My Elena was a child from an earlier migration. There was no such thing as welfare, and while her father worked for a multi-century pioneer in exploitation of south of the border labor, they did such things as scour the old time burn dumps for cast off furniture, housewares, and toys that white people tossed for use in their household. They were friggin' poor.
They ate meat once a month.
No government entitlements.
Lots of rice and beans, the depression in the barrio didn't end in 1941 with WWII and older relatives who were a part of that war, it went through into the 1960's.
And, while it didn't apply to everyone from the barrio south of the tracks, there was a general pre 1960 requirement to be back before dark.
And get this, no hard feelings, that's just the way things were back then, doesn't apply now.
So, when her older brother was sick and in the hospital not too long ago, I made a joke about how he would soon be out and playing soccer, he said that he played football, baseball, and basketball in high school, that soccer was something the Mexicans brought when they came - even though his parents were both Mexican born.
Be careful of who and how people with south of the border ancestry are talked about, because it may work against the quest for enforcement of American immigration laws.
For what it's worth.
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Freibier gab's gestern
Hay burros en el maiz
RAP IS TO MUSIC WHAT ETCH-A-SKETCH IS TO ART
Don't drink and post. 
"A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat." - Old New York Yiddish Saying
"You can observe a lot just by watching." Yogi Berra
Old journeyman commenting on young apprentices - "Think about it, these are their old days"
SOMETIMES IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
Never, ever, wear a bright colored shirt to a stand up comedy show.
Last edited by ilbegone; 11-23-2009 at 08:47 PM.
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