To the editor:
We represent over 500 University of Houston student members who, along with the Mexican-American Alumni Association, are in support of participating in Frontier Fiesta. Others have made it known that Frontier Fiesta is offensive to them; however, this does not represent the sentiment of the large majority of Latino students on campus.
We are very aware of our heritage and of the violence perpetrated against our ancestors. We also support educational seminars being held to discuss these topics. Nonetheless, to the extent that such discussions are targeted at Frontier Fiesta, we must question whether or not they are misdirected.
Frontier Fiesta never has been, and never will be, about the conquering of one group by another. If the name implies that to some individuals, then we suggest you take the blinders of resentment off.
Our groups would never support an event as racist or so-called celebration of "genocide" (likewise, a racist and exclusive event would never extend an invitation to us). It is too easy for individuals to label the event "racist" and exclude themselves. Frontier Fiesta is a social event and a time for all of us to celebrate the University of Houston.
Have there been racially disturbing incidents in the past? Yes, but as it has been relayed to us, those instances were by people not affiliated with the university. It is, therefore, premature to make broad statements about the event and the students who participate in it.
To be sure, there are racist individuals who participate in Frontier Fiesta just as there are in any event that draws from the greater Houston community, but this is a problem to be addressed in a different context.
We invite students of all backgrounds to participate in Frontier Fiesta. It is incumbent upon on us to be proactive in this regard. We are proud to have four Latinos on this year's Frontier Fiesta Board of Directors, and we invite others to visit the event and seek changes necessary.
If members of our minority student populations do not take the time to learn about the event, charges of excluding minorities will be self-fulfilling prophecy. Incidentally, it would not matter to those opposing the event if every minority group on campus participated, since their point is that the event is morally wrong. We do not agree with this premise.
Our members want everyone to know that the Latino community at UH has just as much to celebrate as anyone else and want to invite everyone to learn more about our culture. We plan on participating fully in this year's Fiesta by sponsoring a performance by Tejano artist Los Palominos on Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Also, there will be a Mexican Ballet Folkorico dance troupe performing on Saturday. Please come and learn about our deep Texas roots and enjoy the sounds of our culture, which has had a tremendous influence on Texas. We hope to see you there.
Mexican-American
Students Organization
Hispanic Business
Students Association
La Comunidad
community service organization
Society of Mexican-American Engineers and Scientists
Hispanic Law Students Association
Kappa Delta Chi
(Hispanic-based sorority)
Hispanic Students Association of Graduate Social Workers
To the editor:
I am not from Texas, and that's probably good, cause y'all need a kick in the ass. All this fighting I have been hearing about Frontier Fiesta just proves how stupid and racist everybody is.
Okay, so the Southwest history is full of racism, genocide and sexism and both the United States and Mexico are to share in the blame - but that was then. That was our forefathers, and in case no one noticed, our forefathers are dead.
This is 1997, a totally different world where people of all ethnicities mingle with each other. As people of the world, is all we can do still fight with each other?
Frontier Fiesta is not a party of whites wallowing in the past, but an acknowledgment of the past and a reflection of our future. It's a time to say yes, both American and Mexican men did commit horrible crimes and did things that were less than honorable, but we cannot take responsibility for the actions of the people who died before we were born.
What we can take responsibility for is our future. The one thing that sets us apart from our past is that we are not the past. We are the future. As the future, we are not going to make the same mistakes. The horrible crime we have committed is letting the bickering continue.
Frontier Fiesta is a reflection of ourselves. Have we succeeded our forefathers or not? Are we to bicker and fight like little children, or are we going to be mature about it? Frontier Fiesta should acknowledge the massacre, genocide, sexism and racism, but it is an opportunity to show that we have learned from our mistakes.
Frontier Fiesta is an opportunity for everyone to get together not to celebrate the past, but to celebrate our future. It should be a celebration of our ability to talk to each other, to understand each other and to no longer fight.
It is a party where everyone is welcomed and where bygones are bygones and we can learn about ourselves, a place where we can get together and create our future. And just maybe, in the new frontier, our grandchildren will look back at us with pride and dignity and celebrate in our honor.
James Rios
junior, graphic communications
Get over it!
To the editor:
What has to happen to keep everyone from complaining about a collegewide party? Collegewide ... hmmmm ... doesn't that mean that everyone from the college can participate? From what I've heard about Frontier Fiesta, it is just a college party, held in the spring, that anyone can participate in. What's the big deal with that? Why is it a racist gathering?
I see people writing letters about how they have suffered. Tell me, when did any one specific person attending the University of Houston suffer at the hands of frontier pioneers? And, if you're being discriminated against so much, why are you allowed to attend a public university?
I bet some of you even get money from the U.S. government to support your education. What about this land that you live on? You don't seem to mind too much about living here now, even though some brutal things may have happened in order for the United States to now claim it as one of its states.
