WHEN A VIRUS & VIRULENT RACIAL SUPREMACY COLLIDE - Progressive Populist

WHEN A VIRUS & VIRULENT RACIAL SUPREMACY COLLIDE

By ROBERTO Dr. CINTLI RODRIGUEZ.

Who would have ever imagined a US president intentionally stirring up racial hatred and animosity, especially in the middle of an extreme global pandemic?

Even more shocking has been the virtual silence from those literally in his midst, including medical professionals, emergency officials and appointed and elected officials, this while he has been stirring up anti-Chinese sentiment. Compared to those that are remaining silent, a few journalists have actually had the temerity to question the president about his intentional scapegoating, not only of an entire country, but entire peoples, which includes all Asian peoples, as white supremacists, historically, have rarely been able to differentiate between Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese peoples, etc.

FOR THE REST OF THE COLUMN, GO TO: https://www.populist.com/26.07.rodiguez.html

TO READ THE ENTIRE APRIL 15 ISSUE, GO TO: https://www.populist.com/

* Since the White House occupant made his statements, he has “taken back” his comments, but violence against Asians has skyrocketed and White supremacy continues to be his philosophical center. See: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/asian-americans-report-nearly-500-racist-acts-over-last-week-n1169821?https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/asian-americans-report-nearly-500-racist-acts-over-last-week-n1169821?fbclid=IwAR3AbB0xGXeWJIZhe6hepr2MgYCJlRFJ0PyNZD213pANtfEWwv52WxffcBkfbclid=IwAR3AbB0xGXeWJIZhe6hepr2MgYCJlRFJ0PyNZD213pANtfEWwv52WxffcBk

Once Again, Indigenous Census Quandary

By ROBERTO Dr. CINTLI RODRIGUEZ

“Pareces que tienes el nopal en la frente y el elote entre los dientes — Looks like you have a cactus on your forehead and corn stuck between your teeth.”

I first heard this common Mexican expression or dicho from a Maya friend of mine many years ago. The expression is usually told to people who are undeniably native, but usually claim to be Spanish/European. This is usually aimed at peoples whose origins are from Mexico/Central America or other peoples generally from the Andean regions of South America where there is undeniable mixture, but where the Indigenous ancestry or blood still greatly predominates. Despite this, many are accustomed to seeing themselves as “mestizos” or racially mixed.

In academic jargon, this denial of Indigenous ancestry translates to: colonized and/or de-Indigenized. Probably an even better term is: “reduced” for these primarily Indigenous-based peoples (The history and reality of African peoples in these same regions is both similar and different post-1492 and the subject of a future column).

Sure, it is ancient history, though directly relevant to today, especially when the many millions of “mestizos” attempt to fill out the census. And in this case, the time of the US 2020 Census is now upon us (I received mine on Friday March 13). FOR THE REST OF THE COLUMN, PLEASE GO TO: https://www.populist.com/26.06.rodriguez.html

Believing/Not Believing in the US Political System

By ROBERTO Dr. CINTLI RODRIGUEZ

MARCH 15, 2020

Despite winning three high-profile trials in my lifetime, involving death threats from extremists and/or supremacists and law enforcement violence, I do not believe in the US judicial system.
I acknowledge that my beliefs may stem from the fact that none of the defendants were ever sent to prison. Either they were promoted, or in the case of the white supremacist, was slapped on the wrists with probation.

While speaking at the invitation by a teacher at Hollenbeck Junior High School in Los Angeles, soon after I had won a historic police brutality lawsuit trial in 1986, some administrator told me that I was giving the students the wrong message; she reasoned that the fact that I won those trials meant that “the system works.”

I disagreed then and even now. FOR THE REST OF THE COLUMN, GO TO: https://www.populist.com/26.05.rodrguez.html?fbclid=IwAR22hPkHQu-only-GBssxLQk7TBh6U6DmoMI04M24YrvpvXrxFnSIGiToP0