tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393989528601331144.post8149228303424960578..comments2014-12-12T09:17:27.638-08:00Comments on Current Issues in Anthropology: Chapter 14 - Bricks, Mortar and Coalition BuildingAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11709457389948450088noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393989528601331144.post-59115656316376167202014-09-16T07:12:27.721-07:002014-09-16T07:12:27.721-07:00I agree that for Smith and Castaneda it was very m...I agree that for Smith and Castaneda it was very much about racial solidarity. Something that struck me while reading this chapter was when Castaneda was speaking about the treatment he often receives for being Mexican-American. He says that people often ask him, "when did your family come to this country?" Even though his family has probably technically been in Texas longer than most of the people who ask him this question. For me this is reminiscent of what many other Native American groups have had to experience. I am constantly blown away by the way Americans today seem to see "white" as the original American people, when in many ways Europeans and other peoples of white skin color were the first outsiders in this country. For people like Castaneda and Smith this attitude has a direct effect on how they raise their kids. I think it was interesting to see the opposing views of this, with Castaneda trying to suppress his children's Mexican heritage and Smith wanting to enhance his children's racial identity. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13124253981708325845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7393989528601331144.post-76875337538909098142014-09-15T17:07:33.479-07:002014-09-15T17:07:33.479-07:00While much of this story is about an intersection ...While much of this story is about an intersection of racial identities and some of the biproducts of that intersection have to do with greater racial understanding, I think much of this story has to do with differing agendas regarding the mixing of race and business. For the "anglos," represented by Lewis, the agenda is political influence and financial stability. For Smith and Castaneda the agenda is also that, but high on the list of priorities is racial solidarity. Making sure they and their fellow minority businessmen weren't cut out of the loop in future contracting by a white business establishment, as well as maintaining Affirmative Action in their community. For the whites like Lewis, racial solidarity wasn't something in the forefront because it wasn't needed in the same way as with the other communities, in spite of the contrary opinion of his constituency. Lewis' motivations struck me as particularly Machiavellian and painfully short sighted. He could see which way the wind was blowing but kept insisting on the fact that he was only doing this because the Republican candidate couldn't win. This seemed, to me, a huge missed opportunity for bridge building between whites, blacks, and hispanics which would ultimately make good business sense in terms of over-all city growth and prosperity. John Kimeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07526124055698084925noreply@blogger.com