[Wandatime]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

I grew up mostly in New Mexico and although I am an Anglo I learned to cuss in Spanish before I could in English while in grade school. At the time the American Indians, Spanish-as they then liked to be called- and Anglos all got along pretty well although issues existed then which are somewhat exacerbated today. Many of the American Indians there were then and now are trilingual. My first wife and mother of my children is New Mexico Spanish and spoke Spanish in her home growing up. Her family is wonderful!

The first Puerto Ricans I met were in the Army and I cannot say they made a favorable impression on my for lots of reasons. Later in life when I spent a little time in Puerto Rico I found the people mostly kind and welcoming. I chuckled when several I encountered told me I could use a US postage stamp because they were a territory of the US.

One of my fraternity brothers in college was a Cuban youth leader who had been tortured by Castro but lived to escape Cuba. I met more Cubans when I worked in DC in the sixties, very smart, professional and hard working people. As most of us know the first Cubans to arrive were of the professional class, escaping Castro while the next bunch came from his prisons. That was when terrible crime engulfed Miami. My brother resided in Key Biscayne in a luxury high rise condo for several years. The first time I flew in to meet me he told me since I was coming in late we would not go out but would eat downstairs in the building's fine restaurant. He also told me we likely would be the only people speaking English in the place - and we were!

What I have found in life is that, as we all know, all English speakers are not alike and that similarly all Spanish speaking people are not alike. Consider England, the United States, South Africa, Australia, etc.; consider Spain, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico.

Above all, no matter where they come from and what their native tongue, people are people; Some are good, some are bad; that is what I have found.

I LOVED this post. Thank you so much for sharing your story and showing us your unique perspective. I hope to meet you one day. You sound like someone I'd enjoy having a conversation with.