Home / Quotes / Quote by Richard Rodriguez

Quote by Richard Rodriguez

“Most American Hispanics don't belong to one race, either. I keep telling kids that, when filling out forms, they should put "yes" to everything - yes, I am Chinese; yes, I am African; yes, I am white; yes, I am a Pacific Islander; yes, yes, yes - just to befuddle the bureaucrats who think we live separately from one another.”

Quote by Richard Rodriguez

Author

Richard Rodriguez

Richard Rodriguez is an American writer born on July 31, 1944. His works primarily explore issues of identity, culture, and class, particularly the experiences of Latinos in American society. Rodriguez is known for his profound social commentary and literary talent. more

You May Also Like

“The fact that we're all hyphenating our names suggests that we are afraid of being assimilated. I was talking on the BBC recently, and this woman introduced me as being "in favor of assimilation." I said, "I'm not in favor of assimilation." I am no more in favor of assimilation than I am in favor of the Pacific Ocean. Assimilation is not something to oppose or favor - it just happens.”

Said Facts Happens Names Talking Ocean Favors Pacific Assimilation Pacific Ocean

Author:Richard Rodriguez

“Jose Vasconcelos, Mexico's great federalist and apologist, has coined a wonderful term, la raza cósmica, "the cosmic race," a new people having not one race but many in their blood.”

People Term Race Wonderful Blood Cosmic Mexico Federalist

Author:Richard Rodriguez

“Mexicans who come to America today end up opposing assimilation. They say they are "holding on to their culture." To them, I say, "If you really wanted to hold on to your culture, you would be in favor of assimilation. You would be fearless about swallowing English and about becoming Americanized. You would be much more positive about the future, and much less afraid. That's what it means to be Mexican.”

Ifs Mean Ends Would Be Today Wanted America Culture Becoming Favors Fearless Mexican Holding On Opposing Assimilation Swallowing America Today

Author:Richard Rodriguez

“'m constantly depressed by the Mexican gang members I meet in East L.A. who essentially live their lives inside five or six blocks. They are caught in some tiny ghetto of the mind that limits them to these five blocks because, they say, "I'm Mexican. I live here." And I say, "What do you mean you live here - five blocks? Your granny, your abualita, walked two thousand miles to get here. She violated borders, moved from one language to another, moved from a sixteenth-century village to a twenty-first-century city, and you live within five blocks?"”

“You don't know Mexico, man. You have trivialized Mexico. You are a fool about Mexico if you think that Mexico is five blocks. That is not Mexico; that is some crude Americanism you have absorbed.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Men Five Fool Block Mexico Know Me Crude Americanism

Author:Richard Rodriguez

“Mexico is sex and Canada is mind. There is much about Canada that I find admirable - the treatment of immigrants, for example, particularly those from Central America during the recent civil wars there. But there is confusion too: I know of Croatian Nazis who are subsidized by the Canadian government to maintain their racist culture. There is Canada, trying to sustain diversity without knowing exactly what it's doing.”

“I find L.A. very interesting, partly because I think something new is forming there, but not in a moment of good fellowship as you might think from all this "diversity" claptrap. It's not as if we'll all go down to the Civic Center in our ethnic costumes and dance around.”

Ifs Thinking Moments Might Interesting Diversity Something New Costumes Very Interesting Fellowship Civics

Author:Richard Rodriguez

“We're looking at complexity. We're looking at blond kids in Beverley Hills who can speak Spanish because they have been raised by Guatemalan nannies. We're looking at Evangelicals coming up from Latin America to convert the U.S. at the same time that L.A. movie stars are taking up Indian pantheism.”

Has Beens Kids America Speak Stars Raised Hills Indian Complexity Latin Movie Star Latin America Pantheism Nannies

Author:Richard Rodriguez

“We're looking at such enormous complexity and variety that it makes a mockery of "celebrating diversity." In the L.A. of the future, no one will need to say, "Let's celebrate diversity." Diversity is going to be a fundamental part of our lives. That's what it's going to mean to be modern.”

Needs Mean Our Lives Modern Diversity Fundamentals Enormous Celebrate Variety Complexity Mockery Celebrating Diversity

Author:Richard Rodriguez

“If you want to live in Tennessee, God bless you, I wish for you a long life and starry evenings. But that is not where I want to live my life. I want to live my life in Carthage, in Athens. I want to live my life in Rome. I want to live my life in the center of the world. I want to live my life in Los Angeles.”

Ifs World Want Long Wish Evening Los Angeles Bless Rome Living My Life Long Life God Bless Tennessee Athens God Bless You Center Of The World Carthage

Author:Richard Rodriguez