our citizenship because our forbears were such lazy and often illegal sots.

Ok. Our relatives came in legally (ignore the fact that uncle Giuseppe was carried in as a 1 year old - he had Polio - we had to fake out the immigrant officials that he was an infant that couldn't walk).

A question: are your ancestors Irish? Italian? Chinese? If you vote for Democrats, you're a fool. If you vote for Republicans, you're evil. I am a fool. Voting Democratic indeed is choosing a less stinky pile of shit. Voting for Republicans is an indication of astonishing stupidity in support of evil.

Yes. Evil.

Drives my family nuts. They're all liberal, existential, progressive, Dems. But they're not fans of Mexican music (I force them to listen. Arriba!!!).

Ok. White honky. I'm not a "wannabe." I confess that I do have a branch of the  family that speaks English with a Mexican accent, but doesn't know a word of Spanish (my anglo aunt married a Mexican, learned Spanish, but refused to teach her children Spanish who all learned to speak English with a Mexican accent. Yup. Weird.).

I grew up taught to be a good racist. My parents taught me which words to use ("beaner" and "taco bender" and "spic" and . . .") Nothing felt bitter. It was like learning to call a "Harley" a "hog" and calling a great baseball pitcher an "ace." Words. That's what we were taught.

Note: My parents have both encountered enough life experiences to change their views. What they taught me was what they believed. They don't think the same now. But they did, as did I. They believed that THEN. They are different people today (as am I - I hope).

I think we need more black people in this country.

I think we need more Mexicans in this country.

I . . . M . . . H . . . O

In . . . My . . . Humble . . . Opinion.

Hard working.
Honest.
Love their children.
Want a better life.

Mexicans.

Us.

Viva Mexico! May you win the World Cup of Soccer!

•  Thank you for not posting the results

  unlike another recent diarist who just did.

  by dannyinla on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 11:20:05 AM PDT

  •  Oh

    I am really sorry.  It was live so I didn't think.

    by mango on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 11:33:42 AM PDT

    •  It wasn't you.

      I have no problem with posting something WITHIN a thread -  won't go into the thread if I'm worried about not getting the resuls. But it was in the HEADLINE - results AND score.

      by dannyinla on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 11:42:01 AM PDT

      •  Check that

        Sticking it in an open thread - not such a good idea either.

        Live and learn, I hope.

        by dannyinla on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 11:57:05 AM PDT

      •  Yes, and I had my tivo cued up and ready

        to play the match, dammit.  I'll still watch it, I'm sure it's exciting.

        But No Spoilers In Headlines!  It's the rules!

        by Loquatrix on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 12:16:30 PM PDT

•  I like this diary

  The house I'm temporarily at has a strange tv deal that I guess came with the internet connection. The people that normally live here don't Speak Spanish, or watch much tv. Almost every station is a Spanish-language mirror of some familiar tv channel. Spanish cartoons, Spanish shopping channels, versions of Judge Judy, Spanish religious channels.

  It's kind of like being on vacation, staying here and watching tv.

  And of course the cup looms so big that even I, not much of  a sports fan, have to take notice.

  The other thing one can't miss is all the ads for English language courses, plus a couple stray shows designed to help adults with their English.

  I live now in the Yakima valley, whose current wealth and infrastructure are here because immigrants built it. When traveling elsewhere I never go to Mexican restaurants because they invariably fall short of a few very inexpensive ones right here. My favorites are run by people from the south coast and offer mostly seafood, but even the little mom and pop store down the road offers delicious tacos de lengua and a few other items, whipped up fresh.

  I freely admit a bias. For years I worked with these people in orchards - and yes some were illegal, although a lot of those were from El Salvador.

  Your litany at the end - hard working, etc. - might get you in trouble somehow but I have to agree.

  by melvin on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 11:35:30 AM PDT

•  'Harbinger' Diary

  and thanx a lot!  Obviously from the heart and the gut--(a hungry one at that, it would appear :-) )
  Btw, how about a shout-out for some tender, juicy carnitas??!!  Riquissimo!!  

  Two weeks ago we celebrated the 30th Anniversary of our wonderful, diverse Sister City friendship w/our neighboring Capital City of Hermosillo, Sonora (I'm in Phoenix).  With all the festivities throughout the week, the high point, for me, came the last nite, when I was proud to march onto the field just before the Diamondbacks' game w/the Braves, some 30 young beisbolistas (15-16 years old) from both cities, along w/their coaches (two from Cuba, btw, who knew "El Duque" when he was a kid growing up!)

  They got their pix on the big screen (talk about a thrill!!!), and they read some nice words I had written about the significance of our longstanding friendship.  

  As a capper, we had rented the indoor/outdoor bar on the plaza at the stadium entrance, and, as we left the game, a great norteno band w/great sound blasted the jams!!!  I can't begin to tell you how broad the grins were on the faces of the Hermosillenses when they hit the chorus and proudly exclaimed, "Hermosillo!!!"  We brought a bit of northern Mexico to the ballpark that night, and two great cultures got to enjoy the nite together.  

  Thanx for sparking the memory!!!!

  by serrano on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 12:07:03 PM PDT

  •  Ooops!!!

    Forgot to explain why I called this a harbinger...I believe you properly put current trends into historical perspective, and I firmly believe the we will grow together, learn from each other, and all be better for the experience.  I've seen it a thousand times, and expect to see it a million.  

    Gracias, Carnal--ok, now I'm hungry and have to go get something juicy.....

    by serrano on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 12:10:25 PM PDT

•  Is there a way to watch the Cup online?

  Can't find one yet...

  for free?

  BBC was suppose to do streaming of all the games it shows, but there aren't any today...

  bummer.

  Anybody know of another site?

  by ghostbuster on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 12:14:09 PM PDT

•  As always, if it can't be England or USA

  then Mexico can be allowed to have it.

  I was in Mexico during the World Cup one year and the atmosphere was just incredible.  You couldn't NOT be a football fan.  And of course we have tons of Mexico fans here in LA, so I'll always end up cheering for them if my two own countries are out.

  by Loquatrix on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 12:19:16 PM PDT

  •  Mexico? Not a chance

    Iran and mexico both played some sloppy, sloppy soccer.  

    by burrow owl on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 01:09:11 PM PDT

•  going to Germany

  My wife and I are flying in to Munich on June 23, after a couple of days in London.  Maybe I'll wear my Mexico T-shirt to see if I can get a few Germans to buy me a beer (or two)..

  by cgvjelly on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 01:17:07 PM PDT

•  IF we go out, Mexico are welcome to it.

  By the way it's not the World Cup of Soccer.

  It's not even the World Cup of Football.

  (But I might have let you off with that)

  It's the World Cup. Full Stop.

  :-)

  by ukrich on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 02:26:23 PM PDT

  •  Sorry but it's

    the 2006 FIFA World Cup™

    FIFA = Fédération Internationale de Football Association

    by NeutralObserver on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 03:46:49 PM PDT