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Quote by Marvin Harris

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Our Kind: Who We Are, Where We Came From, Where We Are Going – A Witty Study of Humanity by a Noted Anthropologist

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Author

Marvin Harris
Marvin Harris

Marvin Harris, born on August 18, 1927, and died on October 25, 2001, was a renowned American anthropologist. His research focused on cultural anthropology, the origins of agriculture, and human ecology, which had a profound impact on the development of modern anthropology. more

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“an obsession with self-definition can become a trap if that is all we think about, all we debate. If liberation terminology becomes an end in itself and our only end, it ceases to be a tool of liberation. Terms can be useful, even vital tools, but the house of La Raza that is waiting to be built needs many kinds.”

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“Many young Raza activists today are adopting a vision that embraces the strengths of nationalism while shunning its divisiveness. They call it "native spirituality," or "the natural way," or "indigenismo," and see it as that revolutionary worldview we urgently need.”

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“I believe that one of the big problems we will find is the racism in education. We know that in school they are not given a culture that they can identify with. They are not taught who they are. Our way of thinking and our human values: as a matter of fact, discouraged. Our own children are wandering away from Raza culture and this is mostly because they have been educated to feel inferior. Our own history books in the schools tend to wipe us out as a people. Our children don't know themselves. It is our obligation and responsibility to show them who and what they really are. We must realize that when educators speak of equality, it is in law and in writing but not in practice. And worse yet, what is being taught to our children is that the Americano as well as their history is superior and infallible. This is totally inhuman, and if you really want to see what this attitude does to people, just go to a foreign country and see the behavior of the American wherever he goes. And listen to what people from other countries feel about the Gringo.”

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“Iba dándome cuenta de que las partes importantes de mi historia no estaban tanto en el valor superficial de mis éxitos como en lo que subyacía a éstos: las muchas formas discretas en que había ido afianzándome a lo largo de los años, y las personas que habían contribuido a reforzar mi confianza con el paso del tiempo. Me acordaba de todas ellas, de cada persona que me animó a que siguiese adelante, esforzándose por inocular en mí la defensa contra los desprecios y las humillaciones que sin duda recibiría en los sitios hacia los que me encaminaba, todos esos entornos creados principalmente por y para personas que no eran negras y mujeres.”

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“Mi vengono in mente certe piccole sorgenti di montagna: si apre una nuova strada, si dimentica il sentiero che vi porta, i viandanti ci si soffermano sempre più di rado per dissetarsi, e le sorgenti un po' per volta si riempiono di menta e di rovi. Alla fine non ti accorgi neppure più della loro esistenza. Solo una volta ogni tanto, in una giornata caldissima, qualcuno si ricorda di loro, e devia dalla strada maestra per rintracciarle e placare la sua sete. Raggiunge quella sorgente trascurata, scosta i rovi e trattiene il fiato: l'acqua fresca d'insolita chiarezza, intatta da lungo tempo, lo sbalordisce con la sua tranquillità e con la sua profondità. E in quella sorgente vede se stesso, e il sole, e il cielo, e le montagne. E subito pensa che sia un peccato non conoscere quel posto, si ripromette di raccontarlo agli amici. Poi però se ne dimentica fino alla prossima occasione.”

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