And where did someone pick up the idea that this little fiesta (which, by the way, is a Spanish word) was celebrating genocide? We Anglos (wait, I wasn't one of the frontier pioneers) came in and killed as many Mexicans and Native Americans as we possibly could. Wrong!
From what I remember from my history class last semester, Mexico invited Anglo settlers to move into Mexico. Then it got to be that there were too many Anglos (according to Mexico), and Mexico shut off its borders, and that's what pissed people off.
And why are women upset about the women being portrayed as prostitutes? If you don't think that's the way all the women should be portrayed at Frontier Fiesta, then why don't you dress up like a frontier woman - the way you think they should look - and make an appearance at the festival?
Come on, people, let's just get over this and have a good time at what is supposed to be a party. I thought college students around the world were the most open-minded individuals one could find. I thought we were enlightened by our education and not driven by prejudices that have grown strong over the years like our parents.
Lori Stevens
sophomore, University Studies
To the editor:
Russell Contreras makes a good point in his April 14 editorial in that, when discussing racism, point of view is of crucial importance. If a person of Jewish heritage says he hates Germans, we understand his viewpoint from a historical perspective. Conversely, if a German says he hates Jews, then we are justifiably outraged. If a university in Berlin has a "Dachau Fest," we would expect indignation.
Historical "truth" is also a slippery topic. Our culture has cherished many myths about our beginnings that have since been revealed as distorted. These "facts" seemed true from the point of view of the people who wrote the history.
This does not mean we should stand all written history on its head and blindly accept someone else's account of an event. Instead, we should understand the power of someone's point of view.
The question is not whether or not Contreras is a racist. His racism is blatant and unashamed. A more pertinent question is whether or not his particular brand of hatred and paranoia is warranted by the shared history of our people. Unfortunately, he might just have a point.
Another question might be whether Frontier Fiesta is an appropriate battleground for these issues. This position is much harder to justify.
The American West has come to symbolize adventure and limitless new horizons in our popular culture - commodities in very short supply in today's America. Surely these symbols are being celebrated, and not the often sad history of race relations in the West of the 19th century.
I would not expect Contreras to agree with this assessment. His
evident rage has been forged by more than a century and a half of
second-class citizenship. He has become a front-line soldier in the race war. What a pity.
Mitch Lawyer
graduate student, math
To the editor:
I recall feeling deeply concerned for the College Republicans' negative depiction in a cartoon published by The Daily Cougar. If you recall, the cartoon pictured two young men in front of a swastika. One of the men had a "wide drooling grin," and the other held a sign that read "Burn the homeless" (The Daily Cougar, Oct. 10, 1996).
Some College Republicans declared the cartoon "outrageous" and even threatened legal action. Although I am fully aware of First Amendment rights, I, as well as many others, found the comic to be overly exaggerated and degrading.
This is how I felt about Arik Wolf's column, published in the April 11 Daily Cougar, wherein Mr. Wolf criticized the attendees of a workshop sponsored by the National Organization for Women as "battle axes" and "geriatric hippies," called the Sierra Club "wacko," generalized the entire congregation as "sporting various tattoos and flesh-piercing silver" and disrespected Ms. Patricia Ireland by calling her "Patsy."
I would like to commend Mr. Wolf for his excellent political skills. I am often instructed that, in order to be a good politician, one must be informed of the opposition's point of view. Mr. Wolf's attendance at the workshop was an excellent strategy. However, after consideration, I came to the conclusion that the only reason for Mr. Wolf's attendance to hear Patricia Ireland speak was to do just that ... to merely hear Patricia Ireland speak.
Mr. Wolf failed to listen to the message of the workshop. It is obvious he did not leave the conference I did empowered to praise the greatness of our society and correct the injustices. Mr. Wolf entered the workshop without an open mind and missed out on an enlightening experience. The idea of listening to the opposition is to understand its point of view, not to find the opportunity to criticize its members.
Mr. Wolf's one-sided political accusations should not be considered worthy of a response, but I felt compelled to do so. The purpose of NOW is to inform citizens of injustices, to protect citizens from injustices and to correct these injustices. It is well-known that there are victims in society, people who are living in circumstances beyond their control.
However, it is their responsibility to take control of their lives. NOW provides assistance to the so-called "victims" and helps to prevent further victimization as accomplished by our voter registration drive, domestic violence awareness and affirmative action rallies, and co-sponsorship of discussions of the new frontier.
Our purpose is similar to the College Republicans', who maintain that, "given the opportunity, people can take care of themselves." The problem is history and current right-wing legislation have prevented them from doing so. NOW is not an organization designed to create "victimization," nor an organization for so-called "male bashing."
As College Republicans were offended by the cartoon in the newspaper, I am deeply offended by the biased column written by Mr. Wolf. Perhaps it is such mean-spirited commentary by College Republicans that gave the impression portrayed in the cartoon?
Mandy Arroyo
treasurer, NOW at UH
junior, psychology major