Reflection Post

Many people have already written about LULAC and the topic of assimilation, and I would also like to add my opinion on the seemingly controversial ideas of this organization. Assimilation is a very complicated topic because it can only really be accomplished in a slow and gradual process. LULAC seemed to take a much too radical approach by stripping almost all of the culture away from its people immediately and forcing new and unfamiliar customs into practice. I am sure that many people weren’t very familiar with English and other American customs, but these were advocated very heavily by LULAC from the beginning. I don’t think that assimilation is a problem; in fact I believe that it can be quite useful as long as it is instituted properly. I think that the Mexican population should have been able to hang on to the Spanish language, but at the same time create programs promoting English literacy. Cultural and local traditions could have been easily supported inside and outside of the home as long as these traditions weren’t imposed on others. Substantial change takes time to process in most cases, and I recognize the urgency to be freed from persecution, but I think a more restrained approach would be much more effective.
I also don’t agree with the stance that LULAC took in regards to the view of other minority groups. I can understand the want and need for separation from African Americans and Asian Americans because of differences in the problems that these groups faced and the goals they hoped to achieve. On the other hand I can’t understand why collaboration between these groups wouldn’t have been productive. At the very least a support structure could have been formed to help the fight for rights for all. The way that LULAC talked about other races made it seem like they thought they were better than other minority groups and races, even though this was exactly the problem they were trying to fight themselves. If they didn’t want to cooperate with other minority groups, that is fine, but there is no need for degradation of others. LULAC viewed blacks as taking a step back in the fight for acceptance and I believe LULAC itself took a step back by not working with or recognizing other minority groups in the United States.
Lastly, I would like to respond to the comment that was left on Alison’s post by a former LULAC national officer. He is absolutely right in saying that none of us have much of an idea about what really went on with the organization or the factual history preceding it. However, I don’t believe that is our fault. How many history textbooks go into depth about the struggles of the Latino population in the United States? Everyone knows about the Civil Rights struggles and the stories of Rosa Parks, and Brown v. Board of Education, but very few know much about the struggles of the Latinos and that creates a problem of ignorance.